Chapter 25

Diana must have been tired from her lack of a good night's rest because she fell asleep almost instantaneously when she laid down on her bed after the day's event.

She dreamed. It wasn't a frightening one of her fallen friends for once. This time, it was of two girls; one with dark hair and one with light hair.

It didn't take her a while to figure that one of them was her.

Diana's pulse raced with a guilty excitement as the dark-haired girl's body pressed down harder on top of her and the stranger's hands desperately explored the naked skin of her waist and neck. Diana squirmed and whimpered as her lips sucked tenderly on her collarbone, before breaking off to trail a path of light kisses from her neck down to the line of her breasts.

After a few moments of lavishing the girl's unexpected affections on Diana, she shifted and snaked up Diana's body once more, so that she could look at her blue eyes and cup her face in her hands.

Diana gasped at the sight.

Akko's forefingers brushed fondly against Diana's lips and Diana found herself relishing the sensation, then they stopped their movements and instead pressed gently down. Whether Diana's lips parted in surprise or understanding, she does not remember, but she did part her lips and suck lovingly on the two fingers that snaked their way inside. It was obscene and embarrassing, but it felt wonderful.

She felt a fire start low in her belly, building quickly as Akko's fingers deftly moved around her center, a thumb pressed against her most sensitive spot, rubbing it with small, circular movements. With each stroke, Akko's finger curled to brush the sensitive spot inside, causing Diana to let out tiny moans with every movement.

The fingers were eventually replaced by Akko's small delicate lips and Diana gratefully responded to the warm tongue that pressed itself into her virgin mouth. She was completely overwhelmed and drunk by virtue of Akko's sheer beauty and presence. Diana's arms acted on their own when they wrapped around Akko and pulled her closer still, but she couldn't blame them for behaving so.

Diana slammed her eyes shut, her chest heaving. "Akko..."

Arching upwards, Akko continued the favor, and Diana's mind went blank. The girl on top of her was swirling her tongue in just the right way.

She didn't know Akko was capable of doing them. It was as if Akko was possessed by another being and took control over her.

Diana woke up in a daze.

It took her a few moments to realize where she was and what she dreamed off while her fingers subconsciously touched herself.

With her thoughts running out of hand, her eyes suddenly lost its focus as if every cell in her being was on the verge of exploding and in that moment of blinding passion, it hit her. She wanted Akko so badly. Everyone around her who has eyes could see it. They were right, all along.

She was drawn to Akko. Her heart pounded faster inside her chest with a frantic rhythm as she continued her fantasy.

"Fuck!" She cursed as she refracted her fingers to hit her sweetest spot. Diana had never sworn in her life, but her senses were being driven wild and she was losing control rapidly.

The tingling sensitive pleasure remained and then the smell. The wonderful smell that was new to her.

"Oh shite." She said with a newfound horror.

Lord Fafnir lived not far away from the academy. So that morning, in an effort to forget about her dawn fantasy, Diana called Amanda. The redhead was quick to the invitation and they straightaway head towards the house was built on the top of a hill, near the Rastavan ruins. It was a colonial-style mansion with a garden surrounding it.

There was a guardhouse by the gate. Diana and Amanda got out of the car and walked up to a security camera. Immediately, a screen attached to the wall flashed a static image of a bald man, who regarded us with a glare.

"Get out of here, kids," he said through the speaker.

"We want to meet Lord Fafnir," Diana said solemnly, and a bit eager to find a distraction.

"Who are you?" the guard asked, looking at them like they were homeless people.

"A relative," she lied.

"Go away," the guard said. "Lord Fafnir has no relatives."

"Well, he does now," Diana spoke up and showed the guard her House of Cavendish crest she kept handily through the camera.

"I'm so sorry," the man quickly apologized when he saw it and opened the gate for them.

Diana and Amanda went back into the car and drove through that gate and into the beautiful courtyard. The guard must have informed the people in the house of their arrival. They came to invite them in like they were some special guests.

A man in the black suit came to greet them. He didn't ask anything and just ushered them through the hall. "Please, have some refreshments at the living room before my lord arrives," he said and offered them a tray of drinks with no alcohol.

The sight of it excited Amanda so much that she even took Diana's share with a huge grin. "Don't mind if I do!"

"What's with the noises down here?" A loud booming voice asked.

Then Diana heard the sound of someone descending the staircases. They all looked up and saw a gray-haired man in his sixties. He had a curious Fu Manchu mustache.

"My lord," the suited man bowed, "We have some guests visiting."

"Really? That's very surprising." Lord Fafnir said, giving the girls an overall look. "What could two school girls need of me?"

Amanda's eyes glanced from his head to toe and asked. "Did your parents love dragons and that's why they named you after one?"

Diana gritted her teeth as she pinched the girl.

"Ouch! Hey!"

"Such impudent child," Lord Fafnir sneered, reaching the bottom of the stairs to face them. "At least your companion has manners." He languidly directed his gaze to Diana. "And you are?"

"I'm the girl who will make you suffer, and suffer dearly if you don't start talking."

Lord Fafnir giggled. Like Diana told him the best one-liner. "Let me take a guess. Weird hair, haughty appearance, wicked eyeliner... you must be Bernadette's daughter. What purpose did a friend's child come to see me?"

"I will cut it to the chase, Lord Fafnir." Diana placed a hand on her hip, all the while snarling. "We are dealing with not one but two suspicious deaths. Among them is the recent. Andrew Hanbridge's death was caused by a lateral hit slitting his larynx and he hung upside down. All indicates either a dramatic exit or the killer practices parading mangled bodies to shame them."

"Nothing to do with me." The old man scoffed, "You got a lot of nerve, barging here and start pointing fingers."

"I can smell an accessory to murder charge in the wind." Diana taunted.

"Such imagination," Lord Fafnir said. "Women are prone to their fancies."

"I will ignore the fact that I am already a woman to your eyes, despite knowing I am 17. Might I just say that men are prone to excuses?"

The old man exhaled loudly as if he were a steam train. "Such accusations from a self-proclaimed detective is inadmissible—"

"I am a consulting detective, do your research."

"What's the difference really? Don't jump into conclusions when you have no proof, little girl."

"Do not tell me you are innocent. It insults my intelligence."

"I never killed anyone, Lady Cavendish." Lord Fafnir said, all too quickly. "The world is as wretched a place as it's ever been; a sad fact but a boon to my particular business as you all but have known. I'll have no shortage of work to tend to, which shows that I have no time to conduct a murder, less a staged one. You should tell your inspector that. Did she really think if she sends you, it will make a difference in breaking my resolve?"

"I shared her assumptions if I were to be completely honest, Godfather."

Lord Fafnir sighed. "If we're done here, Lady Cavendish, I'll have my men escort you out."

"They do not need to," Diana said, spinning on her heel with a dramatic flair. "My companion and I will see ourselves out."

Amanda swiftly downed the refreshments she held before returning them to the tray and followed her.

As soon as they got back to the car, Diana's chauffeur turned the radio off then turned the engine on.

"He's your godfather?" Amanda gawked at Diana who sat at the passenger's seat away from the redhead at the back.

"We never talk about it. See you first thing Saturday, Amanda. We ought to visit Andrew's dear old dad."

"I'm sorry, Sucy." Akko looked up at the older girl. Sucy turned off all the stove knobs after frying some omelet for breakfast and walked over to have a seat beside Akko.

Sucy's visible eye narrowed. "Why are you apologizing?"

"I can't hang out today," Akko said. She paused, waiting to see if Sucy wanted some explanation, which she did. "Professor Ursula insist on tutoring me of more magic trick lessons."

"Ah," Sucy said, doing her best not to show any disappointment, but her chin sunk to her chest.

"Aww, don't be sad, Sucy. I'll see you tonight!"

"But Akko, its Christmas break!" she pouted.

"Ooh what a baby." Loa cooed.

Sucy had been getting more and more immune to Loa's taunting voices. The key to it was to act like the doll wasn't there with them.

"All the more reason I should practice!" Akko said. "We're going to lose the luxury of vacations once we become seniors and go off to college."

Everyone, even the doll, could feel the frustration that surrounded Sucy. No one else spoke, and the silence fell as thick as the cloud.

"By the way, Sucy," Akko said, removing the cloud. "Do you want to have dinner with us in our apartment or do you want us to have a Christmas date?"

"I'll have both." Sucy grinned. "I haven't talked to Professor Ursula for quite some time now. It's all about school and classes. We can discuss things over Christmas dinner, it's not like we have secrets from each other anymore, right?"

Akko chuckled, almost too suspiciously. "Yep, right, no secrets."

Sucy's forehead creased at the implication. "You wouldn't mind I come along with your lessons now, do you?"

"What? But Sucy, I can't concentrate with you there!"

"Why not?"

"First of all, I get easily distracted. I need to focus on when practicing. Magic tricks are trickier if I have an audience when practicing a certain trick for the first time. Also, you're my girlfriend, of course, I will be more nervous around you."

"You're right to be nervous. You should hide from embarrassment. You have no talent at all."

"Shut up, Loa!" Sucy flared. It seemed that Loa has found a way to rebuke Sucy's strategy of ignoring her. She will have to be more annoying than ways possible. "Never insult her!"

"Why?" Akko's eyes widened as she stared at the doll sitting on the counter. "What did she say?"

"Nothing you should concern yourself about," Sucy said, returning to her feet and ambled towards the stove.

"I'm guessing it wasn't very nice." Akko patted her lap and stood up, following Sucy to the kitchen. "But I guess that's okay. It was my idea to have her washed after all."

"Fine, but please have breakfast with me, at least," Sucy said, cutting her omelet in the middle then transferring them to the plates. "You didn't have breakfast yet, have you?"

Akko chuckled and gave Sucy a wink. "I have room for more."

They ate together while Sucy told her another story of her childhood. This one was a pleasant memory, unlike all those stories about her upbringing.

"There was a short story I read when I was younger." Looking at Akko, Sucy decided that the younger girl looked for all the world like an entranced child listening to the story of Santa Claus for the first time. "A lost woman wandered aimlessly and reached a lighthouse. Both figuratively and literally. She found a man and they talked about their lives. She didn't know at the time that the man was her anchor to shore. Without him, she was lost, adrift, and uncertain. It took them years to realize they belong to one another. In a way, I was like her too. I found a girl in the lighthouse."

Sucy looked over to Akko again, a more serious look in her dark red eyes as she continued the story. "That girl is you, Akko."

Akko stared at her. "You're telling me that I'm your lighthouse?"

Sucy nodded. "Your radiance is a beacon—a shining light."

Akko shook her head, blinking rapidly. "Wow. That's just…Wow. I guess that explains why we drifted to each other, huh?"

Sucy nodded again. "Now do you understand why I'm drawn to you?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "You know, I'm happy that you were able to find something good in your horrible, messed up childhood."

"Oh? So you liked the stories where I stole some books in a secondhand library and escaped to the woods and take solace there to read and sometimes research about mushrooms?"

"Yes," Akko said, taking a bite of the egg on her fork. "As I said, the good in the bad."

Sucy put down her fork and placed her hand over Akko's free hand. "Right now, you're the only constant thing in my life." She said, couldn't help it as her voice trembled from being bare. "I don't want to lose that. Promise you won't let me go?"

Akko gulped before answering. "Do you really need my assurance?"

"Yes."

Akko closed her eyes momentarily, her expression unreadable. "Then yes, I promise. I won't let you go."

Sucy smiled in what appeared to be a relief but with a tinge of guilt. Only to be superseded by a feeling of possessiveness.

I have her now, and I'm not giving her up. She's mine.

"It's just that…" Akko trailed off. She shook her head as if to clear her mind. "Now that I said it out loud, I have been dying to tell you something."

"What is it?" Sucy said, chewing on her food.

"I'm just trying to figure everything out our future. I see that you're going to have a long healing process ahead. I'll have to basically learn your life and help you along the way. It'll be tough."

"You're not my psychiatrist, Akko," Sucy said. "Trust me, I know when someone's psychoanalyzing me or being a friend, or much more."

"That's a tough word, but I guess it has something to do with psychology," Akko said, wracking her bilingual brains for keywords. "Yeah, I'm sorry... it's just that. As your best friend and lover, I feel like I should help you."

"It goes both ways, Akko. There's a lot to unpack in me, and there's a lot to unpack in you. We don't need to save each other, just be there for each other. That's the most misconception about love. We treat as if our lovers are our saviors, but we just place a huge burden for them. Unless one person is really selfless while the other really needs saving."

"Yeah, but... you need more help. But..." Akko felt the rush of words escape her lips, but her words became quieter as she spoke. Afraid Sucy might not like it. Sucy; however, didn't seem to notice, and if she did notice, she wasn't acting like she had known what those words were.

"But what?"

"What if, let's say... I'm the selfless person?"

"And I'm the one that needs saving?" Sucy asked, her eyes flashed as her voice grew.

"Well okay then, how about we reverse it?" Akko pointed a finger to her nose. "What if I'm the one that needs saving, and you are the selfless person? You'll stay with me, right? You won't leave me?"

"Of course. I'm not letting you go."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Then you would understand what I would do for you, right?"

"Akko, I literally killed for you. Of course, I understand."

After breakfast, Sucy sadly watched as Akko walked out of her flat. Noon hadn't even come by, yet it had been long and tiring. Especially with Akko not around, so she was ready for an afternoon of hexes and killings complemented with pizza and a movie.

Her phone set off right after and she smiled after seeing the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Hey," Lotte's sweet voice came from the other line. "So it turned out that I was going to do my washing today. I called to ask if your offer still stands. Can I go today? And if it's okay, can I have your address? "

First, Sucy pinched herself, then she did a little dance around the room. "Yes," she replied. "Of course, I'll text you my address. Bring those books. I'm so bored I might be able to finish more than two books in one sitting. What time would you go here?"

"You have some visitors, Lord Hanbridge." The young butler's voice informed.

"On a fine Saturday noon, who?" they heard some conversation coming from the front door of the house, and the sound of footsteps echoed in the hall.

"Lady Diana Cavendish with a Lady O'Neill and they insisted on seeing you," he said.

"The young Cavendish?" the man said in wonder. "I must see them."

Diana tapped her hand in her hip, counting steps. Her keen eyes watched the walls with blistering focus.

Then the Lord of the House and his servant walked towards the dining room, Diana and Amanda stood up from their chairs, turning their faces to see Andrew's old father. He joined them at the dining table, sitting at the head of the table.

"Young Diana, oh my dear, you have grown so much like your mother."

"I am reminded every time I stare at the mirror," Diana said. It shifted something in her, shadowing her features. "Excuse me for saying so, Lord Hanbridge but you don't seem to be very bereaved."

Lord Hanbridge chuckled, his eyes glazed over reminiscing a distant past. "Forgive me, it is so because—"

"You fancied my mother in your youth?" Diana asked as if the certain sentence revealed all that was needed to be heard. Amanda's eyes widened at the prospect but with a wicked glint on her eyes.

The old man coughed, taken aback. "It seems so, yes. I cherished her above all else, but she married another. Truthfully, my dear, your father was the bane of my existence. I loathed him so much that when he died prior to your birth, I felt guilty."

"You caused not his death."

"Although it seemed so at the time," Lord Hanbridge grabbed his wine glass and took a humble sip. "When I had my son and she had you, history appeared to repeat itself, but I hoped my son should have a happy ending."

Diana narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying?"

"Do you not have eyes, young lady?"

Diana groaned, frustrated. "Why does everyone keep saying that? Andrew does not fancy me that way—"

"You might have turned him down, unaware."

Diana opted to clench her jaw tight.

"All I'm saying is..." His voice trailed off. "T-this is my karma. If I hadn't wished for your father to die—"

"With all due respects, my lord, I never knew my father so I am quite detached."

"Stone cold," Lord Hanbridge murmured. "I remember my son telling me you were impossibly stone cold with men."

The smug smile on her face morphed into something different, a notch below a glare.

He caught Diana's glare and sputtered. "I... don't blame you at all for his apparent suicide. He took the coward's way out and I am ashamed I never was a good father to him."

"Because you wanted to make up for some failure on your own, put pressure on him and project your own ambitions on him? Oh, believe me, my mother did that to me as well, but I never hated her. Even when she died and left every responsibility to me, I never antagonized her. I held onto her memory with such a high regard. And most certainly, Andrew didn't kill himself from depression, he was killed!"

"You have a way to try comforting me, young lady." He decided to throw away all his humility and downed his wine. The Hanbridge Butler poured him another one while he asked. "But what's the difference if my son was killed instead? It is still karmic evidence. Sins of the father will be visited upon the child. I have a lot of bones to pick up with. You should be careful as well."

Diana tightened her jaw harder. "You are unbelievable, sir. No wonder you resort to cocaine at times."

The Minister of State regarded her, taken aback by her direct accusation. "I will have to consider that I did not just hear you say that."

"Whatever pleases you, sir," Diana refrained from smiling.

"Have you seen his body, my dear? The way his fingers hold firm, unwavering, and his grip tight on the hilt of the knife? That wasn't murder, that's a desire to end it all."

"I know that." Diana hissed. "I saw him with my own eyes."

The two merely exchanged glares. A loud slurp forced them to face reality they had momentarily forgotten that Amanda O'Neill was with them; drinking some sort of mystery drink that she had the butler fetch for her while they had a conversation.

The American let out a disgusted response upon tasting her beverage. She then proceeded to add more sugar cubes in her cup and tasted it once more. Once satisfied she made herself comfortable on her seat and said. "Don't stop at my expense. Go on."

Diana inhaled deeply; somewhat glad Amanda was with her. And despite the sheer absurdity of Lord Hanbridge's words, they left her with an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach that would stay there for the remainder of the day.

Changing her facial expression with a reluctant pleasantry, she asked. "What were you doing with Lord Fafnir last Saturday? Surely a Minister of State such as yourself would be spending his weekend wisely?"

"He and I had been able to chance upon an agreement to become philanthropists." Lord Hanbridge said. He wasn't a particularly chatty man but the influence of alcohol in his system and the death of his son loosened his tongue a little.

"Oh?" Diana noticed the way his facial features transitioned easily from a man who had not undergone an emotional distress to a man who was concerned about charities. "He didn't strike me as a particularly charitable type."

"My dear," he said, carefully, watching his words. "When a member of the manufacturing classes attempts to buy respectability, who am I to say him nay?"

Diana huffed low in her throat to stop her impending giggle in utter disbelief she saw through his lie. But she steeled herself, waiting. Retrieve more information, evidence, proof her suspicion. "Oh don't tell me. He wants to join you at the parliament and you are helping him."

"Indeed I am."

Despicable, Diana wanted to say but couldn't. She held her tongue. Never in her life had she been so certain of an educated guess. "Did you approach him?"

"Oh no, young lady, you are deeply mistaken. He invited me to his home to have that chat. He had astonished me with his outlandish but concrete plans. He gained my support."

Everyone knew that Lord Fafnir was an ordinary old man that only cared about his riches and his benefits. Paul Hanbridge might have been unpleasant at times, but the man has standards. He hated frivolous people who don't live up to their reputation and legacy. Especially Gatsby types like Fafnir and her Aunt Daryl. Always throwing large parties, always reaching for their green dot.

Diana didn't need to think twice to find out how Lord Fafnir could sway Andrew's mind.

Diana stuck to ice water, speckled with slices of bright lemon. She raised her glass with a smile, "Impressive that a man with as little education as Fafnir could concoct such an elaborate plan."

"Well, you can't assume education and intelligence go hand and hand."

"No, of course not," Diana said sweetly like almond chocolate laced with poison. "But I'm certain that medications are hard to come by sometimes. Especially if it's not recommended by a doctor."

The old man's forehead creased at the implication.

"Hey nerds," Amanda said. "Can somebody please fucking explain what's going on? I'm a little slow with British drama. Or rather yet, I hate this passive-aggressive thing going on. Can you guys be more direct?"

Diana wanted to smack Amanda for her lack of grace, as well as for rudeness of the question. Yet she remained unfretted and continued to intimidate the politician. "You better tell the truth, sir. It's of your best interest. If you insist on protecting him, you can be indicted for obstructing justice. Also, it's merely my meager suggestion, now I might be wrong of course, and it's simply my word against yours. I am merely 17, no weight in court against your authority."

"A frightening 17-year-old you are, Diana." He inhaled deeply. He seemed to age a decade when he let his walls down. "It was supposed to be medicinal but in time I needed it more and more. I couldn't let my son or anyone know it."

"So Lord Fafnir will give you a lifetime supply if you support him," Diana concluded.

"Correct, but I don't believe he killed my son." He dabbed his handkerchief on his sweaty forehead. "I can assure you Andrew knew nothing about the smuggling. Neither did Frank. So, of course, you must wonder what their connections were with Lord Fafnir's illegal side business, they had nothing to do with it."

"I believe so too." Diana tapped her fingers on the table. "I believe we are wasting our time here since your case with Lord Fafnir is a separate one. Needless to say that the police think they were murdered because they found out about Lord Fafnir's smuggling racket; and, because you—my good sir—is a user. Even if theoretically, Andrew knew about it, I am certain Lord Fafnir would not just kill his customer's son. Most especially, a loyal son such as yours would not rat out his father."

"How are you going to convince the police?"

"A signed confession would make it easier. Everything you know about Fafnir's illegal business." Diana said. "Call up your lawyer perhaps or stay quiet while the town and country gossip about you. Either way, this puts you in the clear, but not in the eyes of gossipers that might ruin your reputation. I am certain you would not get through this for it is quite damning."

"I am almost sorry to disappoint your inspector that I am not my son's killer."

"I would not take it personally. Suspicion is her stock trade as mine is detecting lies." Diana said as a servant cleared out the salad plates.

In its place, a plate of particularly juicy cut of steak flanked with golden fried onions, mashed potatoes, and leafy greens cooked in sauce slid onto the table.

"It's not bland!" Amanda gasped and almost bowed upon the sight of her sacred dish. "I would like to thank not only god but Jesus!"

Diana rolled her eyes at her and minded her own business. She scraped the plate as she sliced a cut from her steak and took a bite. The taste was good and juicy, but somehow she wanted her potatoes to be salty enough.

Amanda seemed to have noticed her behavior and ask. "Do you want me to pass you some salt?"

"I can reach for it. I am in no mood for you to attempt to throw someone over the table."

"I have an advice for you, young Cavendish." The Earl said while cutting his steak. "You should stop building walls around you. No one might find the time to climb them. It's so hard to watch a bright young girl become so adrift."

"I will keep it in mind."

After a hearty meal of the greatest delicacies and the most luscious drinks, Diana and Amanda ventured onto the front door towards the waiting car.

"You know," Amanda spoke, conversantly. "That was intense!"

"Remind me again and I will—"

"Oh god Diana, can you like chill? I'm just hella excited because the planet earth is turning slowly!" Amanda cried.

"The wheels of justice turn slowly," Diana said in a monotone.

"Have you realized you've been craving salt lately?"

"I must be experiencing mineral deficiency. Sodium has its many benefits."

"Oh really?" Amanda quirked a brow. "You can say you're stressed out and ovulating, you know? Rather than be vague and shit."

"I'm genuinely surprised you even know about that."

"I might not look like it, Diana, but I'm an educated lady too!" Amanda growled at her before intertwining her fingers behind the crane of her neck to rest her head. "So what now?"

"Inform the Detective Inspector."