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“Say what?”

“Others and Reforming Bonds. The college course? I took it a few years ago before I dropped out.”

“Are you telling me they talked about Menders in some college class anyone could take?” I ask in disbelief.

“Yeah, and a whole bunch of different races, too. Like dragons.”

I was suspicious of a studious nerd. Way to make friends and influence Others, Bea.

“What else?” I can’t help asking. Mike probably knows more than I do, and it’s a little shameful.

“Demons of all kinds, immortals, interdimensional beings, artificers, mages, witches, berserkers, nullifiers, you name it,” he relaxes back with a smile. “It was the best course I ever took. The Professor is the one who convinced me to quit school.”

“That doesn’t sound right,” I frown. What teacher doesn’t want their student to thrive?

“He said I was meant for something else,” he defends. “Something bigger. He claimed he could see the future.”

“You believed him?” I’m not sure how to feel about that. A fortune teller Other hiding on the Human side of the Divide to give this Human advice? Mike is really gullible.

“I dunno,” he looks away, embarrassed. “He was really convincing.”

“Sounds like it,” I pretend to sympathize.

“He let me take all sorts of books with me on the last day of class. It was epic. That class was where I met my ex. The bitch.”

“That bad?”

His eyes roll over to see me from the side, “I caught her banging a vampire a couple of nights before Windsor got in touch.”

“Vamps,” I sigh.

“Right? Like, dude, you could literally have any chick. Why?”

“Because I’m a cold, unfeeling douche canoe,” I lower my voice to sound manly.

We both laugh, though mine sounds weak.

“He told me that menders went extinct because they didn’t have connections. People to remind them of what they’re fighting for. He said nine out of ten Menders committed suicide because they couldn’t see a point anymore. That’s the reason they went extinct.”

“Huh.” That's all I can think to say. It hits a little too close to home for me.

“He also told us that if we ever met one, we should make sure to build a connection. Be a friend and help. Weird stuff like that.”

“That sounds oddly specific,” my eyes narrow again.

His eyes meet mine, filled with surprise and awe. “Yeah… maybe he wasn’t full of shit when he said he could see the future.”

19. The Razor’s Edge

Ben

The files are spread everywhere. The table, the floor, and Kimi’s lap as he sits perfectly still. His eyes lower to the one spread in front of him, and he begins to thumb through it at speed. He’s going fast enough that I doubt any of the information inside sets in.

Mitri stands where she knelt, seemingly unfazed at her violent outburst. He’s staring at the red folder she dropped before her mad dash out of the room. I can hear her retching.

Mal begins picking up everything slowly, glancing inside each folder and looking away with a flinch.

King is frowning down at the pages in his hands with the slightest tremor in his body, lips curling back in a snarl with no sound.