Page 61 of Group Studies

“Despite her upbringing,” Officer Keres continued. “Aphrodite doesn’t have her master’s proclivities. She doesn’t use her magic to influence others unless threatened. She only transfers when she loses control. Her day-to-day life is benign.” He smiled at me. “Aphrodite’s a good young woman who needs positive influences.”

Despite his kind words, I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. He was being too nice.

“Alchemist Blickenstaff’s office was squeaky clean,” Officer Keres continued. “Too clean, in my opinion, but she, like all the educators here, is still under investigation. In the last three weeks, I’ve found an underground black market rivaling those in big cities and shut down two suppliers transporting more than food and books.” He shook his head. “We know Ram was involved in Aphrodite’s kidnapping, but even the MA can’t do anything about it. The corruption both in the staff and the student body is appalling. We’ve ignored this Institute for too long.”

Officer Keres placed his warm hand on my upper back. “I’m taking custody of Aphrodite. With the correct influence, she can develop her unique abilities into something good for this world. The MA has already agreed to take on her expenses.”

Director Flemmings shot from her seat. “With all respect, it doesn’t work like that, sir.”

Officer Keres gently knelt, so we were eye to eye. “I’ve already begun the paperwork to get you into an accelerated program. Once you’re cleared, you’ll have a full ride to our best academy.”

I blinked at Officer Keres and the future, no, my entire life, he planned out for me. The fire eating Damon’s apartment burned on the edges of my vision. Professor Garnet’s tense form stood stoic, but a storm raged behind his gaze. He didn’t move to help me.

I didn’t know what I wanted, but becoming an MA agent was not it.

“You’re involved with Ashe, correct?” Officer Keres asked, cutting into my silence.

I blinked again at the change in topic, before nodding.

Officer Keres wiggled his eyebrows. A smile tugged on his lips. “You trust him and want to keep seeing him, correct?”

My heart skipped a beat. “Oh god, don’t hurt Ashe. Please, I–” I swallowed. “I told him to stay out of all of this. I’ll go through whatever you want me to. Just leave Ashe alone.”

Officer Keres’ face softened. “You misunderstand me, young lady. The fact that your mind went there first shows how poorly this place has treated you.” He squeezed my shoulder and smiled encouragingly. “Ashe is one of us. He’s an MA agent, officer in fact. We assigned him to you the moment we realized your potential. To give us an inside view of who you are and what needed to be done. I’d no idea you’d fall for each other, but it makes this easier.”

Time stopped. Denial mixed with some fucked up sense of I told you so. My heartbeat slowed. The orders he’d barked out while holding me at the portal, our disagreements about the MA, hiding his true abilities. No wonder he slept through class. He wasn’t a student, but a trained mage. I should’ve seen it.

Hurt stabbed into me next, speeding up my heart rate. I opened up to him and his singular need to help me because I thought he cared. But I was his job. Something broke inside of me. I laughed before pressing my hand to my lips.

Misreading my reaction, Officer Keres grinned. “He was one of the officers who rescued you from your master. He’s a good man. Another sign you have good instincts.”

Officer Keres stood. He turned to the director, though I barely saw it. The room went white as a dull tone rang in my ears. I pulled my hand away from my lips and fisted my stomach, rocking slightly.

Smoke filled the edges of my memory. Damon’s blood mixed with a bright pink potion as a blur of MA uniforms spiraled. The sound of voices cut through my flashback. Officer Keres hadn’t stopped speaking.

“She’ll be safest isolated in the tower,” Officer Keres was saying. “Officer Marcus Ashe is being pulled out of the student body as we speak. They’re already attached at the hip, and Marcus reported the progression of their relationship into a sexual one. He’ll move into the tower with her and remain her shadow until further notice. I understand the Aptitudes can’t be manipulated. Her education must continue. We of course, still want her to benefit from this program. Only, not the negative influences we intend to root out.”

“This is the opposite of what I’ve recommended and the rules we’ve given her.” Doctor Roy rapped his knuckles against the director’s desk. “She spent her life in a master-slave relationship. She needs exposure to her peers. She needs to build her mental fortifications through experience and making mistakes. Look at the progress she’s made in a month here!”

Officer Keres straightened his shoulders. “Until Ashe glued himself to her side, Aphrodite came out of her classes physically and mentally tortured. One of her fellow students, at least, is sexually exploiting her. The mage, we believe to be the kingpin of the black market, is reeling her in like a fish on a hook. And for what? A thin barrier of mental protection? You call that progress?”

I dropped my gaze to the table, thinking of the scared girl who was afraid to even ask questions. I hadn’t thought of all my negative experiences here as a good thing, but Director Flemmings wasn’t wrong. Everything I’d been through pushed me to grow and find myself. If Ashe had been here from day one to save me, would I be able to save myself?

The question made me squeeze my eyes shut. It didn’t matter. Ashe. Ashe was MA and Officer Keres twisted my experiences for his own purposes. None of what he said was true. What had Ashe been reporting? Did they already know about my scales?

No. If they did, this conversation would be going very differently.

Who was Ashe?

“It is progress,” Director Flemmings shot out of her seat. “Do not belittle what she’s going through. No one disagrees, the Institute needs a firmer hand, but it’s gotten to this state because of the MA, because of your policies and neglect of human and mage society alike.”

Officer Keres snorted. “We can discuss politics later. My decision is final.” He turned to Doctor Roy. “I’ve had one of my agents keeping your class under control. I don’t understand your emotional investment in this.” He waved his hand up and down. “As a human, Aphrodite’s potential isn’t even something you can recognize, and the politics of this institute have no bearing on your employment.” He frowned. “You’re one of the only instructors here who can walk out whenever you want. I would think you’d be happy to see Aphrodite’s situation improving. Regardless, I believe Aphrodite’s supposed to be in your Moral Philosophy Class. I have two agents waiting to take both of you there.”

He turned and smiled at me like I was the new prize of his collection.

I forced myself to stop rocking. His words bounced around in my head, mixing with my past and present.

Three weeks, Ashe and I had been attached at the hip for three weeks. I’d been a slave to my master's will for eighteen years. I could get through this.