Chapter 157: The Grand Inquisitor
When I awoke the following morning, the sun streamed sharply through the curtains, indicating the sun was already high in the sky. Soltair and Trithe were nowhere to be found, but a plate of pastries sat on the table, weighing down a note. It seems they let me sleep in again. As I stretched, yawning, I glanced out the window, watching the students stream by on the crackled cobblestone streets.
It had almost been a month since the attack, and the city had come a long way. Most of the salvageable structures of the campus were back in full operations, with the exception of the City Lord’s keep, which had sustained tremendous damage due to its proximity to the battle. As far as I knew, only the upper quarters, like where Soltair’s room was, and a few council chambers were still suitable for habitation. Occasionally, the entire structure groaned, shifting on its foundation, but that had mostly ceased after the construction crew magically reinforced it.
Out in the city, I could make out a few heaping piles of rubble towering over the nearby buildings. Some of them were the size of entire city blocks but were so dense even fourth-circle spells had trouble moving them. Even now, a squad of students, led by their professor, struggled to move a single monolithic boulder, one that looked suspiciously like a foot. I turned away, closing the curtains. If anyone asked, I could claim it was preemptive retribution for the "accidental" torture I was subject to after the attack.
After dressing, I settled into a chair, pushing away the plate to uncover the note. The sweets were undoubtedly another of Soltair and Trithe’s manipulative gestures, one which I had no intention of falling prey to. But, as I glanced over the note, one somehow found its way into my hand.
The note was short and brief, instructing me to meet them at the War Council War early in the afternoon. Of course, Soltair also mentioned the pastries, claiming to have noticed how much I loved them yesterday, so he found a few for me today.
How kind of him to let me know he was paying attention to me. Huffing, I sat back, glaring at the note and imagining what kind of face he would make when he came back and saw I left them relatively untouched. As if I could accept-
I stared blankly at the plate, which was now mostly empty. My tail twitched and I ducked my head, cheeks burning. It wasn’t like it was my fault, right? It would have been a waste to just let perfectly good pastries go to waste. Yeah, that was it.
After convincing myself of the righteousness of my cause, I stowed the last few sweets in my satchel and left. My nerves hummed with anxiety as I walked down the halls toward the War Council. It was early, but there was no way I could sit still considering the weight of the next few hours. Part of me was actually excited, in a way, as Soltair promised my soul would be mended, while the rest of my mind was wary. Nothing came without a price, after all.
I found a wandering servant to point me in the right direction and came to a stop before the door, twenty minutes before the meeting began. With a deep breath, I twisted the handle and entered.