Freedom, Humanity, and Other Delusions (Death's Handmaiden Book 3) by Niall Teasdale (best summer reads txt) 📕

Melissa and Hoshi nodded in unison. ‘Boobs,’ they chorused.

236/1/15.

‘So, we meet at last!’

The usual lunchtime group turned at the sound of the voice, and what they saw was a girl in SAS2 uniform who none of them had ever met before. At least that made her statement accurate. Sort of. She was standing there in a dramatic sort of pose, one arm raised with her index finger pointed at Nava. She was not really much to look at; she was not ugly, but she was not especially pretty either. She was thin, maybe a little bony, and she had moderately small, high breasts. Her neck was fairly long and it was shown off by a somewhat unusual hairstyle, for the time anyway. Long black hair had been drawn up into a pair of plaits which ran over the top of her head to the back, ending in short tails held in place by tortoiseshell rings. A pair of slim bangs fell to either side of her face, dyed purple at the ends. The twin tails were also purple and there were a couple of bands of the same colour wound through her plaits. She liked her makeup thick and Gothic: quite full lips were painted a paler shade of purple and iridescent blue eyeshadow decorated the upper lids of eyes which had purple irises. Her nose really let her down, being a bit big for her face, quite pointed, and yet managing to be just a bit bulbous at the tip. Overall, her face followed her rather gaunt figure, but she did somehow manage to look something like a stereotypical sorceress or witch.

‘Excuse me?’ Nava asked.

Apparently, the mystery girl was not entirely happy with what she had said, or maybe how she had said it. ‘No, that sounds like a villain meeting a hero…’ she muttered. Without really answering Nava, she turned away, paused, and then turned back, once again dramatically posing with a finger aimed at Nava. Her dress swirled around her legs as she did so, adding to the impression that she was acting in a schlocky action drama. ‘Through time and space I have searched for you. Truly, our meeting is fated by destiny!’

Nava turned to Mitsuko. ‘The Drama Club only does one production a year, right? This isn’t another one trying to get me into a play?’

‘Yes and no,’ Mitsuko replied. ‘Might we ask you to introduce yourself, young lady?’

There was a bit of a falter in the girl’s rather pleased, kind of triumphant expression; this was not quite going to plan. ‘My name is Carina Schwartz Malkin! Daughter of Ottmar and Ariana. I have searched these long years for a guardian to–’

‘Maybe this is some sort of hazing ritual for new Drama Club members,’ Nava suggested.

Carina’s confident expression crumpled and her shoulders sagged. ‘No. I’m not with the–’

‘Where did you hear about hazing of all things?’ Mitsuko asked. ‘That kind of thing is strictly forbidden under school regulations.’

‘One of those animated series Mel likes,’ Nava replied. Her attention was still fixed on Carina. ‘Do you think you could tell us what you want without all the theatrics?’

‘I was rather enjoying the theatrics,’ Melissa said.

‘It livened up lunch,’ Hoshi agreed.

Looking sulky and disappointed, Carina walked over to sit down on the seat beside Nava. She glanced around quickly before taking her seat. It looked a lot like she did not want to be seen doing so, but then why make the ridiculous entrance? ‘I really am looking for someone to help me and… a friend told me that I should find the girl with the white hair and grey eyes because she’s really powerful.’

‘You don’t know my name?’ Nava asked.

‘Well, uh, no. I know that’s Mitsuko Trenton Sonkei, the student president, because she gave a speech on the first day. I don’t know who the rest of you are.’

‘You were just told to come find me by this friend of yours?’

‘Trudy. Yes. The white-haired girl with the grey eyes and the amazing aura.’

‘It gets better,’ Mitsuko commented. ‘Now you have an aura.’

Nava ignored that part for now. ‘My name is Nava Greyling Sonkei.’ Nava paused to let the name sink in and perhaps be recognised.

‘Pleased to meet you,’ Carina replied. ‘Destiny compels us–’

‘I think we’ve heard enough about destiny,’ Mitsuko said. ‘You said you were a Malkin?’

‘I am,’ Carina said, lifting her chin proudly.

‘I didn’t think the Malkin clan ever sent anyone to be a student here. Really, it’s a year for oddities.’

‘I’m not familiar with the Malkins,’ Nava said.

‘I’m not especially surprised. Grimalkin is one of the furthest worlds in the Alliance from Shinden.’

‘Just over two hundred light years,’ Carina supplied.

‘Thank you. The Malkins have one of the highest percentages of magicians among their ranks. They’re often quite powerful, but they generally educate their people on their world. Why did they send you here, Carina?’

Carina looked away. ‘They suggested that a change of scenery would be good for me.’

‘You mentioned a guardian,’ Nava said. ‘Why do you need a guardian?’

There was more looking around. Nava followed Carina’s gaze, but there was no sign of anything out of the ordinary in the refectory. Unless you counted Carina. ‘I can’t talk about it here. They might hear. I’ve said too much already.’

‘I see. Well, I’m a little too busy to play bodyguard right now. Especially to someone who won’t tell me why.’

‘But–’

‘Perhaps you could come back when you’ve decided to trust the guardian you’re destined to meet.’

‘I…’ It looked briefly as though the girl was going to cry. She got to her feet. ‘I’ll talk to Trudy and see what she thinks. Maybe she was wrong.’ Then she was stalking away before anyone could reply.

‘Strange girl,’ Rochester said.

Courtney watched Carina’s back for a second. ‘I’ll check her records and see whether there’s likely to be a problem there. After that business with Marie’s stalker…’

‘I don’t think Carina is that kind of person,’ Nava said, ‘but I would be interested to hear anything you can