longer dark hair was combed back in a perfectly casual manner. As if after a four-hour styling session in a beauty salon to advertise a newfangled shampoo.
His smile grew a little wider. Expressive dimples appeared on the cheeks.
Confused, I looked down and finally noticed his shape. Black tailored trousers, a black turtleneck and a burgundy jacket in a calm, deep shade. The latter bore the embroidered gold emblem of the Midnighter Academy: a pointed moon and the shadow of a bat with outstretched wings.
“Spider,” the guy reminded politely. – Furry, scary, white, runs fast.
Hearing the characteristics of the creature the student was looking for, I seemed to wake up and instantly became cold. Apparently, that furry guy was this brunette’s pet, and I…
– No, sorry. “I didn’t see,” I answered, stuttering slightly, feeling how treacherously my cheeks turned red with shame.
More than anything, I hated lying. I felt terribly uncomfortable, awkward, and my eyes just wanted to move to the window to check if the multi-legged creature had crawled away. What if the stalemate could still be saved?
She looked at the guy again. Now he looked at me strangely. My heart beat with triple force. Did he really figure out my deception so quickly and easily?
–Are you new? – he suddenly asked quite peacefully.
A weight has just been lifted off my shoulders. But then there was almost a rockfall because I didn’t have time to answer. My nascent thought was interrupted by a loud knock…
Out the window.
We both turned toward the sound as if on cue. Behind the glass, on a wide metallic tint, a furious blond man, like a thousand wild bees, sat on his haunches, dressed in a black tracksuit with the academy emblem on his jacket. His face seemed even paler than the brunette’s, and his features sharper.
He glared at me with undisguised hatred, intending to make a couple of holes in me at once. Brown eyes seemed almost black due to the corrosive squint. The rounded oval of the face did not add softness at all, the straight nose divided it into two symmetrical halves, and the narrow lips were compressed into a barely noticeable stubborn line. Only the wide dark eyebrows brought dissonance into this harmonious villainous face, because the slicked hair turned out to be light, almost white.
Hearing the brunette's restrained laughter, I almost jumped in surprise. Lightly covering his lips with his palm, he laughed even with his eyes, causing tears to appear in the corners. However, the guy didn’t even think of rushing to the blond’s aid. And then I myself ran to the window to open it.
– You! – the blond roared, climbing out onto the windowsill. Jumping from him to the floor, the guy straightened up and found himself much taller than me. Not even a head – one and a half. – How dare you throw me out the window?!
“I didn’t throw it away, but carefully put it in,” I justified myself, now cowering at the wall opposite the entrance to the office. – And I didn’t know that he, that is, you, that is, that he… I…
– Did you want to be blown away by the wind? Or maybe it was eaten by a bird? – the blond hissed.
His hoarse voice gave me goosebumps. It was unbearable to stand under this gaze, so I decided to escape. In the sense that she took advantage of the fact that the guy was distracted by the brunette’s speech and ran back closer to the office.
To the door behind which, I hoped, I could be saved from the punishing hand of this screamer!
– Come on, Percy. She probably didn't do it on purpose. It is so? – the brunette smiled restrainedly, trying to pull himself together, but chuckles danced in his green eyes.
– So. I didn’t even know that… Well… That spiders can be people. Although no, there is Spider-Man, damn it. Is he really real? – I muttered chaotically, having a persistent desire to hide behind the brunette’s back, because the blond’s destroying gaze found me again.
Now the opposite wall seemed charmingly attractive to me. Actually, having decided to repeat my maneuver, I got caught. More precisely, she froze halfway, because the door to the office of the head of the Academy of Midnighters swung open, revealing to us, probably, the director of this educational institution.
Once I looked into her eyes, I found myself opening my mouth in surprise. I imagined an older woman, strict and prim, dry, like yesterday’s baguette, but in no way the same age as my mother. The corrosive gaze seemed creepy – maybe because of the different eyes? The left one was light brown and more like a cat, and the right one was light gray, with a wide black border.
Dark hair and sparse silver reflecting the light from the lamps. The clothes were a multi-layered complex outfit. A light, flowing floor-length dress in the style of an ancient Roman toga was partially hidden by a brown jacket made of stiff fabric with leather inserts. It looked more like a corset, but at the same time hid the shoulders and neck, had a high, diverging collar and a wide belt at the waist – with a gold oval plaque.
A slight, subtle hint of a smile appeared on Madame Pelisay’s lips.
– And here are my best students. You guys are just in time. I see you have already met Salaman. She is new and from now on will be a first year student at our academy. I…
Without hearing what the director wanted to say, the blond decided to leave. He walked confidently, calmly, and angrily. I barely had time to step aside, otherwise, I swear, he would have simply knocked me out of my place like an insignificant nuisance. His elbow touched my shoulder on the edge, beyond which only one flash would be enough for my restraint to crack at the seams.
“Monsieur Becriv, don’t you think it’s impolite of you to just up and leave when someone is talking to you?” – the woman loudly turned to the guy’s back, narrowing her eyes angrily.
Only these minor changes betrayed her dissatisfaction. It seems that someone was hired for a pencil, and for some reason I was sincerely happy about this.
But she didn’t dare turn around. He ran away – and that's fine. I still needed a spider to accompany me!
Apparently, thinking that the blond’s action had somehow offended me, the woman smiled softly at me.
– Never mind, Sally. Persidy is sometimes out of sorts. But Monsieur Darkwood will probably not refuse to show you the academy and generally help you settle within our walls for the first time. I would tell you everything and show you everything myself, but I’m already in a terrible hurry, in fact I’m late. How will you, Monsieur Darkwood, cope with the task entrusted to you?
“It would be an honor, Madame Pelisey,” the brunette responded, slightly bowing his head in agreement.
“Then I have one more request for you, Nirel.” See that your friend behaves decently in my absence.
“Of course, madam,” the student agreed easily.
Although if I were him, I would be careful about making such promises. Yes, he’s crazy – this blond! Like a savage who fell from a branch! Just think, I sat outside the window for a few minutes. Didn't fall apart!
True, I still felt shame. It was somehow inconvenient. But you can understand me: before my eyes, spiders did not turn into people.
Noting that the parent had not left the office, I became worried, trying
