“So listen,” he says, leading me to a side door he says goes to Kirin’s office. “What are you doing tonight?”
“Right now my big plans consist of making a pot of lemon ginger hibiscus tea and reading a few dozen books.”
Ani’s brow creases as if I’ve just made a major faux pas. “Seriously? It’s only the first day.”
“I have a lot of catching up to do.”
“Plenty of time for that later. Tonight’s the annual Back to School Blood and Sorrow Soiree.”
I laugh. “Well as fun asthatsounds, it’s a school night! I’ve got class in the morning.”
“It’s tradition. Every year, the water-blessed throw a big bash to welcome everyone back and show the new recruits how it’s done. And you can’t bail. We took a vote, and it was unanimously decided that you need to come.”
“Hmm. Who’swe?”
“Me and Baz.” Ani knocks once on the door, then pushes it open. Kirin’s sitting at a massive, L-shaped oak desk scattered with books and papers and various computer monitors. “But if Kirin ever left the library, he’d vote yes, too.”
“Vote yes on what?” Kirin glances up from his keyboard, his dark hair disheveled, his glasses crooked on his nose.
Alert! Alert! Quintessential hot nerd on the premises!
A smile spreads across my face. I’ve never seen Kirin in his element before. It suits him.
“So?” Ani asks. “Is that a yes?”
“I’ll think about it,” I say.
“Awesome. I’ll bug you about it at least eight more times throughout the day.”
I laugh. “Sounds good, Ani.”
“What was that all about?” Kirin asks as Ani heads off to his next class.
“I think he asked me out.”
“He… what?” Kirin blinks rapidly, the muscles in his jaw ticking.
I was half-kidding about the date, but the force of Kirin’s emotions hits hard and fast anyway.
He’s jealous. And a little bit pissed.
“Just a party,” I say. “I’m probably not going anyway. I’ve got so much work to do.”
“Well… Good. I mean, not that you shouldn’t have fun, but… Well… Okay, then!” He hops up from behind the desk and gestures toward a second door on the interior side of the room. “This way to the library.”
There’s a stained-glass window at the top of the door, and through it, I can just make out a few pillars and bookshelves. My heart flutters, knowing that what lies beyond that door is so much more than a collection of magickal books and manuscripts.
Beyond that door lies my mother’s life’s work—as much as she was able to accomplish before she left the Academy.
Beyond that door lies the reason I’m here.
And if Dr. Devane, Anna Trello, and whoever else is involved in this is right, beyond that door lies the key to stopping unspeakable horrors against the magickal community…IfI can crack the code.
I look up into Kirin’s pale green eyes, my hands trembling as I reach for the doorknob. “Now or never, right?”
Twenty-Five
STEVIE
