Great Good or Great Evil
Wednesday's feet firmly rooted her in place, her eyes unable to leave the boy standing amongst the blinding blue flames. The heat felt like she was being roasted alive in a human-sized kiln.
Exactly like her vision.
She felt a tug as Enid pulled her back, yelling for Caspian to run. They both inhaled sharply when they saw the first flickers of Tyler’s Hyde through the weakening fire. His eyes were red with rage.
Suddenly, he lunged through the wall of flames.
But then, a blinding white light and a shrill scream invaded her senses. Wednesday grasped at her ears, both her and Enid dropping to the floor.
The noise was close to unbearable and the light was so blinding she could see it through her closed eyelids. Wednesday felt Enid shake beside her, her heightened werewolf sense no doubt doubling her pain. Biting back a wince, Wednesday removed one of her hands, bringing a protective arm around the girl.
They stayed like that for a while, Wednesday doing her best to ignore her left ear slowly going deaf. But suddenly it stopped. Wednesday looked up, to find Caspian staggering to his feet and Tyler nowhere to be found. She twisted her head behind at Xavier's voice, shocked to find Weems with a small lantern-like device raised above her head. She looked worried but determined as the light from the object dimmed. Bianca and Xavier came from behind the principal rushing to their aid.
“You guys ok?” Bianca carefully inspected Enid who nodded stiffly, her hands still desperately clutching her ears.
Xavier looked Wednesday over. “I’m fine,” Wednesday said, breathing in deeply. She still saw white in the corners of her eyes and there was still a ringing in her ears, but she was ok.
“Woooo!”
Wednesday turned her eyes towards a stumbling Caspian, a delirious grin on his face. “Xavier.”
“On it…Caspian buddy, you ok?”
“Yeaahhh!” The boy swung his arms precariously. “Great…team…effor… effor-” Caspian dropped dead, Xavier catching him before he could hit the floor.
She walked over to them slowly. With each step, she took her mind began to shift from survival mode. Wednesday never feared death, but an early one before she could settle all her life questions was less than optimal. Even more so was the thought of Enid and her peers meeting their end against a feral monster. Wednesday embraced the novelty of being gruesomely disemboweled as a cause of death. It would make for a killer end to her autobiography no matter how premature. But she understood that the majority of people didn’t share her same sentiments. Wednesday’s plan was to hold Tyler’s attention long enough for everyone to escape, but it was clear the limb-locking shock of facing down a Hyde proved overwhelming for her fellow students. Wednesday remembered hopping her blood splattering across the quad grounds would be enough to snap them out of their trance.
But then Caspian came out of nowhere and well, suddenly she need not worry about leaving this earth early.
So that was what he was hiding this entire time.
Wednesday circled around him, studying his grimy face and charred leg. The smell of burning flesh and alcohol filled the air around them. But what was he? She couldn’t help but ponder. She knew it was something big, but never in her darkest of imagination would have thought…this. His actions today just raised more questions than they solved. Wednesday caught a shimmer in the corner of her eye causing her to glance down at his hand.
He was using his ruler to do all those things. But something was wrong with the object. It was flickering like an old television. She picked it up gingerly, inspecting it for a second. Now how could a ruler procure all that power?
Unless…it wasn’t a ruler. A fleeting idea briefly crossed her mind.
Wednesday froze, the plastic material melted away and suddenly, she was grasping at a sturdy wooden baton.
She sucked in a breath, her eyes going wide as it dawned on her.
Caspian Lee was a wizard.
“I’m sure you all know why I brought you here today.” Weems sighed, bracing her hands on her table.
Wednesday sat shoulder to shoulder with Xavier on one side and Enid on the other. Bianca and Ajax are on the extreme ends.
It wasn’t long until the first responders arrived. They were quickly escorted from the scene of the crime into a makeshift hospital tent in the courtyard. Wednesday found out that miraculously, no one else was injured during the whole incident. A few bumps and scraps to be sure, but nothing to the level of what Caspian apparently endured. He was taken away in a flurry of sirens and flashing lights. But if Weems' objections are anything to go by, there was no doubt that he would return and be treated in-house. Outcasts did have better medical care than normies. Just look at her last term, she got stabbed twice and was back on her feet in a matter of days.
Wednesday admitted she got off lucky in comparison, with a few full-body bruises from where Tyler gripped her and a fractured rib. Nothing a mountain of ice packs and a few vials of bromelain brew couldn’t fix.
She was of course questioned about the incident, hesitating to reveal too much beyond the basics of the Hyde attack. Wednesday refrained from mentioning the part Caspian played, if only to ensure she’d be able to speak with him once he gained consciousness. But after she caught a glimpse of Ajax’s animated retelling, she was sure her efforts were in vain.
Wednesday spent the majority of her recovery replaying the incident over and over in her head. Two things were strikingly apparent to her.
One, Tyler had no interest in befriending her. Wednesday didn't know it at the time, but last term, if she stared long enough, she could almost see a slight hesitation in his eyes. The sliver of Tyler’s humanity still poking through.
But it wasn’t there this time.
Second thing, Caspian Lee was in all senses of the word a sorcerer. An extremely powerful one at that. Hydes were notoriously hard for any human-sized outcast to deal with. Caspian looked to be holding his own up until well…he simply wasn’t. That made sense as to why there was a big fuss to keep him secret. He had the power to do great harm if he wanted. There was no debate about it.
But something nagged at her detective mind. There was something else about the boy that made him unique. Wednesday’s suspicion was further validated when right after she was cleared by the paramedics, Weems called her to the office. When she got there, all her peers that bore witness to the fight were waiting with an air of anticipation.
“I’m sure you have questions…” The principal started. “I’m here to answer them.”
There was a pause.
Then everyone started shouting their questions at once. Wednesday flinched at the sudden outburst of noise, her ears not fully recovered yet.
“Please, please one at a time,” Weems begged, rubbing her temples.
“How the hell did the Hyde get into Nevermore?” Xavier demanded. Wednesday noted his newly developed powers and was impressed by the growth. She decided she’ll take him up on his offer to show her how they worked.
“It’s assumed he simply jumped the gates, Mr.Thorpe.”
“And how wasn’t he caught before that?” Bianca asked pointy. Bianca was apparently the one who told Weems what was going on. She didn’t have to go back for them, but it was noteworthy that she did.
“I understand your frustrations, Ms. Barclay, I assure you the state and police departments will be thoroughly reprimanded for letting Tyler get this far. As for Nevermore's part,” Weems braced herself, glancing down at her hands. “I should’ve been prepared for this possibility. No doubt there’ll be an increase in security around the premises from federal intervention. That is if I manage to keep the doors open.”
For the first time in a while, Wednesday agreed with her. It was a complete and utter failure of the local and state law enforcement that Tyler even got this close to a school. Even more so if you take into account that Tyler’s own father was head of Jericho’s police force. There may be a conspiracy there, but Wednesday will just chuck it onto the rest. She’ll save it for when she inevitably would fail to fall asleep tonight.
Ajax raised his hand.
“Yes, Mr.Petropolus.”
“So Caspian…isn’t an elf?”
“No Mr. Petropolus, Caspian is a wizard. The elf moniker was simply a cover-up.”
Ajax, on the other hand, opted to stay behind. Wednesday had to admit it was without a doubt the smartest decision the boy has ever made. There was no guarantee that they were even alive, running back would’ve been the equivalent of budding a head in the guillotine line. However much to Wednesday’s surprise, Enid didn’t seem to see it that way. She barely looked at the boy as they hugged and was considerably soberer around him. Wednesday will just chalk it up to shock, as she’s sure Enid later would as well.
Speaking of.
“Why? Why didn’t he tell us or better yet, why didn’t you tell us? Why keep it a secret?” Enid pushed, her voice still a little shaky. Wednesday felt Enid’s hand crush hers, grimacing but allowing her roommate to vent out her frustrations. The werewolf was always very aware of her own strength, so Wednesday trusted Enid not to fracture her hand. Wednesday was both relieved and utterly furious at her roommate for staying behind for her. It was a strange feeling of emotions Wednesday has never felt before. Wanting to kill somebody yet never wanting any more harm to come to them.
“Caspian is the first sorcerer in well over a millennium. You of anyone Ms. Sinclair, should be able to grasp the social ramifications of the second coming of Merlin?” Wednesday looked away. She never thought of it like that, but Caspian was in all senses the second coming of Merlin. It’s almost humorous how religiously parallel it was. Merlin, a being of folklore and influence whose legacy is forever ingrained into the very crust of the earth. A magician who designed the most powerful Kingdom Dark-age-era England has ever seen, establishing order and effectively building the legend of King Arthur from the ground up. That would be an acceptable reason to hide someone's identity.
The principal sighed. “That type of fame tends to shine a very, very harsh and unwanted spotlight. Both Caspian and I decided it was best for him to stay anonymous.”
Enid pressed her lips in a thin line, loosening her death grip on Wednesday’s hand. Wednesday flexed her aching appendage ensuring everything was still working properly. She made no move to relieve her hand from hers just in case the werewolf needed another stress reliever.
Weems pursed her lips, her eyes falling on her. “Ms.Addams, you’re being uncharacteristically nonconfrontational today.”
All eyes turned to her. Wednesday glanced up, chewing on the inside of her cheek. It was admittedly a lot to take in at once. The reasoning Weems gave was objectively sufficient. It answered why everyone went to such lengths to keep him hidden. It satisfied her hunch that he was hiding something big, and it made sense why Weems moved mountains to get him enrolled. It all made sense, but Wednesday couldn’t shake the feeling there was a crucial piece to the puzzle missing. It was a completely illogical itch but, the missing records, the eyewitness accounts, the sudden appearance. It was one too many loose ends for her liking.
Wednesday felt Enid squeeze her hand, bringing her back to reality. She sat up straighter, locking her jaw confidently. “There’s something else you aren’t telling us.”
Weems paused. Eyeing each of her now expectant friends. “How very perceptive. You remind me much of your father you know.” She chuckled, going over to a nearby console to pour herself a drink.
Wednesday couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride bubble up in her chest. She’s never been directly compared to her father outside of her knack for swordsmanship. She was always compared to her mother, much to her displeasure. It made her feel like she was destined to become a carbon copy of the overwhelmingly dotting matriarch. It didn’t help that all her extended family and everyone around her confirmed it. So Wednesday naturally did everything in her power to not end up like her mother. Though, after the last term, she’d come to accept that they shared some interests.
On the other hand, Wednesday found it easy to respect her father (outside of his embarrassingly passionate love of course). He was eccentric yet secure, debonair yet warm. He was always there for her when she was younger, and always made it clear he would be there when she got older, even when she couldn’t stand him anymore. Wednesday pouted her bottom lip a bit, deciding she should call her parents later tonight. They must be sick with worry.
Weems turned to her students, her eyes glazed over. “He was always so… in tune with what Morticia wanted. I once saw him get her the exact drink she craved based on her comments about the weather.” Weems took a sip of her drink, settling down.
She stared at them for a long while, visibly weighing her next words very carefully. “Wednesday is right, I haven’t told you the full story. But if I do, you must never mention it to anyone other than the people in this room, is that clear?”
Wednesday shot her brows up. There was something more at stake. What could be more important than the second coming of Merlin? Wednesday felt her mind chug along. She was definitely not getting any sleep tonight.
Hesitant agreements broke out amongst them, but Weems never took her steely eyes off her. “Wednesday?”
Wednesday paused, realizing she had no other choice, she stiffly nodded her head. “I agree to your terms.”
Weems let out a breath, playing with her drink. She observed their faces carefully from under hooded eyelids. “Caspian Lee is not of this world.”
Wednesday’s mind came to a screeching halt.
What?
She can practically feel everyone combined confusion flood the room. Enid gripped her hand hard and Xavier leaned forward as if he must’ve heard wrong.
Not of this world? Wednesday felt her breath quicken as her eyes scoured the Principle face for any hint of a lie. She found none.
Everything she had on Caspian, every profile, every thought, every observation went up in flames of utter uselessness. Wednesday swallowed thickly, finding herself for the first time in her life, at a loss for words.
Ajax was the first to speak. “What, not of this world …You mean like an alien?”
Weems tilted her head, entertaining the idea. “Possibly.”
“Woah…” Ajax whispered, Wednesday could practically picture his stupid astonished face.
“Hold on,” Bianca chuckled in disbelief. “Caspian is not an alien. He’s human. I’ve seen him do human things.” Bianca implored looking at her peers, obviously believing this was some kind of joke.
“I’m not saying Caspian is some kind of extra-terrestrial Marsian Ms. Barclay. I’m simply stating he’s not from this world.”
Enid gasped, letting go of Wednesday’s hand. “Is that why he doesn’t have any records? No number, not socials, no passport? It’s because…he never was from here to begin with?’
“Spot on Ms. Sinclair.” Weems took another sip of her drink.
Xavier rubbed at his eyes. “Ok, soooo if Caspian wasn’t…born…here, where is he from?”
Then it suddenly clicked, Wednesday’s mind firing back up. “An alternate universe.” she deduced, an air of amazement in her breath.
They all turned to her.
“What? L-like in the movies?” Ajax mused with a lopsided smile, quickly dropping it when Wednesday shot him a serious glare.
“I'd imagine the science in those lifeless cash grabs was anything but Harvard level. Caspian is simply from a world similar to ours.” Wednesday stated, directing her eyes back at the principal for confirmation.
Weems swirled her glass. “As expected, you are correct Ms. Addams. That is the chosen theory thus far.”
Bianca cut in. “Wait…so if Caspian’s from another reality, then that means there’s a multiverse!”
“Woah just like the movies….” Wednesday rolled her eyes. Ajax only seemed to grasp the weight of situations through pop culture references.
Bianca ignored him, nearly rising from her seat in excitement. “Do you not understand the implications of this-The-the scientific, the religious…The universal answer that this brings-”
“It is not lost on me Ms.Barclay the importance of his existence,” Weems motioned for her to sit. “But I must remind you of the disclosure you made before hand. I meant every word of what I said.” Weems gave the siren a stern look, who simply sat back with her patented indigent huff.
“How did he get here?” Enid said in an airy voice.
“He arrived last week, as to how it's still unclear. He told me he touched a golden key and he was somehow transported to Jericho.”
“And that’s when he froze the car holy shit...” Xavier sat back, grasping at the roots of his long brown hair.
“Correct Mr.Thorpe.”
”What’s it like? The world he’s from?” Wednesday couldn’t help but ask. If Caspian was intriguing before he was downright captivating now. A multiverse-traveling 16-year-old wizard? His story was turning out to be more of a sci-fi fantasy than a murder mystery. But Wednesday was all for mixing genres, Caspian could very well exist in both.
Weems pursed her lips in thought. “From what he has told me, it’s very different. Teeming with people like himself. But…I will leave the specifics of it for Caspian to disclose. If he so chooses of course.”
Weems polished off her drink before continuing. “I cannot stress enough how important it is, that you keep this information between us. If word somehow gets out that a wizard has arrived from an alternate dimension, whatever happens next to that boy is out of my control. I’m sure from your movies Mr.Petroplus, you can gauge how our government tends to treat otherworldly visitors.”
Wednesday heard Enid whimper and Xavier gulp next to her. Imagining Caspian being operated on didn’t incite a visceral reaction from Wednesday, but she rather he not end up in federal custody.
Ajax sheepishly raised his hand again.
“I’m aware of the statements you gave to the police. Word will inevitably get out that some form being attending Nevermore. Though since Caspian is minor, his identity won’t be revealed. I can only hope that would provide sufficient protection…” Weems trailed, eyes glazing over before snapping back. “Well, that’s I’ll I have to say.”
Every one of them nearly jumped out of their seats. “But-”
“I’m sure you have plenty of questions,” Weems pinched the bridge of her nose. “But quite honestly, I’ll have my hands a bit full for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, I’ll have to direct you to Caspian himself, though please try not to stress him too much.” She winced, no doubt imagining the pestering that would come his way. “Perhaps if you consolidate your most pertinent questions and ask him in chunks? I think he’ll appreciate that.”
Weems shooed them away. “Now run along. If you feel any lingering pain don’t hesitate to visit Nurse Abner. After the events of the last term, I took the liberty of hiring the finest outcast medic. She’ll be able to deal with any injury short of life-threatening.”
Her classmates made to leave but Wednesday sat motionless. She still had a couple very important topics to discuss with the principal.
“Wenya?”
“You go, I need to speak with Weems.”
Enid gave her a look before quietly shuffling out of the room.
At the sound of the door shutting, Weems gave a tired knowing look. “I figured you’d have more to say.”
“I’m not as easily dissuaded.” Wednesday stared the principal down, something she’d come to expect every time they crossed paths. When it came to Weems, the answer was never straightforward as she’d like to lead on. Even when she was revealing the truth.
“Why keep him here?”
Weems blinked. “He’s under my charge where else would I keep him?”
“Having an unidentified entity running around your school, around your students, it's dangerous.”
Weems creased her forehead. “Dangerous?”
“Yes! Dangerous.” Wednesday said incredulously. How could anyone in their right mind not see how dangerous a person of that power could be? Caspian, a 16-year-old boy, could blast a wooden gate off its hinges with a flick of his wrist. He could Ignite a Type 1 forest fire off a whim and no one could stop him. Wednesday knew better than anyone that it didn’t take much for people to lose their temper and act out in ways not like themselves. All it took was one wrong word, one altercation, one fight.
One bad day.
Wednesday wasn’t saying she was a saint, quite the contrary actually. She was well aware that she could be considered 'a danger to society' in many states. She actually complained to her mother about it. How letting her back into Nevermore was criminally irresponsible and a severe lapse of judgment on the higher-ups. Even Wednesday wouldn't have let her back in.
Wednesday let out a steadying breath. “He is from another world we know nothing about. He wields a power belonging to myth and legend. What makes you think you’d be able to safeguard your students when he goes rogue.”
Weems paused, taking in the girl's words. “Hold on when? Wednesday, is there something you’re no-”
“He’s dangerous!”
“I assure you he’s powerful but I trust that his intentions are-”
“Well, you’ve misplaced your trust.” Wednesday’s nostrils flared, her eyes going incredulously wide. Why did no one believe her? Was last term not enough? Did she have to prove herself? Was foiling Joseph Crackstones plan and revealing a backstabbing traitor in their ranks not enough to garner respect for her instincts? One would think preventing a racially motivated genocide of generations worth of children would earn her some merit on these sort of things.
Weems sat there like a statue, “Wednesday,” She began in a low grave voice. “Whatever it is you’re not telling me, it’d be wise to reveal it now.”
Wednesday hesitated, she felt her throat constrict. She tried calming herself but it all came crashing like a tidal wave.
The murderous look Caspian had in his eyes. Her bloodied friends, the dead bodies around him, the horrified nurse. Her own face looking at him in horror. Caspian standing over a naked shivering Tyler. Xavier’s terrified voice demanded what he did. It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
Wednesday wasn’t afraid of what he could do, she was afraid of what he was going to do.
She bit her bottom lip, tearing her eyes away from the principal. “I’ve…” She cringed at how weak her voice sounded. “I’ve had visions of him. I’ve seen… terrible things…My…friends,” Wednesday swallowed thickly. “They were affected by it.”
Her mind lingered back to her fight with Caspian in town, when he accused her of being nothing but an obsessed bored girl. Wednesday wanted to laugh, she wished it was that simple.
She hated to admit it but, there were some people in her life she didn't want to see hurt. Some may say it was a revelation or evolution from the last term, but she’d call it a a new chink in her armour. A weakness she couldn't rid of. But either way, Wednesday was now bound to ensure that anyone she even remotely cared for was free of harm. And Caspian was in the way of her prime directive.
Weems eyes grew, leaning on her desk seriously. “Wednesday, did you see him hurt somebody? You have to let me know." Her voice was hard and resolute.
Wednesday thought about it for a moment and shook her head. She sunk into the seat of the chair. “Not directly…But…something happens, I can’t explain it but, it wasn’t good.” She cursed her vagueness, but she couldn't muster up the proper words for some reason.
Weems visibly relaxed. “Did any of those visions happen yet?”
“The quad,” Wednesday responded instantly. “I saw him stand there surrounded by the fire with a look of…satisfaction on his face.”
“And was it the same as what transpired?”
“Almost to a tee.”
Weems leaned closer. “And when you saw that vision of him in the quad, did you suspect he was…malicious?”
“Yes.”
“Did Caspian end up being a danger?”
Wednesday didn't respond.
It was quiet for a moment the only sound in the room was the cackling of the fireplace. Wednesday cleared her throat, willing her eyes back to the principal’s stony face. She held a carefully guarded yet pensive gaze as she opened her mouth. “Wednesday…psychic visions are highly unreliable-”
“Every vision I have the last term came true.” Wednesday implored, jutting her chin.
“And every vision Rowen’s mother had come true as well.” Weems countered lightly.
Wednesday bit her tongue. She couldn't argue with that.
The principal sighed, a hint of softness lacing her voice. “Wednesday, they were so sure you were the harbinger of death and destruction that they were willing to kill you for it. A mother and a son were willing to murder a child because of a vision. But you turned out to be quite the opposite. You turned out to be a brave, brilliant young woman who saved our school.”
Wednesday looked away, clenching her jaw. She replayed the quad and the blue flames. They were exactly like her vision, but she didn’t recall seeing Tyler in it. Only Caspian and his triumphant smile. But in reality, he was only triumphant because he managed to provide enough time for them to escape. She wonders if that's what Rowen's mother saw too. Maybe she didn’t see the full picture. Maybe she only saw Wednesday in a destroyed quad, with a look of sheer determination in her eyes. She always thought Rowan was being irrational with his willingness to kill her. She thought correctly that he and his mother misinterpreted the vision. Wednesday just realized she was making the same mistake now.
Weems’ voice brought her back.
“I did not let Ms.Laslow’s visions cloud my judgment then. And I won’t let yours cloud mine now.”
Wednesday opened her mouth, suddenly drier than she remembered it being. “But what if I saw him potentially hurt people? People, I…rather not want to see get hurt? Is that possibility not worth moving him?”
Weems directed her eyes down to her empty glass, fiddling with it. “I remember your mother use to have visions just the same as you. They were correct in some way but, it was like looking at a jigsaw puzzle. Trying to put it together too early was like forcing all the pieces into one jumbled shape. She had all the details, but only time would reveal the full picture.”
"So you still won’t send him away?” Wednesday said quietly.
“Wednesday…” Weems closed her eyes and she seemed much older than she’s ever recalled her being. “Have you heard of the concept of Nature Vs Nurture?”
Wednesday’s eyes flickered. “Plato believed that a human being's inmate function, self, and knowledge were all determined from birth. That any future life experiences didn’t change a person's being or soul. His student Aristotle disagreed. He believed that it is in those experiences where one’s identity is forged.”
“And which philosophy do you you subscribe to?”
“Aristotle.” Wednesday reluctantly admitted after some time. Her answer may have been different pre-Nevermore, but she’s been evolving as of late. No doubt thanks to her roommate and other classmates. Wednesday took in a shuddering breath. “Why do I have a feeling I know where this is going?
Weems smiled. “If we treat Caspian like a threat to fear, then he will 100% end up as a threat. But, if we treat him simply as a fellow student, then there's a chance no matter how slim, that he ends up a friend. Now, that doesn't mean one feigns ignorance to wrongdoings, quite the opposite. Aristotle preached nurture as a way to dictate one's character and morals, which includes course correction when necessary.”
They sat in silence, Wednesday stewing on her words. So was she just expected to forget her visions? To pretend like she didn’t see the wild look in his eyes or whatever he did to Nurse Abner? Or the way he stared at a gun? Was there any hope of stopping it? Weems seemingly read her run away thoughts.
“Wednesday, you know better than anyone that the future is notoriously hard to read let alone prevent. A person often meets their destiny on the road they take to avoid it.”
“Jean De la Fontaine.” Wednesday met Weems blue eyes.
The woman smiled fondly. “He was always my favorite poet.”
Another silence befell them. Wednesday appraised the principal before narrowing her eyes. She still had one more unanswered question. As she said before, the truth was never straightforward with her. “There’s another reason you want to keep him here. What is it?”
Weems smile faltered, before growing hard.“So perceptive…”
“Enough with the riddles.”
“And impatient too,” Weems muttered bemused.
She got up to pour herself another drink. “After the attacks last term, I spent the break going over what countermeasures I could implement.” Wednesday arched a brow at the woman’s back. She was more proactive than she gave her credit for.
“Did you know, It takes 14 adolescent Gorgons to stun a Hyde? It takes at least 4 fully realized sirens harmonizing in perfect pitch to even sway one.” She chuckled, turning back to sit down. She took a long sip of her drink, the red of her lipstick staining the glass. She looked battle-torn like a general from those old war flicks her father loved.
Weems began thought gritted teeth.. “As a school full of beasts and outcasts we are sorely outgunned. I just witnessed that boy fend off a Hyde.”
“Caspian was barely hanging on when you got there.” Wednesday pointed out, brows furrowed.
Weems shook her head. “If we surround the school with more security and stricter policies, in addition to Caspian, that Hyde will surely think twice before stepping foot on our grounds again.”
Wednesday's eyes widened in realization. “You’re using him. You’re using him as a deterrent, a guard dog.” She had half a mind to reprimand the principal for enforcing such an extreme measure such as willful child endangerment. But her honest first reaction was respect. Wednesday commended Weems for her recognition of raw power and her willingness to do what was necessary to win. However, her ability to control that power was yet to be determined.
Weems took another sip of her drink, making a face. “Jekyll Flares they call them. I contacted an old friend that works for the Slovenia government. They specialize in dark creatures so I commissioned them to make a weapon with the sole purpose of eliminating Hydes. A perfect melody of banshee screeches, a heads worth of Gorgon irises, and the blood of 5 adults Drekavacs. Along with other components, I can’t care to remember right now.”
She took another sip. “The point is, they’re extremely expensive and time-consuming to make. It’ll take months for me to get my hands on one of them again. And what I used was a mere pro-type. They were supposed to severely incapacitate or kill, both of which it failed to do today.” She looked Wednesday straight in the eyes. “So yes, I’m using him as a deterrent. Caspian’s presence at Nevermore is beneficial for both him and the school.”
The bell that denoted dinner rang. Weems sighed. “You should get some rest, you still have some recovering to do.”
Wednesday hesitated but decided she should retreat and chew on the information. Weems took it upon herself to look after the boy. But she was also keeping Caspian close because he was powerful. The principal thinks that that alone is worth the potential negative that can come from the accommodation.
“Wednesday,” Weems said before she could leave. “I’m begging you, do not act on these visions. I will keep a close eye on Caspian myself you have my word. Everyone is capable of great good and great evil. But if you treat someone as being capable of only evil, what choice do they really have?”
Wednesday paused, eyeing the principal thoughtfully for a moment.
“Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experiences who you really are. Machiavelli." Wednesday straightened out her school skirt. "I won’t try to prevent the future. Rowan tried to do that and he got himself killed. And what did the future do? Press on without him. Instead I intend to find out what type of person Caspian really is at his core.”
“And what do you hope to find?” Weems sat back in her seat.
Wednesday pursed her lips. “Which he chooses, great good, or great evil.”
She shut the door with a resounding thump.