Kallie and Marcus nodded. We hadn’t dared to go to the Lair since we’d found Forevermore. We were too worried with the Warden following us around, it’d be discovered. But it was the only place I knew where Charlie could let off some steam without consequence.
“I’ll make sure nobody follows,” Kallie suggested. “Meet you there in a minute.”
Kallie changed into a wolf and took off. Marcus and I kept hold of Charlie and didn’t let him go until we were a good way into the woods.
Charlie was still fuming. He punched and kicked boulders that were in our path, and at his Earth magic, they burst into rubble. Oberi changed into a Fire unicorn and led the way until we came to the massive stone monument. The sight of it was nearly comforting, like coming home after a time spent too long away.
We walked into the Lair, which I saw with disappointment was covered with dust. We’d abandoned this place like we had everything else. The discarded Elven bow lay in the corner, and all the extra stuff we’d brought to hide lay in discarded piles.
Once we entered, the ground started shaking. Oberi stomped her hoof on the floor and tossed her head as Charlie trembled just like the earth did.
“Dude, don’t bring this place down,” Marcus said. “Chill out for a second.”
Charlie took a few long, deep breaths. “Don’t listen to her, pidge.”
My heart twisted at the old name, but I knew Charlie only said it as a show of comfort. “It doesn’t mean anything,” I said quietly. “People have accused me of worse.”
“Well, fuck them and fuck her,” Charlie said. “You’re not lying about that shit.”
“Of course I’m not, Charlie.” I’d say anything to calm him down right now. He was seconds away from causing an earthquake and sinking us down with it.
I heard a shifter morphing in the stone hallway. Kallie came into view, Alette hovering on her shoulder.
“All clear,” Kallie said. “No strange scents or followers. We’re still safe here.”
“Thank the ancestors,” I muttered. I couldn’t stand losing this place, too.
“She’s a joke,” Charlie said hatefully, clearly referring to Jaymin.
“No shit! She’s like, the worst therapist ever!” Marcus exclaimed.
“And now we’re stuck with her,” Kallie said glumly. “Great.”
“If she’s an elemental like us, where’s her Familiar? I didn’t see one,” I said.
“She has to be hiding it somewhere,” Kallie replied.
“Well, she must hate animals, because she kicked Rishi!” Marcus said. Rishi gave another yowl, and Marcus bent down to pet him.
“What do you think Rishi was smelling on her?” I asked.
Charlie paused for a moment before he said, “I don’t know, but Oberi said she smelled it too. Said it resembled a corpse.”
Oberi bobbed her head.
Kallie’s face twisted in confusion. “I couldn’t smell it. My shifter senses should’ve enabled me to.”
“She has to be under some kind of ward, then, or a spell masking it, so students don’t notice,” Marcus said.
“Why is she here? She was asking a lot of weird questions during that counseling session,” Kallie asked.
“I bet the Warden hired her to help root out anyone who’s got Elf blood,” Charlie said. “Along with figuring out what we’re up to.”
“I don’t know why she’s working for the Warden. She’s an Elementai, like us,” I said. “Wouldn’t she want to be on the Elves’ side?”
“Not if she’s racist,” Kallie piped up.
Charlie huffed. “I mean, she thinks Elves are devil people, so…”
