Chapter 174: No Medicine to Buy

Chapter 174: Chapter 174: No Medicine to Buy

Chapter 174: No Medicine to Buy

Vera Sable met Cyrus Calder’s cold stare with a soft laugh.

Rather than looking even slightly bothered, she seemed almost pleased by the change in his expression.

"That look is surprisingly attractive on you."

Her smile deepened.

"So, do you want my help or not?"

Cyrus studied her face.

She still wore the same lazy, amused expression she used whenever she knew more than everyone else in the room.

His voice remained flat.

"Was this your doing?"

Vera immediately raised both hands with exaggerated innocence.

"Of course it wasn’t me."

That answer was enough.

Cyrus did not have proof, but he no longer needed much imagination.

Vera had failed to get what she wanted from him in the nurse’s office, and not long afterward the dean of students suddenly appeared in his classroom with detailed knowledge about his job at The Full Moon Lounge.

Maybe she had not personally reported him.

Maybe she had only nudged the information toward the right person.

Either way, the timing was too convenient.

So this was how Vera reacted when a negotiation did not go her way.

If she could not get a taste of his blood, she simply flipped the table over.

It felt childish.

More importantly, Cyrus realized he had been too optimistic.

He had assumed the unspoken rules between them would continue because both sides benefited from keeping things manageable.

He avoided exposing her secrets.

She avoided interfering too heavily with his life.

When Vera wanted blood, she pushed until Cyrus decided whether the trouble was worth it.

When Cyrus refused, he had assumed that would be the end of that particular negotiation.

Apparently Vera followed rules only when she happened to feel like following them.

Cyrus looked at her once more.

Then he turned away without answering her offer.

Vera watched him leave.

Her brows lifted faintly.

She did not call after him.

Instead, once Cyrus disappeared down the hallway, Vera took out her phone and dialed a number.

By the time Cyrus returned to senior advisory three, fourth period had already started.

He stopped at the doorway.

"Sorry I’m late."

The teacher acknowledged him with a nod.

Cyrus walked back to his seat under the attention of half the class and sat down as though nothing had happened.

Owen Keats, sitting nearby, opened his mouth as if he wanted to ask a question.

Then he looked toward the teacher and thought better of it.

Cyrus noticed but did the same.

Whatever happened with the dean could wait until class ended.

For the next forty-five minutes, he focused on the lesson.

When the lunch bell finally rang, the room immediately filled with conversation.

Owen turned toward him before Cyrus could even close his notebook.

"What did the dean want with you?"

"He said I violated school rules."

Owen’s expression changed instantly.

"What kind of rule?"

His eyes widened before Cyrus even answered.

"You mean the lounge?"

Cyrus gave a small nod.

Owen looked suddenly uncomfortable.

"I didn’t tell anyone."

"I know you didn’t."

Cyrus’s voice carried no suspicion.

Owen relaxed slightly, though he still looked bothered.

"If this becomes a problem, tell me. If there’s anything I can do, I’ll help."

Cyrus gave him a small nod.

"I can handle it, but thank you."

Owen accepted that and eventually left for lunch with the other students.

The classroom emptied in waves.

For once, Faye Larkin remained in her seat.

She sat quietly in front of Cyrus, apparently thinking about something of her own.

Cyrus looked out the window.

His mood was less calm than his face suggested.

If he were being completely honest, he did not want to lose either school or his job.

St. Alder gave him structure, knowledge, classmates, and something close to an ordinary future.

The Full Moon Lounge gave him money, independence, and another place in Grayhaven that felt like his own.

Either one by itself would eventually become dull.

Together, they made his life feel full.

According to the dean, however, Cyrus was expected to choose.

School or work.

Cyrus immediately removed one possible solution from consideration.

He was not asking Vera for help.

He had other options.

And from this point forward, the school nurse could forget about getting even one more drop of his blood.

That decision improved his mood slightly.

Cyrus ate the lunch Daphne had packed for him.

When he stood afterward, Faye glanced back.

For a moment, she looked as though she wanted to say something.

Cyrus did not notice in time.

He was already heading toward the door.

Faye watched him leave.

She could tell something was bothering him.

She simply did not know whether asking would help or make things harder.

A quiet sigh escaped her after he disappeared.

Up on the fourth floor, Cyrus tried to put the problem aside.

He and Audra Sloane settled into their usual empty classroom and opened their books.

For a while, he actually managed to focus.

Audra explained one problem, then another.

Cyrus worked through the next question himself.

Eventually, however, Audra stopped reading.

She looked straight at him.

"Why did the dean come looking for you earlier?"

Cyrus’s pencil paused.

He had just started working through a solution and did not especially enjoy losing the train of thought.

Still, he answered.

"He found out I work outside school."

Audra’s brows pulled together.

Cyrus continued before she could ask.

"He says the lounge violates school rules and that I should stop working so I can focus on my grades."

Her expression sharpened.

"That doesn’t make sense."

Cyrus looked up.

Audra’s frustration was obvious now.

"You haven’t neglected your classes. Your grades have been improving."

She set down her pen.

"I can go explain that to him."

Cyrus was mildly surprised by how quickly she offered.

"Thank you, Audra."

His gratitude sounded more sincere than usual.

Audra absolutely could help.

More than she realized.

The glamourkin ring in her possession was one of the strongest pieces Cyrus had available if a situation ever became serious enough.

But using something that powerful on the dean of students would be ridiculous.

It would be like using his best emergency weapon to solve a paperwork problem.

Cyrus already had other ideas.

Audra interpreted his refusal differently.

He did not want to involve her.

He was still trying to deal with everything himself.

The thought made her chest feel tight.

If only she had a position where standing beside him was natural.

A relationship nobody would question.

Then she would not have to wait for permission every time Cyrus ran into trouble.

Audra’s fingers shifted against the edge of her book.

For a brief moment, she imagined leaning across the table and wrapping her arms around him.

She could tell him she was on his side.

That she would support him.

That he did not need to handle everything alone.

The image vanished almost immediately.

Their relationship was not there yet.

If she moved too suddenly and Cyrus pulled away, the embarrassment alone might kill her.

Audra preferred certainty.

If she could not be nearly sure of success, she would rather wait.

Still, another thought lingered.

She wanted Cyrus to make his feelings clearer.

Just a little more obvious.

Enough that she would know she was not imagining everything.

The afternoon passed quickly.

When the final bell rang, Cyrus did something unusual.

He packed his things immediately and stood.

Owen noticed immediately.

"You’re leaving already?"

Cyrus was normally one of the last students out of the room.

"I have something to take care of."

Owen gave a quick nod.

"Then go handle it. But seriously, if I can help with the dean situation, don’t be weird about asking."

A faint smile appeared in Cyrus’s eyes.

"I’ll remember what you said."

Owen had already offered twice.

Cyrus appreciated that more than he expected.

Being able to rely on someone without first calculating what they wanted in return felt surprisingly good.

He left St. Alder and caught a bus toward Grayhaven General Hospital.

If Vera’s supply of suppressants had mysteriously disappeared, Cyrus could simply return to the hospital where he used to buy them.

The price would be higher.

That was fine.

Money was exactly what work was for.

Unfortunately, the result was not what he expected.

Cyrus left Grayhaven General empty-handed.

For several seconds, he stood outside the hospital entrance with a blank expression.

Anyone passing by might have assumed the young man had just received terrible medical news.

In reality, he had been told something much stranger.

They were out of his Frostborn suppressants.

The next shipment might not arrive for a week.

Cyrus pulled out his phone.

One hospital running out could happen.

That did not mean every source in Grayhaven had the same problem.

He searched nearby hospitals.

Then he searched pharmacies.

After that, he tried specialty clinics.

He called one place after another.

The answers were almost identical.

Every location was out of stock.

Restocking had been delayed.

The earliest reliable estimate was several days, and some places said a full week.

Cyrus stared at his phone.

He had enough medicine left for maybe half a day.

After that, staying outside for long periods would become increasingly difficult.

His biology would start causing trouble again.

A week without suppressants could effectively trap him at home.

That was not acceptable.

His first thought was Vera.

The timing was becoming suspicious enough to feel deliberate.

Cyrus’s expression cooled.

Then he remembered online pharmacies.

He opened one shopping platform, searched the medication, and finally found a listing that showed available stock.

Relief arrived immediately.

The price was noticeably higher than what he normally paid.

Cyrus barely cared.

At least the medicine existed.

He placed the order.

Then he noticed the delivery estimate.

The estimate was two days.

Cyrus stared at the screen.

Two days without enough suppressants was still a problem, but it was much better than a week.

He could probably manage.

He would simply need to limit how much he went outside and avoid situations that might aggravate his Frostborn reactions.

The plan was inconvenient, not impossible.

By the time Cyrus finished calling hospitals and placing the online order, he was already running late for his shift.

He checked the time and sighed.

There was no point taking the bus now.

He called a rideshare instead.

As the car pulled away from the hospital, Cyrus leaned back against the seat and looked out at the passing streets.

He had solved the medication problem, at least temporarily.

Now he still had the dean of students to deal with.

That problem was waiting for him next.