Paige winced, as his voice finally lashed out, his tone angry, though the reply better than expected. Her stomach turned, though. He was right, the town was no place to go, and that left three options: him, an animal, or going back. She began to tremble, as his tone changed, gentling, probing. "Two students." She replied simply, not wanting to sell her friends out, if he decided to bring her home. He would probably guess, though. At least he would Duncan. Maybe Cecily, maybe not. Her arm hugged her stomach, as sh still refused to look up, fear ruling her actions. She'd not felt this powerless in so long, magic or otherwise. It felt like her insides were dirty, perverted. It had been black magic, and the feeling of it nauseated her. "Please, sir. Don't tell anybody." she pleaded, still not looking at him.<br/><br/>She didn't offer a reason not to tell, just expressed the desire for secrecy. Her greatest fear was to be caged, used and abused for her power. It was a genuine concern, she saw the way the Academy treated odd animals, those children who saw the other side, but never engaged this one. They were no better than a kennel of dogs, used when needed, discarded when their usefulness had run its course. They bread all of them. "Please..."