Page 168 of A University of Betrayal

I’m increasingly worried about his health, because this stuff is not harmless. Sometimes it seems to make him numb.

Anyway, I shared my thoughts on the species with him, and he started philosophizing about how best to combine the powers of all of us. But he told me that it is not in our nature to understand each other, due to the rules of genetics alone. I had to think long and hard about the genetic rules. But what made me think even more were his last words.

“That can certainly be changed, Alice.”

Then he got up and disappeared into the main building.

Alaister sometimes speaks in riddles. By the way, he really is a biochemistry student now. And I’m sure he knows more about the genetics of species than I do. However, perhaps someone else in particular would know more than both of us...

Beloved Mum,

Diana was more open to the subject than I would have expected. She is – how shall I phrase it – a budding molecular biologist. And I think I’ve awakened a forbidden interest in her. That’s how it feels for me, too. As if I wasn’t allowed to talk about it at all, like in Moenia.

Diana had asked me where my sudden interest in such a dangerous topic had come from, and I had told her about the young, charming Copeland man. She had immediately told me to stay away from him to avoid possible confrontation, especially since I was the Domini’s daughter.

I told her to relax, and that the young man is nice, but she’s worried about me. She even said she wanted to keep an eye on me, but I think she’s overdoing it.

An hour ago, I started writing down all my questions on the topic. I think I’ll do some research, maybe there are some old town stories about our origins in the university library, hidden between all the literature for humans.

I haven’t dared to go to Moenia until today, but next Sunday is a rite of passage. My little sister’s rite of passage. I will have to come. I don’t want to lose contact with Margot, especially not now that you’re so unwell. I don’t think she has anyone, and Amara is very involved in Moenia’s temple studies. I hardly ever see her on campus.

I think I’ll seek her out tomorrow, maybe even share my latest thoughts with her. But I won’t tell her about the director’s son. She’d kill me.

Numb3rs

Jay Varton

“So much foryour mother’s diary,”Larissa said, drawing quotation marks in the air.

I turned red.

A few seconds ago, I had read Julian, Larissa, and Julie the diary entries of a complete stranger. A sister of Margot and Amara...

Alice Blair.

“Don’t worry about it. All the better if it doesn’t belong to anyone we know.”

What did Larissa mean byall the better?It wasn’t justanyone.It was...

I looked at Julie.

“ABlair?”

Julie stared at me, confused.

“None of this makes any sense,” she whispered absent-mindedly.

“I thought there were only two Blair siblings...” Julian sounded as confused as Julie looked, and she just nodded, lost in thought, before continuing. “There is no Alice... at least none that I know of. I’ve never met her.”

“Then the love letter wasn’t addressed to your mother, but toher...”Julian continued in thought.

“Professor Copeland wrote a love letter to a Blair who disappeared,” Larissa summarized.

“What the hell?”

I widened my eyes.

Grace was standing in the doorway, looking at us like we had done somethingveryforbidden, and she was our mother about to kick our asses.

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