“Do you think she already knows about the book?” Ani asks. “The artifacts? Any of it?”
“No way,” I say. “I took her through the whole campus today. We talked about the names of the houses, of course, and she was curious about the legend. But her questions and reactions weren’t out of the ordinary. Certainly not the behavior of a woman keeping secrets of this magnitude.”
“And the whole time you were with her in Tres Búhos,” Baz says, “you never saw anything freaky? No spellcraft, no strange customers, no secret meetings in the back room?”
“I wasn’t spying on her, Baz,” I say. “I wasn’t with her 24/7. But the time I spent in her café, or the few times I saw her around town, no, there wasn’t anything strange or magickal going on. As far as I know, the woman hadn’t even touched magick until she was attacked by a mage possessing her friend, and we all know how that ended.”
The group falls silent, all of us pondering the seriousness of the situation. Stevie’s story is tragic, but she’s not the first witch to be targeted by dark magick in recent years. Unless we can protect the Book of Mists and Shadow and the arcane artifacts, she won’t be the last.
But how do we protect something we can’t even find?
Something most witches and mages believe is no more than a legend?
“I don’t think she knows about any of this,” Cass agrees. “Beyond the immediate threats of the attacks on the magickal community at large—something she’s only just beginning to see, thanks to her personal experience—she’s as new to our world as a child raised by wolves.”
“The attacks are a symptom,” I say. “She knows nothing of the deeper meanings of the prophecies, or her importance here.”
“So, here’s a thought.” Baz steps away from the wall, joining us at the altar again. “Which, feel free to ignore, but… Is anyone planning to, you know, clue the little bird in? Or are we just going let her stumble blindly through, hoping she doesn’t unleash hell along the way?”
“She’ll be informed if and when the need arises,” Cass says. “The less she knows, the safer she is. The safer we all are. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” Ani and I say.
Baz sighs. “Yeah, okay. I agree. But for the record, I don’t like it. Feels like we’re leading her to slaughter.”
“Nothing could be further from the truth,” Cass says.
“I’ll do what I can to guide her research,” I say. “Keep her away from anything that could endanger her or the mission, beyond the prophecies and whatever resources she needs to understand them.”
“Excellent.” Cass looks to Ansel. “Ani, I’d like you to reach out to her as well, student to student. Offer her some support, a shoulder to lean on. She could use a friend here, too.”
“I’ve got it covered,” I say. “She already knows me.”
“As a spy and traitor,” Baz points out. “No offense.”
The accusation stings, but that’s only because it’s true.
“Yes,” I say, “things were a little rocky after she found out about my involvement with the Academy, but we’ve talked it out. I think she’ll come to trust me.”
“It’s not about trust,” Cass says. “It’s about proximity. You’re a graduate student, Kirin. She’s a first-year. Aside from your work together at the library, you won’t have an opportunity to keep a close eye on her.”
“She’s a first year,” I say. “So Baz and Ani won’t be in any of her classes, either.”
“We’ll make sure they are,” Cass says. Then, to the duo in question, “You boys up for a little repeat on your core curriculum?”
“No problem,” Ani says.
Baz flashes a thumbs-up and a big, goofy grin. “Education is my middle name.”
“Dickhead is your middle name,” I grumble, but ultimately, Cass is right. This isn’t about my pointless little crush anymore—feelings that can only lead to more trouble. It’s about keeping Stevie safe. It’s about honoring our oath.
“Operation Friend Zone starts now,” Ani says with a mock salute.
“Friend Zone?” Baz looks mortally wounded. “Why rule out the possibilities before we’ve even—”
“Mr. Redgrave.” Cass levels him with a deadly glare. “Behave yourself. We can’t risk this mission on account of your insatiable appetites. Particularly where Miss Milan is concerned.”
His tone is harsher than usual, a hot, protective ire swirling in the wake of his words that makes me wonder just how close he and Stevie got on their post-prison little road trip.
