She drifts, so she’s lying in mid-air instead of using the chair like a normal person. Even though she has her real body now, she seems more comfortable as a ghost most of the time, especially when she’s reading.
“Well, isn’t this cosy?” the Carlton prick says, busting in uninvited as usual.
“Did you know—actually, don’t answer that.” Lambert drops his head into his hands. “I’ve got a game to play.”
“You want me to come?” I offer, already putting my beer down.
He just waves me away, glancing at Leo’s empty chair with a grimace. “Nah, dude, I’ll be fine. Magiball will clear my head.”
Ordinarily, I’d take him at his word, but right now, something is off in his smile. Before I can push, he’s out the door, jacket abandoned on the sofa.
The beams above sag slightly as the jacket floats over toKyrith, landing around her shoulders as best as it can while she’s a ghost.
“Was it something I said?” Pierce slips into a chair at the island, too close to Kyrith for comfort.
She doesn’t even look up at him. The stiffening of her shoulders is the only indication that she’s even noticed the knobhead staring at her.
Fuck. There’s some tension there.
“While you’re here,” she says. “And we’re on the topic of Leo’s ensorcellment, I need four of you to help me break it. Dakari has already agreed.” She offers him a grateful smile.
“I’ll help,” Jasper volunteers. “I’ve always thought the curse was awful.”
“Good. Pierce?”
“Me?”
“You were so quick to claim you’d already mastered all the magic the university has to teach you.” Her cool gaze finally lifts from her papers, pinning him in place. “I assume that means advanced nullification spells are part of your repertoire?”
“Naturally. But you still need another?—”
“I’ve invited your grandfather to assist as well,” Kyrith adds. “Benjamin recognises the tactical importance of not handing Mathias the loyalty of House Ó Rinn.”
Pierce is forced to dip his chin and concede her point there. “If my grandfather approves, I’m in.”
“Good. We need Leo to return to the Arcanaeum as swiftly as possible.”
“He left?” I blurt.
Her body drifts a little lower. “We quarrelled. Hopefully, once I’ve cracked this next layer, he’ll return. It’s risky to have any of you outside of the Arcanaeum at the moment. There has been a discovery you should all be made aware of.”
“A discovery?” That doesn’t sound good.
“When you cracked me, and the Library used your power to break the time loop, a connection was formed between each of you and the Arcanaeum. I discovered it while searching for my grimoire. With Mathias’s knowledge of the Library, and an open magical pathway…”
“He could get in?” Eddy sits up straighter, completely ignoring the magiball match starting on the screen as she pins Kyrith with a laser-beam stare.
I didn’t want my sister to have to worry about this shit. She was supposed to be safe here.
“It would be like handing him a backdoor key. He might be able to use it to influence the building or reverse his banishment for long enough to search out the dagger. You should all be especially cautious if you leave. In fact, I would recommend North and Jasper not leave at all.”
Great. I know it’s because I’m all that stands in the way of the stupid asshole becoming parriarch. Still, I’m so fed up with these stupid wizards messing with my life. If I die, it fucks everything up, so I’m a prisoner here while they sort their shit out. Even after that, I’m stuck playing parriarch until someone else comes along with more power.
I never knew what I wanted to do with my life, but this wasn’t it.
“What? But we were going out for birthday gifts!” Eddy complains. “Jasper’s is next, and I had this great idea for blue bunting and?—”
“My birthday’s not until March!” Jasper interrupts.
