"And where is her mother?" the woman pressed, her quill hovering over a piece of parchment.
The responses came in a synchronized, disastrous overlap.
"She doesn't have a mother," Zaliyah stated coldly.
"He is in the Human Realm" Sylaris announced proudly at the exact same time.
The silence that followed was absolute. Zaliyah's heart stopped. He snapped his gaze down, giving his daughter a stern, terrifying look that carried the silent, roaring command: Not another word. Keep your mouth shut.
Sylaris clamped her mouth shut, recognizing the danger in her father's eyes, She buried her face back into his furs.
The headmistress let out a long, slow sigh, while the young teacher in the corner offered a small, nervous smile, trying to ease the sudden, suffocating tension.
"I presume," the headmistress continued, leaning forward over her desk, "that you rushed here because of the perimeter alarms regarding the snow monsters?"
Zaliyah managed a nod. "Yes."
