Chapter 159
Gradient Dormitory Building, Cornell Academy, City: Three Pronged Fork, Republic of Shantu, Continent: Barat, the Year 2041, Planet: Grimoire
Once Harper, Anara, and Darry settled their belongings into the Lamberton Dormitory Building, they hurried over to the Gradient Dormitory, where Sapphire, Jennifer, and Sherpa had been assigned. They weren't too thrilled with the area, though. It smacked of poorer resources. "So why did you pick this place?" Harper frowned at the trio.
"We didn't pick it. We were assigned to it because of our department choice and the results of our entrance exam." Sapphire merely shrugged in resignation. "We don't have quite the good resources you all have, but we'll survive."
Sherpa snorted. "Speak for yourself. I'll just hang out at that cafe we were introduced to." He smiled. "I can find some temporary work there." When they remained shocked and speechless, Sherpa shrugged when the others looked at him blankly. "What? It's a source of income and allowed because of what I applied as."
Harper was amused. "I think it's the fact that you chose to go back to that line of work at all." The others nodded in agreement.
"Oh," Sherpa sighed. "So what?" He smiled ironically. "I know I was going to look into different opportunities, but when it comes down to it." Sherpa shrugged when he made a valid point. "I wanted to keep my skills up and not get rusty."
Ambrose rubbed his jaw. "He has a point, Harper," he reminded Harper. "As we've all figured out, there are some things we have to work on. Now that a few of us have discovered that our grades aren't up to snuff," he slanted an ironic glance at the ones who were whistling as they helped the trio put their belongings away. "Naturally, we'll have to take on part-time work to supplement the basic stipend from the guilds."
Harper hadn't known that this option was available: receiving stipends from the guilds they were affiliated with as merchants, artisans, hunters, and adventurers.
Jennifer proved she'd been watching all that was happening. "What I find interesting." She caught their attention as she spoke. "Is that all the different people that were grouped as one in the township and in Fountain Grove?" There was visible confusion on her features. "All of them have been separated into multiple guilds or military organizations if not civilian-based guilds."
All of the trades were named artisan merchants, which meant they were all considered portable. Jennifer and the others still weren't sure how that happened.
Darryl was thoughtful. "I have a feeling that Tinroy," he said, referring to the one whom none of them talked about now. "He may have revolutionized certain aspects that we're not acquainted with." Darryl shrugged when they all looked at him. "If you think about it, he's been responsible for a lot of modernization."
"He's also seriously hated," Sapphire shivered. "You remember that incident in the lobby?" She swallowed hard. "What I didn't tell you was that someone had meant to sabotage that information, which was given to the Housekeeper and receptionist."
Harper winced. "Uh, yeah, I remember hearing something after we returned." He shook his head. "Quite a few individuals were banned from ever stepping into the buildings again. That went for both the student and the merchant dormitory buildings."
What a mess that had turned into.
"Well, who else do we have to help?" Darryl changed the subject. "I think we need to find out so we can finish here."
Harper shrugged. "Good question." That's when he glanced at Holly, who'd remained quiet until now. "What's up with you, Holly?"
Holly blinked at him. "Hmm?" She shook her head. "Nah, I was ruminating on everything we'd learned about Grifton Tinroy." A sigh escaped her. "I looked up his information. What he's gone through to survive." She shook her head, speechless. "It reads like a modern-day horror story, and we thought our lives were difficult back in Glaston Township."
Harper's eyebrows rose when he listened to Holly. "So, you decided to look into his history?"
Holly nodded. "I wanted to know why he was so hated." She shook her head. "It is stupid." A sigh escaped her. "He was one of the quadruplets." That shocked everyone. "They were found amid burning bodies, and the only one who could make noise out of them was Grifton."
Harper winced. "Why do I feel that their story only becomes more horrible as time passes?"
Holly frowned. "Depends on whose life you're referring to."
Harper grunted. "So, you can clarify on that point?"
"Yes," Holly confirmed. "Three of the four were fairly normal. Their names were Amberlyn, Calico, and Marlayne."
Well, that seemed ordinary enough. Harper finally realized something. She'd said three, not four, and he frowned.
Holly continued speaking. "Those three managed to do well into their teens before they were kidnapped," she grimaced like everyone else when she explained. "I kid you not, one single Alpha forced to breed, all three of them, to carry his offspring." A sigh escaped Holly once more. "As you can extrapolate, there were oodles of offspring; multi-pair births run in at least three of those four quadruplets."
Harper was beyond stunned as he listened. So, that was what happened to Grifton's family. No wonder he was so skittish around people in general.
Holly ended on a sober note. "Roughly five to six years ago, the trio died. Right about the same time, the offspring disappeared. They returned two years ago, with accelerated growth, and had begun earning their own merits when they were kidnapped and later died by their own hand."
Suicide? How desperate had they become that such a horrific ending was their only choice?
Holly exhaled. "I don't know if that was related to what happened with their parents." She shrugged. "They didn't want to share the same fate and died instead."
Harper contemplated what was just said and shook his head wearily. "We're going to have to put aside our plans to approach him as a potential family member right now." So that meant Grifton was not only alone but he'd been abandoned in the worst possible way by his nearest flesh and blood. Harper suspected Grifton hadn't released the news of his pregnancy. There was a probable chance that his enemies would view that as an opportunity to attack him while he was vulnerable. Not only that, but news was out about the fact that his mate, Firenze, was going to be departing on a journey soon. A journey that was forced upon Firenze by his family, no less. That timing totally sucked big time. "We'll have to watch over Grifton from afar. We can't let anything happen to him while his man is away." Harper stated.
"Agreed," The other siblings nodded.
So, they would have to take the long road and exercise patience to get to know Grifton Tinroy before they were confident that he was their older brother.