I shake my head. “If they do, the runeform will reappear, permanently and painfully, on the face of the one who does.”
It marks them as oath breakers and delivers random debilitating doses of pain for the rest of their lives.
Eddy raises a brow, looking at her brother. “I give it a week.”
“We can control ourselves,” he retorts. “Now, can we get on with this shit?”
Leo is already back at work, unrolling a star chart that’s almost as old as I am. I’m caught between going to him and the others. There are so many of them now, and only one of me. I sigh.
“Jasper, sit next to Eddy. You can help each other with catching up. Lambert, North?—”
“Nullification!” Lambert crows. “Also known as; the school that forgot the best defence is a good offence…”
“How very American,” Pierce drawls, taking a seat. “You can’t seriously need help with foundation-level magic?”
“What, did you think we were here learning some super-secret ancient spells from the Librarian?” Lambert asks. “Sorry to disappoint, asshole, but the boss really is just helping us with our homework.”
Pierce’s face betrays nothing of his thoughts, until a book plops onto the desk in front of him, and he scowls. Lambert leans over, reads the title of the brightly illustrated volume, and then bursts out laughing.
“Good manners for young arcanists? Wow. How does it feel to get roasted by the Arcanaeum?”
“Back onto the subject of work—” I try, sucking at my lower lip to avoid betraying my amusement.
“You two might need tutoring,” Pierce admits grudgingly. “But there’s no way Ó Rinn and Talcott do.”
Leo lifts his eyes from his star charts. “I’m just here to use the Library’s resources.”
Lambert nods. “And Dakari usually only joins us for magiball night now that your mother has called off her dogs and set Anthea on him instead.”
“Magiball night?” Pierce chokes out. “You’re all just using the Arcanaeum like?—”
“You really thought Kyrith was teaching us all dangerous magic, didn’t you?” North snorts. “You stole the pendant that let us watch the game, probably assuming it was part of some great plot, and now you’ve accidentally bargained your way into remedial magic lessons for dummies.”
“My mistake,” Pierce grates. “I should’ve known better than to assume malice from half-wits when ignorance was the simpler explanation.”
“This arguing is counterproductive,” I grumble. “Whatever Pierce’s reasons, he’s here now and can study like the rest of you. Now, open your books and let’s get on with it. If you can get ahead with this term’s required learning, I might be able to help you with your destruction magic…”
Lambert frowns. “But the rules say no fire in the Arcanaeum.”
“Indeed. So, fortunately for you, the Arcanaeum and I have spent the afternoon adding a Solarium to the eastern garden where that rule does not apply.”
It’s still fairly bare-bones right now, but the stained-glass walls are in place. So is the matching ceiling, which boasts three colourful cupolas. It’s also enchanted to within an inch of its life, using every fireproofing spell I can summon along with several others for sturdiness and soundproofing.
“Can we see?” Lambert asks, already halfout of his seat, despite being sandwiched into the booth by Pierce and Eddy. “I bet it’s awesome.”
“It’s not ready,” I protest. “Later, perhaps, if you make progress with simple shielding and banishing spells.”
But if they keep arguing like this, I doubt we’ll make it that far. The covenant they just swore is starting to feel less like a deterrent and more like an inevitability.
Twelve
Jasper
“Have you tried telling her you like her?” Hazel says from her spot onmybed, inmyroom, which she hasn’t left since I returned from class an hour ago. “Girls love when guys make the first move. I’ve been waiting for Rory in my class to ask me out for weeks, but he’s too chicken.”
My sister might barely remember me, but over the holidays, she’s made herself at home in my space. I enjoy her company most of the time, but I’m not about to take dating advice from a thirteen-year-old, especially when it concerns a woman five hundred years her senior.
It’s been a week since Kyrith let us back into the Arcanaeum. In the three study sessions we’ve had since then, I’ve kept to myself, inundated with the coursework I have to do to catch up.
