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“Good. Look after everyone. I’m leaving you in charge.”
“Leaving?” I ask, panicked. “What do you mean?”
“I have to go.”
“Go? Go where?”
“I have to return home to speak to our council of elders.”
“Why? Because of what happened tonight?”
“Yes. Because Bhodi was attacked, and you were taken by one of our own. But also because I killed a man, and I’ll have to atone for that.”
“But it was self defence! He was attacking you. He almost killed Bhodi and he was threatening to kill me. They can’t punish you for that.”
“Maybe. But I still have to give them our side of the story.”
“Take me with you.”
“What?” The professor looks at me like I’m crazy.
“Take me with you. I’ll be your backup. Or a witness. Or whatever it’s called. I’ll corroborate your story. They’ll have to let you off if we’re both saying the same thing.”
“I can’t do that, Malia,” he sighs.
“Why not?”
“It’s not safe to take you to our world. But I really appreciate that you’d be willing to do that for me.”
“Of course I would. You saved my life. I’d do anything to repay that. But I really wish you didn’t have to go.”
“I’ll return.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. I don’t know when it will be, but I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Without thinking, I reach out and fling my arms around the professor, pulling him into a fierce hug. He tenses for a moment, and then hesitantly pats my back.
I snort. “You’re really bad at hugs.”
“Sorry. Not had much practice.”
“It’s okay. I can teach you when you come back to me. To us. Them.”
“I’m coming back to you just as much as them, Malia. And I’ll hold you to the hugging thing.”
“Okay,” I whisper, swallowing past the lump in my throat.
“Okay. This is the part where you need to let me go.”
I nod, but my arms seem to be made of stone. I can’t let him go. I don’t want to. My heart is telling me this is it, I won’t see him again, and all I can taste is my regrets.
Gentle hands prise my arms from around the professor and as he steps back, my heart breaks a little. It’s nonsensical and I can’t explain it, but the urge to cry is overwhelming. It has to be the adrenaline wearing off. Today has been a lot.
“Be safe.”
“I promise you, I’ll try my best.”
