chapter 2:2

2.2 Diary of a Dead Man

Dedicated to Hotcocogirl

"The journal of Konstantin the Keeper. Someone

smashed the glass case and took it right off the

display stand."

The report alleviated some of Nika's anxiety. He

must have believed she was telling the truth, for

whatever reason. But after considering the

information, she could only frown.

Konstantin the Keeper was a notable figure from

Daemonstri history. The Nefili warrior lived in

fifteenth-century Romania, where he and his

colleagues founded the Vigil, and nowadays, he

was regarded as the original defender of the Serafi

race.

"Why would someone steal a dead man's diary?"

she wondered aloud.

Kovachev shifted uncomfortably, and his chair

creaked. "That question is usually answered after

we find a suspect."

Nika watched the headmaster. His knee bounced, a

dribble of sweat gathered in his hairline, and he

kept glancing at his computer screen.

"Isn't it obvious?" she said.

For all the world, she was a bored teenager

trapped in the principal's office. And she certainly

wasn't questioning Kovachev's increasing

nervousness.

"Dante Azzara," Nika continued, "-or whatever his

real name is-showed up out of nowhere, claiming

to be a student. He was dumb enough to ask

directions to the library, which is always closed by

midnight. There are security cameras in that

building, but they're broken and the school can't

afford to replace them." Kovachev blinked. She

restrained a cocky smirk. "The staff gossip. It

wouldn't have been hard for Dante to acquire that

information. He's your strongest suspect."

"Ifhe even exists."

Nika ignored the underlying accusation and

tapped her fingers against the wooden arm of her

chair, thinking.

Konstantin's journal was coveted by only two

entities in Daemonstri society: the Vigil and the

Ministry-an aristocratic group of Serafi that

governea western Daemonstri popuiauons. nee

Ministers' exact function was difficult to explain,

but essentially, they did whatever they wanted to,

and the public followed their laws.

For as long as Nika could remember, they'd been

trying to obtain control over the Vigil's operations.

But the High Keeper of North America refused to

relinquish his authority, claiming the Vigil should

be led by a Nefili.

It was an endless topic of debate. Should the

community's protection be overseen by lawmakers

or warriors? Konstantin's journal held the answer

to that question, which was the reason for the

Ministry and Vigil's coveting.

There was just one problem-the journal was a

historical artifact in the school's possession. It was

untouchable and unable to be used in the debates,

which had left the conflict at a stalemate.

Until now.

Because the journal of Konstantin the Keeper had

been stolen, and Dante Azzara was likely the

perpetrator. And only one question remained: Why

did he do it?

"Nika."

Her eyes focused on the headmaster again. He

Tooked at her expectantly.

"Sorry" she said. "What did you say?"

"If you claim not to be the thief, then you wouldn't

mind ifI had your dorm searched."

Nika shrugged, praising the ancestors that she'd

removed her handgun from its secret

compartment. "Be my guest."

Please don't pat me down, she thought as the

metal weapon dug into her back.

Kovachev called forth two keepers. He ordered one

to search Nika's dorm room. To the other, he said,

"Go to the abandoned cabins on the edge of

campus. Search inside the buildings and around

them. Look for signs of a squatter."

"Anyone in particular we should look for?"

"A Native American male-dark hair and brown

eyes, mid to late teens. If you find him, bring him

to me immediately"

When the keepers were gone, Nika cocked an

eyebrow at Kovachev. He must have been torn

between clearing and condemning her, if he'd

decided to check the cabins for the mysterious

Dante Azzara.

He scowled. "Don't make faces at me. You're not

off the hook. I'm keeping you under surveillance

until"

A knock at the door, then a female keeper barged

in. It was the same young woman who'd guarded

Lu earlier. The fact had Nika sitting upright,

watching and waiting.

"Her friends are here" she said. Nika sagged-Lu

was fine, then. "They're badgering"

"How did they get out of the gymnasiums?"

"They.. threatened mutiny."

Nika pressed her lips together, fighting a smile.

Mutiny-the perfect way to scare teachers witless.

It always came down to numbers.

Kovachev closed his eyes and sighed. "Names?"

"Jade Ramsay, Miles Crane, and Elliot Mirza."

Friends-it was an odd label for those three

people. While Jade was Nika's roommate, they'd

never been fond of one another's company, unless

they were in the mood to practice taunts and

insults.

Her relationship with Miles... Well, it had more

complexities than a Celtic knot. And Elliot-they

were far from close. Nika only tolerated him

because he was Lu's boyfriend.

Yet, Nika supposed, she hardly spent time with

anyone else.

"Send them in," Kovachev told the keeper. "I need

to have a chat with them, anyway."

They entered the office in a single-file line. First

was Lu, who immediately sat in the chair on Nika's

left. Her dainty fingers were cold as they slid over

Nika's arm and squeezed in a gesture of comfort.

Elliot Mirza, with his exotic, yet utterly boyish,

appearance and Serafi poise, silently positioned

himself on Lu's other side, while Miles crashed-

landed next to Nika.

"I saw them bring you here. What's going on? Are

you okay?"

"Oldbloods, Miles," Jade said, alluding to the

ancient beings whose name graced almost every

page of Daemonstri legend. "You sound like my

grandmother"

Nika tried not to grimace as Miles settled in his

seat, and Jade did the same beside him.

At the other end of the row, Elliot cleared his

throat. "Mister Kovachev," he said. It was an effort

for Nika not to roll her eyes. "I just want to

that I didn't threaten mutiny with those two. I just

wanted to make sure Luiza was alright, given the

lockdown and all.

Lu smiled at him. Nika stifled a gag

"Speaking of the lockdown," Jade chimed in,

"would you be so kind as to tell us what it's

about?"

Kovachev's expression was the picture of

dissatisfaction. "No. ButI will inform you thatI

know you've been trespassing on prohibited

school grounds." A guilty silence festered among

them. "That cabin needs to be cleaned out by

sundown tomorrow. Not a second later.

Understood?"

They nodded in unison. Nika was just grateful that

he hadn't inquired about illicit substances that

may or may not have been hidden beneath the

cabin floorboards.

"Now" said the headmaster, rising from his desk, "I

have more important duties than amusing a bunch

of delinquents. Wait here until a teacher comes to

escort you back to the gymnasiums. And Nika, l'm

afraid you won't be leaving for some time."

Nika silently told him to shove that smug look right

up his-

As soon as the door closed behind him, Lu, Miles,

Jade, and Elliot flocked around her. She didn't

even wait for them to ask; she knew what they

wanted.

So she told them everything she'd learned during

her visit with Kovachev, including the reason for

the lockdown and how she'd met the student-who-

wasn't-a-student.

As she finished speaking, Jade drifted to the other

side of Kovachev's desk and began typing at his

computer. From the way her fingers flew over the

keys, Nika wondered if she'd snooped through it

before.

"What are you doing?" Lu hissed. "We're not

supposed to go on faculty computers"

All Jade said was, "How do you spell Dante

Azzara?"

"Two z's" Elliot replied. When Lu shot a scathing

look, he shrugged. "It's a tricky name."

Jade, meanwhile, murmured a filthy, elaborate

Curse.

Miles asked, "Does Kovachev have naughty photos

on that thing?""Or scandalous information we can leak?" Nika

said.

Lu scolded, "Language"

And Elliot peered through the office window,

saying, "Oh, they have cookies in the faculty

lounge."

The remarks went in a circle back to Jade, whose

eyes hadn't lifted from the screen. "Look."

She turned the monitor toward them. In the top

left corner was a photograph of the boy Nika had

met last night. As she studied the text around him,

she realized it was an official certification for a

keeper.

As if the walls were listening, Jade leaned close

and whispered, "Dante Azzara is a member of the

Vigil"