Like almost everyone here, her heart rate was steady. Julia was the exception, leading her to suspect the younger acolytes were elsewhere within The Tower.

“We can accommodate your request,” Walter said. “We had our guest quarters readied.” 

“Readied?” Julia confirmed.

“They are prepared every day,” Clara answered to help diffuse the situation. “Sheets washed, the rooms cleaned and dusted.”

Since hunters never knew when someone might return to The Tower, a wing of guest accommodations were always kept ready.

“Precisely,” Walter replied. “Agnes—(will you please escort them?)

“I know the way,” Clara said. “I spent more than my fair share of time preparing the rooms.”A statement that confirmed Clara was once a troublemaker. Walter smiled, while Adam remained oblivious. I’m not the only one that got into trouble while here.

“I never caught your name,” Clara said to the man who led the defence.

By then the applause had died down enough to start a dialogue. One she hoped would yield answers.

“Walter,” the man said after a slight pause.

“Pleasure,” Clara said.

“How did you find your way here?” Adam asked.

Walter’s eyes locked onto the acolyte. Adam sucked in air through his teeth before blowing away a stray lock of hair on his forehead.

“The Terminus,” Clara said to keep things vague for now. “It’s been a long road getting here.”

“I apologise for—(his outburst.)” Walter said.

Clara smirked before replying, “It takes a lot more than that to bother me. Besides, I’m chomping at the bit to find a way out too.”

That appeared to soothe both their minds. Still, Clara had no desire to be holed up here for much longer… interrogation in the form of small talk.

“They were expecting you to attack?” Julia whispered.

Julia was correct, this group was here to delay her. The next step would have been to blow The Tower and entomb her under tonnes of stone and debris. If it worked for Dorothy, it might work on me.

The werewolf chose not to add anything to her earlier statement, which was wise. The walls had ears and Clara was effectively a curiosity to staff and students alike. Some would like nothing better than to dissect me to prove angels don’t exist.

“I never caught your name,” Clara said to the man who led the defence.

By then the applause had died down enough to start a dialogue. One she hoped would yield answers.

“For my sacrifice I was permitted to join the ranks of Heaven’s soldiers and did so dutifully for ninety years.”

It dawned on her that this situation might have hinged on her being the attacker. Hunters were known to fight to the last. At least for my generation.

“I was sent back to Earth and remain to this day,” Clara said while making no mention as to why. “Today, I came home.”

There came another pause, long enough that it became awkward. However, in the background, hidden from sight there came a clap. It was soon joined by others until it built up to a thunderous applause.

“I thrive in the light,” Clara said. “I hunt things that go bump in the night.”

No matter how much she slowed her progress, these delays meant this gap would soon close. Instead of fighting it any longer, Clara stopped ten paces away from the men. Took a stiff bow and looked up at them with a smirk on her face.

“I am Clara Grey,” she began. “Hunter, flapper, and the one who sacrificed her life to end Drusilla’s reign of terror.”

Clara opted for a dramatic pause, which gave her time to confirm she had their undivided attention. The lead hunter’s heart rate dipped a bit, as did several of the others. The Reverend Mother would have our hides for such a poor demonstration of control.

“See these?” Clara asked. “What creature has wings?”

There came another pause which meant Clara was closing the space between them too fast. To give them a chance to adjust to her presence, she slowed down.

“Harpy?”

In the background Julia chuckled, but Clara maintained a razor sharp focus. This man must have been briefed, which meant he was playing with her. They are sussing out other potential reasons for my existence.

“A creature that is more bird than woman, renowned for being unbelievably ugly? You might want to get your eyes checked.”

The men facing her gulped, and she was pretty sure that several women in the audience snickered. That might play in my favour.

Even Julia had her hands up by this point. Their opponent was not about to take any chances. With good reason, since Clara handily disarmed the smaller group. I’d do the same here, but they will have a fallback.

There were a few reasons to worry for Julia. No matter the form, Werewolves were creatures of strength and dexterity, not speed. Those ballistas pack one hell of a punch.

That meant the angel needed to bluff, play her hand and hope they decided to stand down. However, that assumed a rational mind, which was the antithesis of zealotry. It might have taken her a century to realise it, but Evelyn did help her to understand that she was in fact a martyr. One who was taught that angels, ghosts, and old gods did not exist.

The man hesitated. Everyone of his heartbeats resounded in her mind, as though some machine was pounding steel rods into the ground.

“Uh,” the man said, denoting a rather inauspicious start. “What?”

“Halt!” A man ordered.

At the hunter’s side there was Adam and surprisingly Silky.

Being this far out of sync with time meant that single word played out longer than any opera singer could ever hope to hold. To avoid giving away her hand, Clara had to avoid showing signs of irritation. It’ll make me look like a vampire.

While they no longer suspected that she was one of them, they were sure to react if she blurred like one. So, Clara played her part and took a long pause before responding in her own operatic voice.

“Or what?” Clara asked while moving forward.