Sometime after year 30 of the school but before year 45.

“If anyone should know, Luca…”

This was by a long stretch not the conversation that Reid wanted to be having right now. It wasn’t a conversation he wanted to be having ever.

But it was the conversation he was having.

Mostly, he was trying to have a conversation, and Luca was growling at him.

“If it was Caitlin…”

“If it was Caitlin, I would wish you the best of luck and possibly offer you some armour. My daughter is a tough nut to crack, Luca, and with her twin in tow, you would need all of your Mara endurance to survive. But it’s not my daughter we’re talking about. Nor is it yours.”

“My daughter isn’t old enough.”

“I think we both know that’s not the point, Luca. That aside… this is Mystral we are speaking of. The daughter of one of your former students.”

“And one of my former students herself.”

“As Nyx was mine.” Reid was not a snarly sort of guy, but right now he wanted to snarl back at the stubborn, rock-headed Mara.

“Nyx wasn’t the child of a student.”

“No.” It was getting harder and harder to not snap. “Perhaps I am a little bit quicker about this than you are, Luca. And, considering that your daughter almost is old enough… perhaps you should learn how to be a bit faster.”

That got a wing flap and a frustrated noise. But Reid knew he was getting through. “You. You and Mike and ‘Fina…”

“And everyone else, I’m sure. Luca. We want to see you happy, that’s all.”

“I’l talk to her.”

“Good.” Reid let out a breath. A tetchy Mara made the whole school anxious, and Luca had been tetchy for far too many years. “Good, Luke. You need it.”

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