Witchy Sour(26)

“Nobody thinks you’re senile,” Poppy said. “Crazy, maybe. But that has nothing to do with you being old.”

The two glared at each other until I gestured for them to keep things down. The voices in the hallway were still loud and still angry, and they were getting much closer to us. It didn’t take long for their voices to wash throughout the room as they paused a few paces away.

“Let’s not talk about this here,” the second voice said calmly. “I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for everything. Would you like to come up to my office?”

“We’ll talk about it in here,” the director said. “And we’ll talk now. What is going on?”

We all pushed closer against the wall as the voices lapsed into silence. When the conversation resumed, they were whispering.

“Answer me,” the director said. “Why are they here so soon? I thought we had more time.”

“We can’t be sure, sir.”

“What do you mean? Are you not in charge of Foreign Affairs?”

“This is hardly a Foreign Affair. They’re part of the community just like the rest of us.”

“Anyone who is not from The Isle is foreign for my purposes,” the director said sternly. “This is most certainly foreign.”

“Their presence here is not forbidden.”

“Do we need to make it forbidden?”

“No sir, that would be a drastic measure.” The head of Foreign Affairs sighed. “We believe they’re here to recruit new witches and wizards.”

“Now is not the time to be focusing on recruitment,” he said. “I thought we agreed that until the business with The Faction is done, schooling takes secondary priority.”

“Yes, but there are no laws against it.”

The director paused. “So be it. But what I won’t have is my Mixologist threatened.”

“The Mixologist was threatened?”

“One of the cloaks requested The Elixir. That’s something no Mixologist should have to serve, let alone a beginner.”

I froze at their conversation. Poppy, Zin, and Hettie’s eyes all landed on me, but I looked at the ground. Were people watching my every move?

“The Elixir?” The head of Foreign Affairs asked. “No. That doesn’t make any sense.”

“The potion was served successfully this afternoon.”

“I’ll...I’ll get in contact with the Headmaster,” the head of Foreign Affairs said after clearing his throat. “I apologize. Is the Mixologist handling things all right?”

“As best she can, from what I hear.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Pass along this message to the Headmaster, will you? Tell him kindly about the high number of cloaks we’ve seen lately. Let him know...we’re watching.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And Ranger M, one more thing.”

“Sir?”

“If we must ban all recruiting from The Isle, we will. I’ll ban all cloaks if I have to. If they want to be here, I need to know what they are up to, and why. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

I imagined the head of Foreign Affairs bowing, or nodding, or whatever it was that Rangers did to acknowledge one another. Did they salute? Footsteps shuffled away shortly after, but only one set of them. The four of us remained crunched behind the wall, waiting to see which of the men had gone and which had stayed.

After a few seconds’ wait, another set of footsteps approached in the hallway. A different voice spoke. A familiar voice. “Director?”

Hettie exhaled an almost audible sigh of relief as the director took a few steps away from the wall.

“What is it, X?”

“There’s a guest for you in the main lobby, sir,” Ranger X said. “Do you have a moment?”

The director hesitated before responding, and for a long second I worried he’d spotted us. “Of course. Will you be joining me?”

“No. It’s a private matter for you, sir. I’m just the messenger.”

“Thank you, X. Any word on the other issue I asked you to keep an eye on?”

“Still working on it, sir.”

“Keep me posted.”

“Of course.”

The now-familiar jaunt of the director’s footsteps sounded as he strode quickly down the hall. Behind the wall, a barely audible sigh sounded as Poppy’s shoulders sank at least three inches in relief.

“Why, hello ladies,” Ranger X said, stepping around the corner. Somehow, he’d made his way across the room soundlessly. “What brings you into hiding today?”

“Oh, you know...” Poppy said, coughing as she straightened up. “Business.”