A/N - Just a note, I plan to finish editing this tomorrow. So, if you run into errors or inconsistencies, just let me know and I'll fix them this weekend. :-)

And also...

Many of the kids' parents have arrived on campus to meet with the Masters and Headmaster Pierce about the demon attack.

They have an hour before the meeting is supposed to start in the Great Hall, so most of them are giving tours of the campus to their parents or filling them in on their training progress so far.

Cameron leads his father through the stone halls of the south wing, where most of the classes are. He points to a room on his right. "They have a pretty good lab," he says. "Not as good as The Enchanted Academy, of course, but not bad."

The two continue their tour down the hall. "And here's the student's lounge. We haven't used it much, but some of us have started hanging out here after combat practice because, even though each set of kids has their own common room, the lounge has the cushiest couches. And then, there's the--"

"Cameron..." Edmund Baker interrupts his son.

Cameron's father stops him with a firm hand on his shoulder. Edmund C. Baker is an East Coast, Blue-Blood Enchanted, meaning that he comes from a long line of Enchanteds with very potent powers. Unfortunately, these miraculous gifts seem to have skipped over Edmund. His magical power of hydrokinesis is limited to manipulating no more than a gallon of liquid at any one time, and so is considered, by all accounts, on the weaker side.

Instead, the great power imbued in the family's lineage ended up highly concentrated in his son, even though Cameron has yet to figure out how to tap into it.

With neat, dirty blond hair--graying at the temples--and a ridiculously expensive custom-tailored suit, Edmund Baker exuded every bit of his money manager's bearing, even though it was a fairly well known secret that his fund was not doing so well financially.

Edmund turns around to face Cameron and expels a long breath. "Son, while I appreciate the tour," he says, "I'm much more concerned about what's going on at the school."

"What? You mean the demon attack?" Cameron asks.

"Well, yes that, of course," Edmund replies. "And also, well you know... how's it going with the other students?"

"Fine... I guess." Cameron shrugs, puzzled by his father's sudden concern for his well-being at the new school.

Edmund looks around, then leads Cameron out into the courtyard. He notices a bench on the walkway that leads to the training fields and motions for Cameron to take a seat next to him.

"Look, Cam, Sir Geoffrey's boys are attending this school as well, correct?" he asks.

Cameron tilts his head and squints at his father, trying to suss out where he could possibly be going with this odd fascination with the Academy.

"Yeah, they do..." he replies, slowly and suspiciously.

"Well, I don't know if you knew this," Edmund says, "but Sir Geoffrey is in line to become one of the next Lord Councilors when a seat opens up in the next few months," Cameron's father informs him.

"Okay... '' Cameron drawls, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. "What does this have to do with me?"

"Cameron," Edmund answers, "you must realize the opportunity that's sitting right in front of you, son, do you not?" He purses his lips in response to Cameron's blank stare back at him." He lets out a beleaguered sigh. "Look, I think it would do you good to try and get to know Sir Geoffrey's sons a little better. You know, befriend one--or maybe even both of them!"

Ignoring the shocked look on his son's face, Edmund leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees, steepling his fingers before him. He lowers his voice and after a beat says, "Look, Cameron, I've been trying to make a deal with the Council for ages now. Any one of them could throw a tremendous amount of business our way. The firm isn't bringing in as much revenue as it used to. But if we had a government contract, now that would really--"

"Wait!" Cameron pops up and whips around to face his father. "You're kidding, right?" He stares at his father in disbelief. "Please tell me you're kidding, Dad."

In response to his father's uncomfortable silence, Cameron continues. "Your son barely survives a demon attack," his voice, vibrating with anger, cracks, "and your biggest concern is whether or not I'll kiss the asses of some Vampyr kids, just so you can be in business with their father?!"

Edmund stands. "Now, son, that's not fair."

"Fair? Fair?!" Cameron glares at his father. "You want to know what's fair, Dad?" He balls his fists at his sides. "Fair is you, for once, not using me as a tool for your greedy and selfish plans!"

With that, Cameron grunts, turns on his heels, and starts to take off, back to the dorms. He's about to turn the corner, when he stops, grips the wall, and looks over at his father. His eyes narrow. "Despite everything that's going on, I was actually looking forward to seeing you today. But I was an idiot. I should've known I'd be the least of your concerns."

"No! That's not true!" Edmund implores, spreading his hands helplessly before him. "I am concerned about you, Cameron!" He takes a few steps forward. "Cam, please... please stay so we can talk!"

Cameron lifts his shoulders in a defeated shrug. "Why? Why would I do that, Dad?" he asks in all seriousness. "I mean, what's the point? No matter what argument you give, no matter what else you say, I'm not doing what you want." He pats the wall of the building firmly in a gesture to convince himself he's doing the right thing. "I guess this means you'll just have to get the Council's business the old fashioned way..." he says as his hand slips off the wall, and he starts heading back to his dorm room. Without looking back at his father, Cameron calls out, loud enough for anyone in the courtyard to hear, "I guess you'll just have to earn it for once!"

***

Headmaster Pierce sits at his desk, while Master Liu is seated in a chair facing him and Master Achebe paces behind her.

"Alistair, I have a really bad feeling about tonight's meeting with the parents," Master Achebe says. "No matter what we do, I don't think it's going to end well."

"Ibrahim," Master Liu turns in her chair to face him. "Will you try to be an optimist... for once? C'mon, have a little bit of faith."

Headmaster Pierce shakes his head slowly and says, "We're going to need a hell of a lot more than faith, Ronnie. I spent all yesterday speaking to a lot of very angry parents. They basically accused us of neglect! In fact, while I can't be 100% certain," Headmaster Pierce tilts his head, quizzically. "I think Patrick's father actually threatened me."

"What? Physically?!" Master Liu's eyes widen in disbelief.

"Oh, no!" Headmaster Pierce says as if the thought were ludicrous, clearly underestimating just how far Chief Meska would go to get answers. He huffs out a breath. "It wasn't a physical threat. He threatened to take this issue to the Council Courts."

"Seriously?" Master Achebe's eyebrows rise in astonishment.

"Oh, he's just blowing smoke," Master Liu scoffs, rolling her eyes. "Not a single one of those parents sent their kids here thinking it would be summer camp."

"No, maybe not summer camp," Master Achebe stops mid-pace, then grabs the chair next to Master Liu, "but I don't think any one of them completely thought this through." He leans in and gives himself permission to speak freely. "I don't think they necessarily took into account the scope of the danger their kids would be facing. Think about it. For centuries, Otherworlders of all races have been trained for battle... but that was for battling each other. Other than when the Council sent the three of us to their makeshift academy, twenty years ago, we've never had to train Otherworlders to fight demons, certainly not teenaged ones! Honestly, I think we've gotten in over our heads since we're just making this up as we go."

Headmaster Pierce, who had been nodding the entire time as he listened closely to Master Achebe, is silent for a moment before finally speaking. "That may be true, Ibrahim," he steeples his fingers beneath his chin, tapping them together thoughtfully, "but that's all we can do. You know we're the only ones who've given this issue this much thought, time, and dedication. We're the only ones who truly understand the gravity of what we face." Headmaster Pierce stands and begins to pace, his hands clasped tightly behind his back. "We need to find a way to get the parents to understand exactly this: that the academy must continue, and we are the only ones in the entire realm who can keep it going." 

Headmaster Pierce looks both of his colleagues in the eyes as he speaks with a newfound conviction. "We have to find a way to believe in ourselves again. Not just the kids... us!" He thumps his chest. "We never would have fought so hard to start up this school if we didn't think it was possible... if we didn't have a sense of hope. And I know you have doubts. Hell, I have them too! But we have to find out way back to our original mission, back to that unshakeable belief in ourselves again!"

***

Sebastian is sitting on his bed in his dorm room while Farid sits in the chair in front of Sebastian's desk.

Their father, Sir Geoffrey, paces impatiently around the room, picking up various items of Sebastian's, inspecting them,frowning, then putting them back in their place again.

They both watch him perform this little ritual of his as if it somehow will give him a much better insight into his son than if he were to, say, just sit down and have an honest conversation with him.

Getting more and more anxious, Sebastian pops off the bed. "Father, would you like a tour of the school?" he asks eagerly.

"No, son, that's fine," Sir Geoffrey answers cooly. "I saw plenty of the campus the last time I was here."

Sebastian and Farid exchange nervous glances. Neither boy knows how to make small talk with their father, so having him hanging out in Sebastian's room while they wait for the parents' meeting to begin is sheer torture.

Sebastian clears his throat. "So, how is Mother? I called her after we got here, but never heard back."

Sir Geoffrey does his best to refrain from rolling his eyes as he runs a slow finger over Sebastian's dresser, apparently checking for dust. He finds none, but turns and claps his hands together as if he had. "Lady Brigitte is, unfortunately, perpetually in a foul mood these days," he says, dipping his chin and peering at Sebastian. "Your mother is not happy that I've sent you here. She thinks that, should this endeavor fall apart, my chances of gaining some sort of ministerial position in the future will be compromised." He scoffs and quirks a testy brow.

Sebastian shakes his head. "It's always about power and status with her, isn't it?"

Sir Geoffrey shugs helplessly in agreement.

"And my mother?" Farid inquires, eager but cautiously bringing up the subject. Mina hadn't been pleased with the boys being sent to the Academy either, but she was more concerned with their safety, unlike Brigitte whose main concern was almost always political.

"Your mother is stressed and overly tired." Sir Geoffrey sighs. "Both of your sisters are sick at the moment, and unfortunately Anka is in Sweden visiting her mother. So Mina has graciously stepped in to take charge of your sisters' care, even though she's already got her hands full planning my and Lady Brigitte's anniversary party."

Farid chuckles. "Yep, that sounds like mom."

"Yes, it does," Sir Geoffrey responds, genuinely frustrated. "I keep reminding her that we have plenty of staff to look after the children as well as handle these issues. And Marianna," he gestures, languidly, "as a Fourth Wife, she's perfectly capable of stepping in to fill Anka's shoes while she's away." He lets loose a long sigh. "But, no, not Mina," he looks directly at Farid. "Your mother is a worrier, and she can't help but hover around people, trying her best to make sure that everyone's happy and well cared for." Sir Geoffrey scrunches up his nose in irritation. "Frankly, as a Second Wife, that's not her job." He sighs again. "However, I can't seem to stop her, so I let her do whatever makes her happy."

After a moment, he chuckles to himself. "I will admit," he says quietly, "no matter her quirks, she's very much the glue of our family. And, for that, I am eternally grateful."

Farid smiles instinctively. But then his smile fades as he slides a glance at Sebastian, only to see his brother frowning, practically pouting, in response to Sir Geoffrey's comment.

Given that Mina, Farid's mother, is Sir Geoffrey's favorite wife, that makes Farid, almost by proxy, his father's favorite child. Needless to say, the relationships in their family are complicated.

And as much as Sebastian adores Mina--and she him--whenever references or comments highlight the families complicated dynamics, it always drives a tiny wedge between him and his brother.

Farid clears his throat in an effort to try and change the subject. "How is Mateo, then?" Farid asks. "Isn't he supposed to start school soon?"

Checking again, Farid sees that Sebastian has suddenly perked up at the mention of his second favorite sibling.

"Oh, your little brother is driving his mother crazy," Sir Geoffrey says, "but what else can you expect from a six-year-old?"

Sebastian smiles. "Poor Mariana... Matty really is a handful."

"Ha!" Sir Geoffrey barks. "Now that's an understatement! I've never seen a child with so much energy before,"

"I miss that kid," Sebastian mumbles.

Sir Geoffrey, suddenly bored and restless, straightens and blurts out, "I feel like taking a walk!"

With this, both Sebastian and Farid jump up in response, ready to accompany their father on a tour of the school.

"No, no." Sir Geoffrey waves Sebastian away. "Just Farid this time. Sebastian, why don't you go downstairs and see how long we're going to have to wait until this meeting begins. Then just send me or your brother one of those text thingies. Honestly," Sir Geoffrey grumbles, "I really thought they'd have started by now."

Sebastian just blinks as he stares at his father, stunned by the obvious shun. But in response to his father's impatient scowl, he wills himself to move.

Humiliated, Sebastian gets up and goes over to the dresser where he grabs his cell phone. And although he's standing right next to his father, Sebastian keeps his head bowed, making sure not to make any eye contact with him.

He doesn't make eye contact with Farid either, except for a very brief moment, before he quietly slips out of the room.

"Um... Father," Farid says after a moment. "I think Sebastian wanted to come with us. I mean he looked pretty upset."

"Oh, please!" Sir Geoffrey scoffs as he reaches for his coat, hanging on the back of the door. "I sincerely doubt it, Farid." Sir Geoffrey slips on his overcoat and adds, "But if he is upset, then he's indulging in a moment of weakness, and it will pass. Your brother will soon recover."

***

Moments later, Sir Geoffrey and Farid are strolling, side by side, through the open corridor, out into the Academy courtyard. They follow the stone path that encircles the tranquil grounds.

"So what exactly are they teaching you at this school?" Sir Geoffrey asks out of the blue.

"Well," Farid replies carefully. "We have to take History, Sociology, Demonology," He cracks a slow smile. "And they're even teaching us some ancient languages which is really cool! Um, what else..." he ponders a moment, then adds, "Oh! And the Enchanted kids have to take Biology and Chemistry on top of all of that, although they refer to it as Herbology and Potions. The rest of us take extra courses in combat training," he finishes.

Sir Geoffrey arches a brow. "Combat training, you say? Interesting..." He slips his hands out of his pockets and clasps them behind his back. "What sort of techniques are they teaching you?"

Farid looks at his father quizzically. "The usual, I suppose. You know, with the races having been segregated for so long, we have to learn to fight together... fight like a single unit. And, oh!" He perks up. "Master Achebe is also teaching us some very special techniques that none of the races have mastered in order to enhance all of our skills,"

"Techniques?" Sir Geoffrey inquires. "What sort of techniques? Techniques to help you fight warriors, as well as demons? To say perhaps, fight a Shifter warrior if you had to?" Sir Geoffrey probes.

"Not specifically." Farid's lips purse. I mean why would they? Shifters aren't our enemies anymore."

"Oh, of course not!" Sir Geoffrey scoffs. "It was just a hypothetical question."

They continue in silence for a time before Sir Geoffrey adds, "Farid, be sure not to get too wrapped up in this whole integration thing. While the school is a noble experiment, should it fail, old grievances will most definitely resurface."

"It's not going to fail," Farid insists, doing it so forcefully, he surprises himself.

Sir Geoffrey looks at his son carefully. Then scoffs, "Well, we'll see about that." He chortles as he gives his son a side-glance.

"Why would you say that, Father? You never would have sent your sons to this school if you didn't believe in its purpose, in its mission, would you?

"Of course not!" Sir Geoffrey retorts. But then in response to the earnestness he sees on his son's face, he dials it back and adds, "I think what the Academy is doing is both clever and admirable. But there are many more threats to Vampyrs, as a race, than just demons," he admits, then stops.

Looking down at his son, Sir Geoffrey considers just how much he should reveal to him at this time. "Look, Farid, the situation is much more complicated than you realize, and there's much more animosity brewing behind the scenes. I believe this endeavor can be successful, both in vanquishing the demons and in bringing the races closer together. However..." Sir Geoffrey looks up and over Farid's shoulder, his gaze fixing on some physical manifestation of his thoughts, something only he can see. "However should it fail," he continues, "the races will find it difficult to find their way back to, what is, an already tenuous truce."

Sir Geoffrey tilts his head and considers his son, deciding to reveal his ultimate agenda. "Farid, you know how much I rely on you. I find comfort in knowing that I can ask you about anything truly important, and you will always tell me the truth." Sir Geoffrey lays his hands firmly on Farid's shoulders. "Son, aside from learning the fighting techniques you'll learn during your training, I need you to pay particular attention to other things as well."

"What other things?" Farid asks suspiciously.

"You're to learn all you can about your classmates' strengths, and more importantly, their weaknesses. Not just as individuals, but also as representatives of their race."

Farid's jaw tightens as he wrestles himself from his father's grip.

"I'm here to look after Sebastian, since that is my duty, Father," he snaps. "And, to be honest, after being here a while and getting to know some of the other students and after the attack on Jake--well, I'm also here to be a part of the larger mission."

Farid takes a determined step backwards, putting ample space between him and his father. 

He swallows hard and then looks his father dead in the eyes, and with a conviction he didn't know he had, adds, "But under no circumstances am I here to be your spy!"

*******************

A/N - This is the second-to-last chapter before the end of Episode 2! The last chapter is the dreaded "Parents' Meeting! 

Ack!

I hope you'll enjoy it, and I can't wait to see you next week for the conclusion of Episode 2!!

~ Paula ❤️