“I—I was trying to fix it.” My voice comes out hoarse. “Ididn’t mean to—” I step back, eyes falling to the lake as a cold unease slithers across my skin.
The water at my ankles fizzes, static and strange. A pulse throbs against my hand. I glance down. My ring is glowing, faint but unnaturally bright in the afternoon light.
Then—
A whisper. Not a sound exactly, but something in my mind. A name—not mine. Something older, worn, and wild that echoes in my blood.
And then it’s gone. Swallowed by the wind.
My breath catches.
The ripple is still echoing. Not only from whatever I did, but from… something else.
“You didn’t just stir the lake, Celeste,” Amelia whispers. “You called it.” She’s looking at me with guarded, curious eyes. Her gaze flicks to the water. Then back to me.
I stand frozen, hands trembling as I lower them. There’s a quiet shift in the air—as if something sacred has just been disturbed.
I say nothing.
Somethingbrushed through my magick in the lake, and I can’t help but feel like now it knows my name.
And for the first time since I arrived at Whittaker?—
I start to think that maybe the danger here might actually beme.
CHAPTER 6
Attraction between two molecules is a form of alchemy. With the right conditions—heat, base, balance—reactions may arise far beyond design or intent.
—“Modern Principles of Alchemy and Potions,”Dr. S. Davenport,Journal of Applied Alchemical Sciences
Friday arrives, and it brings Magnus with it, calling all of us into the Blue Dahlia parlor for an announcement.
“It’s customary to give first-years a treat on the last day of orientation. If you haven’t heard of Whittaker’s famous hot springs, you’re in for a surprise. Bring swimwear if you have it; if not, you can wear your gym clothes. After that will be a barbecue and the Whittaker bonfire in the quad to celebrate the start of the new school year.”
He gives us ten minutes to get ready before herding us out the door, where our squad spills into a growing tide of other first-years and a handful of other orientation leaders.
We follow the others along a narrow, rocky trail that weaves up the base of the mountain curling protectively around Lake Caldrith. The stone underfoot is cool to the touch and the air grows heavier with each step. Shadows deepen as the path narrows, funneling us toward the mouth of a cave. The mountain here seems to breathe—a steady hum of wind and heat that brushes against my skin like a living pulse.
The Cavern, as it is aptly named, breathes eucalyptus and mint over us, cool and sharp, with sulfur lurking just behind its teeth. There is a dampness and a hiss to the stones from the tunnels of underground hot springs that feed the pools carved into the cave floor. The entrance hall—if you can call it that—is flanked on both sides by two giant natural pools where the water bubbles and steams, creating a curtain of haze and making my skin bead with sweat. There are two smaller pools further down, infused with what must be healing herbs and minerals—their rich and earthy scent reaching out to grab us as we pass. Gold lights shine down from the chamber walls, making the water and mist glow. It is obviously a place of rest, ritual, and retreat.
“First-years are allowed to use the first four pools. Changing rooms and showers are here and here,” says Magnus, pointing to two wooden doors on opposite ends of the first cave. “I’ll give you guys a tour of the whole place, but just know you won’t be allowed to use the private pools or showers in the last chamber until you earn it through rank.”
We follow him to another cave entrance toward the back of the main hall. The next cave is all black volcanic stone, veined with shimmers of quartz, amethyst, and feldspar. It is lit with torchlight that catches and scatters the crystals in a kaleidoscope of color.
But what is most striking is the center of the cave, where a turquoise pool sits surrounded by crumbling stone, soft moss draping it in greenery under where the cave opens to the skyabove. Pure, unfiltered sunlight shines through, making the pool almost iridescent. Tiny ferns sway along the water’s edge while purple and green orchids bloom between the stones like forgotten offerings. A faint circle of runes is carved into the ground below, the primordial symbols glinting softly in the light.
The beauty of the scene before me takes my breath away. And yet… I feel like I’ve been here before.
“Fresh water from rain and gods know what else this cave system creates; it’s been here for hundreds of years, if not longer,” Magnus says. “You can occasionally find fish and other creatures living in it, though we’ve no idea how they end up here.”
My fingertips prickle with the knowledge of something buried and ancient as the water in the pool seems to sway in response. Or is that just a trick of the light? I smooth my hands against my leggings to try to still the sensation that’s now reached my arms—it feels as if ice water is threading through my veins, so cold it almost burns. I look around at the others, but no one else seems to be as affected by the water as I am.Strange.I turn back toward the entrance and the sensation stops.
Beyond the pool, the Cavern splits into two, with the chamber on the left showing a dramatic vaulted ceiling. Deep-red and purple stalagmites and stalactites reach toward each other in a mineral prayer. The chamber on the right hovers with curls of steam that beckon toward us as if to draw us in.
“We call this the Crystal Cavern,” Magnus says, gesturing to the cave we are standing in. “The cave on the back left is known as the Amaranth—used for meditation or quiet work. To the right are the private pools and rooms for officers only.”
A suspended wooden walkway with spaced-out planks—perfectly aligned to make the ground even—leads the way to the private pools. A boom of laughter echoes from the chamber within as a group of officers emerge at the entrance.
