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"No," we said simultaneously

She leaned back in her chair

"Nathaniel didn’t kill Eleanor," I blurted out "It was Gideon DuPont He killed her to get back at Brandon for burying Cassandra He was the one who stole Eleanor’s diary and wrote all those notes in it And he took the files"

The head froenuinely surprised, though not at all disturbed--as if I had just told her an interesting fact about the os "I’ll make sure to let the professors and the Board of Monitors know"

Dante and I exchanged confused looks Why didn’t she seeers on the desk "Normally I don’t take an interest in the personal lives of my students My role at Gottfried and with the student body has always been an academic one But you two"--she waved a hand between us--"your relationship has captivated me"

"Us?" I said slowly "Why us?" I didn’t understand Beside

The head you closely, Mr Berlin, after what happened last spring And with a name like Winters, I of course wanted to keep an eye on you, too," she said, looking at me "So when I discovered that you were romantically involvedwell, that was a shock, to say the least And an interesting turn of events That’s the brilliant part about being the head you’re in control of your students, that you have to do everything yourself, and that nothing can possibly surprise you And then so like this just falls into your lap"

As if called, a cat juuid strokes, she caressed its back until it began to purr

"It was also fortunate that both of you have a knack for getting into trouble Our ether allowed ain, the headmistress brushed off the question "I wasn’t sure of it at first, but now there’s no longer even a shadow of a doubt in h all the ti to figure out what she was referring to

"What is it that you’re so interested in?" Dante asked His voice was calm, which comforted me If Dante wasn’t worried yet, then I didn’t have reason to be either

"Are you familiar with Descartes’ Seventh Meditation?"

Neither of us said anything

"A seminal work," Von Laark said, almost to herself "It was banned, you know Do you knohy?"

"Because it was about the Undead," I blurted out "And it was supposed to be kept a secret"

The header "Yes And no

"In that work, Descartes not only discussed his discovery of the Undead, but the process through which they regain their mortality, a process we have since considered a myth, because in the history of history, no Undead has ever found his rightful soul"

Beneath the folds of h mine

"It is the question of a lifetime," the headmistress went on "What would happen if an Undead finds his soul and reclaiain? Would he cheat death?"

Dante tightened his grip around an to race

"But before I continue, a few questions"

I looked at Dante, confused, but his attention was set on the headmistress