"Did he harm you?" Fort's anger skyrocketed.
He pounded his fist on the kitchen counter. Why did men always want to come after his wife when he wasn't around?
"No. He didn't harm me." Noble bit her lip at his reaction. "But he was going to if Hex hadn't come when he did."
The Director's eyebrows raised. "How do you know?"
"It was the feeling he gave off. He was full of hatred. He asked me to join him, which was creepy enough. Then there was this mind attack." Noble winced as she recalled.
"Mind attack, so he did hurt you!" The man's balled fists looked ready to punch the absent Master.
"I think I hurt him more with my emotional response. He hissed when I sent my love for you and the kids in his direction. His face looked demonic."
"Let me get this straight. You felt the man's anger, sent him the opposing emotion and he reacted poorly?" Fort furrowed his brow. His anger subsided, replaced with concern. "Feeling the emotions of another person for the first time can be jarring. Are you sure he wasn't just startled?"
"I'm telling you the man I saw today and the one I met in Crestfall are not the same person! Their emotional signatures were completely different! I don't think Master Yosh would go from an amiable encourager to a homicidal maniac in two months, do you?" Noble felt frustration bubbling within her.
"You said he didn't harm anyone at the Academy." Fort pointed out.
"That we know of!" Noble turned her back on her husband to pull a pan out of the oven. Her shoulders slumped. "You don't believe me."
"It's not that I don't believe you. I just don't know exactly how your power works," Fort rubbed his head. "As for a personality shift…War changes people and from what I understand, that battle was particularly brutal. Only some Masters and Saints were able to make it out alive. Surviving something like that could alter a person in ways we don't understand. Maybe Yosh's asking you to join him was his way of asking for a friend?"
"You weren't there. You didn't see what I saw or feel what I felt! It was all so wrong!" Tears stung Noble's eyes.
"You're right. I wasn't there." Fort conceded. "Did this Hex fellow mention that he was concerned?"
"No, he was not there when Yosh was acting strangely. No one was! That is probably why I was targeted." Noble placed the pan of food on the counter and grabbed her head.
'Ugh, Fort is being too sensible.'
Noble took a deep breath. The more animated she was, the calmer Fort became in turn. That's just the way they were as a couple, each trying to pull the other back from the edge.
"Even if what you say is true, that doesn't explain why he came to the archive for maps he could have accessed on his own. Population maps." Noble felt her eyes swirling as she considered the implications. "He came all the way from Antarctica in a hurry…for that?"
"That is very strange... but not criminal." Fort paused. "He could have had another reason for heading home that isn't related. Other than Saint Jet, Yosh is one of Saint Cor's most trusted soldiers."
"But what if I am right and it wasn't Yosh?" Noble countered. "Maybe it was a shapeshifter or some similar Aspect that an Awakened used to avoid detection."
"That would be a serious problem," Fort rubbed the back of his neck, considering. "How about this? I will do some light checking to see if I can pinpoint where Master Yosh was today. If I find out he was nowhere near the Academy, then that would certainly warrant a bigger investigation."
"That would be good. Thank you." Noble wanted more action to be taken, but she could see his point as well.
While the professor was sure of what she had experienced, making public accusations without more proof was unwise.
Fort gently grabbed his wife's arms and looked deep into her eyes. "In the meantime, stay away from him. If what you say is true and something is wrong, he might act rashly."
Noble understood his meaning.
'He doesn't want me silenced like my father.'
"Don't worry. I have no desire to see that hateful person ever again." Noble turned back to the stove with a derisive sniff.
The director wrapped his arms around his wife's waist and lowered his chin to her shoulder. "As long as you never say that about me."
"What I was going to say to you was to help me with dinner before our guests arrive, but now I do not want you to move." Noble smirked.
"Your wish is my command." Fort hugged her tightly.
Noble turned around in his arms and wrapped her hands around his neck.
"In that case..." The beautiful woman paused. Her smile faded as she looked at the time. "Never mind, that request will have to wait. It's later than I thought! We need to set the table and make sure the house is clean."
"Can't you just...use your Ability?" The Director felt his wife's body tense.
"I could, but that would rob you and the children of the joy of a job well done," Noble tapped her head gently against her husband's.
"Ah yes, teaching children life skills is an important part of parenting." Fort nodded seriously.
"I thought you were going to make the joke about the reason for having children is manual labor." Noble chuckled softly.
Fort clicked his tongue. "I thought I would mix it up this time. I want to keep you on your toes."
"I would rather keep off my toes if it is all the same to you..." Noble lifted a little higher.
The Director reluctantly released her and called his children. Rain and Blaze immediately came, abandoning their homework in search of dinner. They found chores instead.
"Brock! Come help!" The younger twin screamed as he picked up pillows in the living room. Their most recent wrestling match had left things in disarray.
"I can't. I'm busy!" Brock shot back angrily from his room.
"I know you aren't doing homework!" Blaze retorted. "Your backpack has been under my bed for three days."
"WHAT?!" Noble and Fort said in unison.
"Hurry up!" The younger twin continued. "Grandma will be here any minute!"
"I'm coming. I'm coming!" Brock swept into the room carrying something in his hands.
Noble opened her mouth to chastise her son for not doing his schoolwork when she saw what Brock was holding. He spread the banner wide for her to see.
"Congratulations on your Marriage," Noble read softly, a warm smile coming to her face.
Brock nodded. "I couldn't get them a wedding present, so I made a welcome back one. Do you think they will like it?"
"I think they will love it," his mother handed him a couple of pushpins, "You can hang it over there."
Noble would deal with the unfinished schoolwork later. Brock wasn't studious, but he was kind. For this evening, that was enough.
As a team, the family quickly finished their work and not a moment too soon.
The knock at the door let them know that their guests had arrived.
The newlyweds were back.