Auston grins. “Race you there, but be sure to stay high and out of sight.” My brother bends his knees, then launches himself into the air, swirling as he goes.
“Not fair, asshole,” I shout behind him as I take flight. His white wings almost sparkle in the sun’s rays as he soars in the sky. He blends in with the soft, white clouds overhead. Me? I look like a giant vulture with my massive black wings. I beat my wings hard and race to catch up with him.
Below, the students lingering pay us no mind, though most of them are already in class. A few Reapers linger about, huddled in small groups with the presence of the Darkness still roaming the grounds.
Hadley.
We have to find her.
Flying over Pontem Veritas brings back other memories. Only a week ago, Hadley fooled me and my brothers, each of us thinking we were meeting her alone on the bridge, but she never showed up. And only a few days ago, Preston and I met up with Karston and Auston after emerging from Hell as we gathered to come up with a plan, knowing our girl was missing.
Shaking those memories from my mind, I pump my wings and catch up to Auston where he hovers over the building Administer’s office is in.
I nod towards the ground. “Let’s perch on the roof and come up with a plan.”
We descend, landing gently on the roof, then crouch down so as to not be seen. Looking around, there’s not a chimney or emergency exit anywhere. It’s just flat space.
“We’re going to have to find an open window or something,” Auston says, looking around. “There’s nothing up here we can use to sneak in from the top.”
“I agree. Look around the perimeter for an alternate entrance.”
“Okay.”
Auston crawls away from me, careful not to be seen. Not that it’s likely anyone would be over here. Students, once admitted into the Academy, pretty much never come back this way, unless they are being reprimanded for something.
“Brax, come here,” Auston whispers. I slink over to him, and he points down over the edge of the roof. “Window.”
I peek over the back side of the building, facing the trees, and find one lone window. Gritting my teeth, I jump over the side, extend my wings, and float to the ground. A soft thump beside me lets me know my brother has done the same. Auston begins pulling his long hair up into a messy bun on top of his head while I flatten myself against the building, right next to the window. Slowly, I peek my head around and almost shit myself when I come face to face with Administer’s office. I’ve not seen the room since my first day at the Academy, but I sure remember it.
Administer is an intimidating person, even more so for a newly-dead guy suddenly ripped from his world during a horrific accident that—
Auston smacks my chest, and I startle, pulling myself out of my mind and back into the present. “Focus,” he whispers.
I nod and scan the office one more time to double check it’s clear. Then I reach up and feel along the seam of the window, looking for any weakness to get myself and my brother inside. Finding nothing, I call upon my fire and hold my hands against the glass until the fucker melts under my palms.
“There,” I say to a wide-eyed Auston. “Would you like to go in first, princess?”
He scowls but leaps through the opening, dropping inside. I follow him, glancing around the stark room. You couldn’t make a less inviting space if you tried. A large, mahogany desk faces a set of leather chairs. Behind the desk are floor-to-ceiling filing cabinets, containing information on each and every current and previous student at the Academy.
Quietly, I sneak past the desk and open the first filing cabinet while Auston begins going through the desk drawers. I flip through files marked ‘improvements’ and shut the door. I don’t fucking care about the last renovations done to the place. In my stupidity, I failed to realize that the cabinets are marked on the outside.
“What’s Hadley’s last name?” I ask suddenly, wanting to check her file.
“Jameson,” Auston answers back.
“Jameson,” I say to myself, sliding along the cabinets until I find the section marked ‘I-K.’ “Bingo.” I jerk open the top drawer, knowing ‘JA’ will be near the middle. My fingers tremble flipping through the files as I seek out hers. “I’ve got Hadley’s file.” I pull it out of the row, careful to mark its place, and lay it on the desk before Auston.
Anxiety flares as I open it, wondering what we might find inside, but also concerned that we could be caught at any moment. The lack of footsteps outside the door lets us know we still have more time. Auston and I glance at the notations, finding nothing unusual. Since we were drawn to Hadley when she was still alive, there isn’t much we don’t know about her. The file discusses her family tree, the places she’s lived, and her level of schooling completed. It mentions that Preston was the Reaper assigned to bring her over and that Auston was her Guardian. Even though my name isn’t mentioned, I spent many days protecting Hadley from the monsters that also seemed to be pulled towards her. Karston isn’t in here either, but that’s not surprising. I’m sure my sneaky brother went to visit of his own accord, not because he was told to.
Voyeuristic little shit.
Although the thought of watching Hadley when she didn’t know I was there is quite arousing. But I’m not one to talk, considering the fact I did the exact same thing.
Auston points to a little scribble on the top of the last page. “What do you think that means?” Inside a small circle is a capital F with a question mark next to it.
“No idea?” I rifle through the possibilities in my head of what the fuck that could possibly mean but come up with nothing.
“We should check out Layla’s file, too,” Auston says, heading to the files. “She’s been acting weird lately. What did she say her last name was? Omnifate?”
“That’s it. Odd fucking name.”
Auston scrolls the files but becomes antsy, running his fingers back and forth down the same row.
“What are you doing?” I growl. “We don’t have time for this shit.”
Auston glares at me. “It’s not here, dipshit. She doesn’t have a fucking file.”
“What?” I startle, dropping Hadley’s file to double check.
He gestures towards the cabinet. “Nothing. See for yourself. Why would Administer hide her file? Or maybe he moved it? Or maybe she was never a student in the first place?”
Carefully, I sift through the files, but right where hers should be between Olliver, Jackson and Overberger, Bruce, is nothing but air.
“There’s no sense in grumbling about it. Look for Dominic’s research while there is still time.”
Auston and I move quietly through the office, pulling out every drawer, looking at every label until our eyes cross. Finally, we realize we’ve overstayed our welcome and need to leave. The sound of footsteps steadily getting closer only confirms that.
Auston leaps through the window, and I dive out, just in time because not a second after I hit the ground outside, does Administer’s door squeak open.
“I told you, Dominic,” Administer snaps. “I don’t know where your bloody records are. Perhaps you should take better care of your things.”
Dominic scoffs. “You know better than anyone how organized I am. They are not in my office. I thought you might have borrowed them, considering the circumstances.”