Darren
Sitting at their normal table, Darren looked at his friends. Bruce and Bianca were cuddled in the corner while Beca and Parker talked lightly. He had noticed the sudden change in his sister but he wasn't going to bring it up until she did.
He had seen Drew for a few moments as he went to his room. They had said two words to each other and that was it. It was odd for them not to talk but Drew looked as if he had something on his mind. Darren wasn't about to ask him because Drew had a bit of a temper when it came to his personal life. In other words, he didn't mess with anyone's personal lives and he asked for the same courtesy.
After everyone had left him in his sister and Maddie's room, he had looked around their space. He knew his sister rather well so he wasn't surprised at her side of the room. Maddie's style compared to Beca's was completely different. She was a simple girl who just happened to be an heiress. There was nothing that showed her to be anything but gentle. Beca on the other hand was eclectic, gathering everything she liked and stuffing it together to form an odd amalgamation of crap. Both girls, though best friends, were completely different.
The double doors opened as more students came in for dinner, Maddie being one of them. Darren sat up instantly, noticing her change. There was a cut above her eye and the way she balled her fists and hunched her shoulders told him she was cold. He got up quickly as she approached their table.
"What happened?" he asked, his hands going to her shoulders. She was shivering.
Maddie nodded abstractly. He hadn't asked if she was okay. He should have. "Casey attacked me as I was coming to dinner. Mr. Yeats saw us and sent us on our way. I had to go change but I'm still cold."
Parker stood up and shed his jacket. He wrapped it around Maddie's shoulders as he gently sat her down beside Beca. "I'll go get you some soup to warm you up."
Darren watched as she sat down and leaned against Beca. Something had gone on
between them before dinner, something big. Parker returned a short time later with chicken noodle soup and crackers. He slid in beside her and pushed the food in front of her gently. Maddie took a quick bite and sighed.
"Thanks," she said through still chattering teeth.
"No problem. Why can't Casey get a clue?" Parker stated.
"She said something about us being natural enemies. I have no clue what that even means."
"I think she's being insane," Bruce chimed in.
"There's no being. She is insane," Bianca amended. "You have no idea what it's like being in her group. She's a control freak." Parker simply nodded his agreement.
Bianca looked around the cafeteria. "Hey, Beca. Where's Drew? I haven't seen him in a few days. Usually you're joined at the hip."
At her ex-boyfriend's name, Beca closed up, lowering her head to hide her tears. Darren watched silently as Maddie took her hand. So, Maddie knew what was wrong with his sister.
"Hey, Bianca, not now. We'll talk about it later," Maddie said quietly.
With that silent admonishment, Parker looked at his watch. "We need to get going. The headmaster has reserved us a room for an hour only."
Everyone agreed and they all stood to head to the student center. Darren watched as Maddie offered Parker his jacket back but he refused like a gentleman. The lacrosse player knew something was going on in both girls' heads but he knew better than to ask. Beca wasn't temperamental but she knew how to defend herself when he got nosy.
They arrived at the student center. Simon was standing in the lobby with his hands stuffed in his pockets. He looked at ease when in reality he wasn't. Something was bothering him. Upon looking closer, Mr. Yeats was with him.
No one said a word as they followed Simon when he turned and walked down the hall. He unlocked the last door on the right and flipped on the lights. The room had a huge table, enough to seat at most thirty people. There was a high-backed chair that obviously symbolized the leader's role.
When Darren headed for it, Simon stopped him. "You sit to the right. That chair is for Maddie."
Maddie looked at everyone as they turned to her. Taking a deep breath, she walked past them and to her chair. Darren pulled it out for her and waited until she was settled before taking his seat. Simon took the second seat on the left, leaving the first seat open and speculation in everyone's minds. Mr. Yeats stood close to the door and watched.
Simon nodded to Darren, who opened the meeting. "Okay. Our first meeting has come to order. I assume there's a reason Simon has called us all here tonight."
"I have called this meeting to discuss some very important issues. The first one is finding all the Knights," the headmaster said. His teacher persona took charge then.
"That's all well and good but if we don't have a way to find them we can't bring them in," Parker replied. "I mean we all know about the pendent but without a definite way to feel their presence, we're screwed."
Simon looked to his right. "Maddie, would you care to explain?"
Six sets of eyes looked to the head of the table. Maddie fidgeted as the weight of the stares got to her. She looked up, meeting Mr. Yeats' gaze. He nodded and she felt the zing of the sword at her chest.
"Maddie?" Beca asked. The other girl looked at her best friend. "What's he talking about?"
Darren took Maddie's hand under the table and squeezed it gently. She looked at him. He nodded even though he had no idea what Simon was talking about. He just knew she had a funny way of telling when they were near. "Tell them."
She nodded and took a deep breath, placing both hands in her lap. The motion took Darren by surprise but he quickly recovered as to not show his shock and dismay.
"I can tell when a Knight is in my presence. The pendant burns against my skin the moment one comes within ten feet of me," she explained calmly and levelly.
"How many of us are there?" Parker asked, effectively turning the attention from the girl at the head of the table.
"Twenty-two in total," Simon answered. "That's not counting Arthur and Mordred."
At the name, Darren clenched his fists under the table. He desperately wished he wouldn't show up. He just had to be on guard. Maddie was most important. He would have to hurt his cousin should he intervene.
He came back from his private thoughts into reality by blinking stupidly.
"Now, since we have a means to find the Knights, we have a couple of issues. The first one is about Casey MacDowell. All of you are aware of her grudge against Maddie. I'm assuming everyone knows the reason behind it," Simon said as he took the meeting further.
Beca laughed nervously. "We should all know that by now."
Maddie made a noise in the back of her throat. "I honestly don't know. I'm not really big on Arthurian legends."
Simon smiled. "That's fine. Casey is Morgan le Fay. In the legends she was Arthur's sister and Mordred's mother. Gross, I know. At the moment we're not certain of her background but we know she hated Arthur enough to plot against him. She's the one who harmed your former self."
Darren watched as Maddie took that phrase, putting it aside for later.
"What's the next topic?" Bruce asked, drawing Darren from his thoughts once again.
This time Simon was nervous. He took a deep breath then took his glasses off. He was all business now, even more than before.
"We need Merlin," he said plainly and simply as he looked directly at Darren.
The young man sat straighter in his chair and stared levelly at his headmaster. At the moment, they weren't teachers and students. They were King and Knight. This was between two men of power.
"I will not ask Merlin to join us," Darren stated rather harshly.
"Darren, we have no choice. What if Mordred joins Casey before we have Merlin? We could be at a severe disadvantage that could border on our downfall," Bianca said.
"Do you know who Merlin is?" Maddie asked, surprising everyone with her diplomatic tone.
Darren nodded as he kept his eyes locked on Simon's. "Yes, I know who Merlin is,
but I promised him I wouldn't tell until we absolutely needed him."
"I hate to say it but we absolutely need him," Parker said.
"No one asked you." The other Knight huffed up ready to take on the King but it ended swiftly.
"Darren, enough," Maddie scolded. Everyone stopped and looked at her. She in turn looked to her left. "Simon, you said this was my council or whatever?"
"Yes, I did," he replied, glancing at Darren frequently as if he were trying to see if he knew what was going through her head.
"Then I have a final say on everything?"
"Yes. Maddie, what are you getting at?"
She turned her gaze to Darren. "I hate to say this but we need Merlin. I know you told me not to get involved but if I don't, I'll get hurt. I know you don't want that so please tell me who he is."
Darren looked at her then. He saw that fire in her eyes, the tenacity coming to play. She had come to a conclusion all on her own and was going to stand by it. There was no way he could persuade her otherwise. Finally he sighed in resignation.
"Fine."
"Thank you."
Simon smiled tightly. "I guess that concludes the meeting."
"Actually," Maddie brought attention back to her. "I have one more thing. When I was in Dallas, my housekeeper led me through an old Native American ritual known as a Spirit Quest."
"Is that when you talk to the spirits?" Beca asked, interest lighting her eyes.
"Something like that. The more appropriate term would be an Animal Quest."
"You have an animal?" Bianca questioned, somewhat excited.
"More like guides. What came through was a pack of wolves. Usually one would mean I was a lone ranger but the pack means I belong to a group. This is my group so if you ever see wolves roaming over campus, they belong with me."
"What's the name of the Alpha?" Simon asked.
"His name is Stryker."
"Okay. I'll keep that in mind. Now, everyone has class tomorrow so I suggest we all head back. I'll lock up."
Darren stood up and caught Maddie's arm as she walked by. "I'll walk you to your room." She nodded and they headed out.
Simon
As headmaster it was Simon's responsibility to make sure the student center was locked up at night. It was times like this when he figured he needed a better job, one with much less headaches. Keeping his two jobs, a Knight and a headmaster, was becoming increasingly harder.
"You're late," he said as he started towards the teachers' building.
"I told you I wasn't coming to the meeting."
"You should have been there. Maddie took control when it seemed Darren would railroad everyone."
"I knew she could."
Simon sighed and closed his eyes. "Drew, we need your ability. It's the only one that can at least rival Casey's."
Drew stepped into the lamplight, the ugly scar putting odd shadows on his face. "I will not join you unless Casey makes a move."
"If you haven't noticed she already has. It's only a matter of time before Maddie is hurt worse than she has been." Drew simply stared at him, not even bothering to answer. Simon blew out a frustrated breath. "If Maddie asks you, will you join us?"
"Only if she asks and no one else."
"You know Darren will tell her if she pesters him enough."
"I know. She's good at that, especially with her lie detecting ability."
"You're not making this easy, Drew. You're supposed to be on Darren's side."
"I am on Darren's side. I'm just biding my time."
The Knight nodded. Then he sobered up, his eyes taking on a different emotion together. "So what we thought is true? Was William Bates' death true?"
Drew nodded as he scratched his shoulder. "I took a look at the police report. Someone tampered with the brakes and the fuel line of that car. They were sliced cleanly through. Whoever did it knew what would happen."
"Have you told Maddie any of this?"
The red head shook his head slightly. "No, I haven't seen her since she left."
"Don't tell her just yet. We need more evidence before we start pointing fingers." Simon stopped himself and looked at Drew closely. "You didn't by any chance see who did it?"
"I only see the events, not who sets them into motion. But I'll tell you this much. William Bates didn't die in a tragic car accident. No, that's not even half of it. William Bates was murdered."