"I didn't show you around," Nisha complained.
"We'll hand you defeat," Catarina said with a grin.
And that was the send-off. It was a different car and a different driver. It took the same time, though. Clearly, both learned from the same teacher, and both took the lessons very seriously. I knew this, even though I slept through the drive this time too.
It was evening when we drove in through the gates of Gawkers Academy. Classes had ended. Students of runic archaeology were returning to the villas, when I stepped out of the car. The driver gave me a smile and drove away. He had to return to Fyler institute. With him gone, I stood at the centre of all the attention.
Everyone was looking at me strangely, but it was only Morgan who came over.
"Where were you?" She asked, gleaming with curiosity.
"Assignment," I answered slowly.
"What assignment? Was it at another academy? Professor Gerard sent you? Where was it?"
There it was. The barrage of questions. How could anyone have so many questions?
The question I had, however, Dia asked before I could.
"What is wrong with you?" Dia asked in a severe tone, with an expression that matched.
Before Morgan could even react, Pratt took over.
"She's crazy of course," Pratt sneered. "She thinks anything's fine just because she's learned a few elementary runes. Mistaking a little praise for rights. So foolish."
I was surprised. The twins weren't usually aggressive. What had happened in the last few weeks I was away? And if something really had happened, why hadn't they told me in all the times we talked?
"I'm not allowed to ask questions of a friend?" Morgan asked, with a look that was merely a step away from a glare.
Dia scoffed. Pratt was holding his sides as he laughed exaggeratedly.
"A friend wouldn't have to ask those questions. Know your limits," Dia said sternly. "Seems like everyone's forgotten. Let's see. Your mentor is Morris, isn't he? Morris, where are you?"
A collective gasp escaped the seniors as the first years looked confused. I was smiling as I realised the twins had quite the reputation. I had to ask them to detail the tale of their terror.
Before Morgan could speak further, Morris arrived by her side. Wrapped his arm around her shoulder, silencing her. And took her away as he voicelessly apologised to Dia. Everyone cleared away speedily, the first years following the seniors. Within a couple of minutes, it was just the three of us outside.
"That was wow," I exclaimed, in praise. "So, what are you, like, some bully?"
Dia smiled. Pratt snorted.
"Bully is such a small word. Dia is so much more. She's like the godfather. You saw Morris. He's got the guts to throw words at me. But you saw how he cowered in front of her. Dia's just amazing."
"That she is," I agreed.
"This was nothing. So, there was this time. We were in the first year. She's pretty, you can see that. There was a third year, who couldn't take his eyes off of her. Of course, no one knew yet, who she was. So, this idiot thought it was fine to chase after her. Jerry didn't say anything. Clearly, the professors didn't interfere in the fights of us students. One day, she had enough. She walked into his villa, into his room. Uncapped the tiny barrel she brought along, poured the cooking fuel over the bed and threw a lit matchstick. She stood by, watching the bed burn down completely. With her glaring, no one had the courage to put out the fire. As for the idiot, he was frozen stiff. In the end, she looked straight into his eyes and told him, the next time he came near her, she would burn him just like she burned his bed. He almost peed in his pants. Everybody was frozen in disbelief. They couldn't conceive anyone was capable of something like that. That night, Jerry announced that she was his grandniece. As punishment for her actions, she was deregistered from the class. Jerry intended to take us under special tutelage all along. So, yeah. Everyone's terrified of Dia."
"Peed his pants? So crass," Dia commented.
Pratt grinned.
"Amazing," I said.
I was starstruck. The twins were truly amazing.
"Come on in then," Dia said, taking my hand and leading me in.
We were in the living room, when the twins explained.
"So, you surely want to know what that was about," Pratt said.
I nodded. He continued.
"Remember we told you Morgan was asking about you? She certainly has some connections. She found out that you were under Jerry's special tutelage. She also has some talent. She learned the Pruscian character set within a week. Everyone praised her as a rare talent. In fact, professor Iowen even recommended her for the annual runic meet. It's a competition between academies. Students compete for the championship title and the opportunity of joining a real runic expedition. So, it's a big thing. Anyway, that got to her head, I guess. Or maybe she was always just that. She showed up outside of Jerry's office and requested a transfer. She wanted to join us. Jerry refused. She didn't like that. She showed up outside the villa, demanding an explanation. How were you better than her? Were you recommended to the academy's team? Had you learned the Pruscian character set within a week? Everything she said was impressive, so a few of the first years came out in support. The seniors dragged them away, of course. Morgan didn't like the failure. She's been acting up."
"She's got talent," Dia said. "But she's truly foolish. Doesn't know reality. And has no understanding of how the world works. No matter how talented she is, she'd never be one of us. She just doesn't see politics."
I laughed. One thing I agreed with completely. The world run on politics.
"The world runs on politics," Pratt said, as if reading my thoughts. "So, can we throw her out now? We've got better things to discuss. Like, what now? What has Jerry got planned? And what are we going to do?"
I was lost, again. The twins sighed as they realised they would have to explain, again.
"Do you want to visit the temple of the sun?"