It was coming from Jin, standing in the doorway, with a revolver pointed at my assailant.
The invader laughed. “Not bad. I expected the rune I drew outside to block any shouting for help, but I didn’t expect you to shoot the ceiling.” A woman’s voice, and oddly familiar.
The knife pressed closer against my neck, then pulled away.
The intruder dropped the weapon.
Jin narrowed his eyes. “Slowly raise your hands. Do not speak again.”
The intruder complied, at least at first.
“Step away from the student.” Jin stepped closer as he spoke, continuing to keep the firearm leveled at the target.
The intruder complied, stepping away until she had her back against the opposite wall.
Jin put himself in between the invader and myself. I took the moment to grab my sword from the nearby table, drawing it from its sheath, and passed my dueling cane to my opposite hand.
“We will wait here until assistance arrives. Do not move.” Jin kept the revolver leveled at her chest.
“That won’t be necessary,” she replied. “Your demonstration was satisfactory. End illusion.”
The cowl and hood vanished.
We were looking at Professor Orden.
I groaned.
“You have got to be kidding me.” I stepped closer, brandishing my sword. “You were testing me?”
She nodded and smiled. “I did warn you to prepare.”
Jin didn’t take his eyes off her. “Corin, can you confirm that this was a test that Professor Orden warned you about in advance?”
“In a sense.” If you stretched the concept of “sense”, anyway. “She told me to protect my room against potential threats. She did not tell me that she planned to test them personally. And, since our friend here is clearly a Shadow or some other kind of illusionist, she could be anyone. ‘End illusion’ could be a key phrase to cast an illusion.”
“True,” the woman admitted. “How could I convince you that I am Professor Orden, then?”
My mouth twisted. “You couldn’t, under these circumstances. At all. I could ask you what I discussed privately with Professor Orden, but if you’re an assassin who is after me, you could have gathered that information through other means. You could have been watching, or you could have captured or killed the real Orden and taken information from her.”
“My, you’re a suspicious one. I like that. Perhaps a demonst—”
Jin fired the revolver.
The bullet hit right next to her head.
“No demonstrations.” Jin gestured with the revolver, while I closed to threatening range with my sword. “Out. I will not miss again.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You students are getting dangerously close to offending me.”
Jin tightened his jaw. “Good. You have already offended us.”
“Cadence,” she hissed, “I will expect to see you in the morning for a discussion.”
I waved with the flat of my sword, and she followed the gesture, backing out to the room. “I’ll plan to meet Professor Orden at her office. If you happen to be the one there, we’ll discuss how you can authenticate your identity.”
“I will be there.” She snapped her fingers and vanished in a jet of smoke.
“Huh.” I examined the smoke. “I thought that only theatrical villains did that.”
Jin reached down, picking up the fallen potion vial. “Evidently, that woman is a theatrical villain.”
I nodded sagely, then grew serious again. “Thanks for backing me up. I owe you one.”
“No,” he countered, “you owe me two.” He pointed upward. “One is for the repair of my floor.”
***
Jin and I headed toward Tortoise Female Building #14.
We’d mutually decided that staying in our own rooms was too dangerous, in case real assassins were after me. Jin had suggested going to the academy guard, but I wasn’t confident that pointing them at Orden or asking them to watch our rooms were good ideas. I needed more information before I could bring more strangers into the situation.
While I’d gotten dressed, Jin had gone back to his room for more ammunition. By the time he’d gotten back, I had my dueling cane and sword buckled on. I’d also grabbed a pillow.
“First favor, Corin. Tell me why you are hunted by assassins.”
I sighed. “I’m probably not. I think that was the real Orden, and she’s probably paranoid.”
“Evasive answers don’t count as favors.”
He was right, but... “Can I have a minute to think about how best to answer?”
“Of course.”
I took a minute to think, and another minute.
Jin helped me out, but I don’t know if telling him anything is wise — that Voice was pretty explicit that I shouldn’t be spreading word about what happened in the tower.
On the other hand, if that was the real Professor Orden, I absolutely can’t trust her if her idea of “testing my defenses” is a mock attack on my room.
What is it with these professors and attacking students?
Gah.
“Okay, I’m going to tell you some bits and pieces, but you’re going to be in danger if you learn too much.”
“I don’t mind a bit of danger.”
I shook my head. “It wouldn’t be ‘a bit’. Probably. I don’t really know the scale of what I’m dealing with yet, and that’s part of why I can’t, in good conscience, fill you in on every detail.”
Jin nodded. “Continue.”
“I saw some things at the tower that I probably shouldn’t have seen. Things I remembered, and told Professor Orden about. She told me that what I knew could put me in danger, and to prepare.”
“Explains the assault, even if it doesn’t justify it.”
“Yeah. I suppose she wants me to take protecting myself seriously.”
Jin gestured to me with his off hand. “You did as well as I’d expect anyone to.”
I think I might have blushed at the compliment. I wasn’t used to getting those.
“Uh, thanks, I guess. Anyway, I can’t say much else for now, but I’ll talk to Professor Orden in the morning and see if I can get permission to bring you in on things.”