Page 82 of Stormbreaker

“What were you thinking?” he asks in a furious whisper.

“Can we not?” I really don’t want to discuss this with him or anyone. No one can convince me I did the wrong thing tonight.

He shakes his head, and we continue in silence, returning to the school and turning a corner. Then we climb several flights of stairs. My knee throbs during the entire climb before we level off at a wide marbled hall.

Several mirrors hang down its length, and a domed ceiling curves overhead, painted with blue skies and white clouds.

A door stands at the end, and we approach it before Devon and Stevie stop. “Wait here,” Devon says to me, and then everyone disappears inside before they close it behind them, leaving me alone on the other side.

I don’t know what to expect. What will they do with me now?

A few students pass, tossing me curious looks as I sink onto a marble bench near the door. It’s then that I remember I have blood on my face, and I stand up again, approaching a mirror.

I’m a mess. I look around for a bathroom, but I need to be here when Devon and Stevie come for me. I think I’ve caused enough trouble for one night.

I give up and return to the bench, favoring my sore knee. My ankle feels a bit better, at least. With my elbows planted on my thighs, I drop my head in my hands and wait. Ten minutes pass, then fifteen. The itching from the storm eases as it moves off, and I sit back in relief.

Another half an hour later, and I’m getting restless.

My phone dings, so I pull it out. It’s Trinity, and she’s looking for me. I text her my location, then go back to waiting, staring at the door, my hands, and finally the floor.

“Poe!” Trinity calls from the end of the hall. She’s out of breath, her cheeks flushed, a cut marring her eyebrow. “I’ve been looking for you for hours!”

“What happened?” I ask as she drops onto the seat next to me. “You’re hurt.”

She swallows hard and shakes her head, still trying to catch her breath. “I took my third test this afternoon.”

She’s smiling, seems okay. My heart lifts with hope. “And?”

She breaks into a grin. “I passed.”

“Trin!” I shout, throwing my arms around her. “I’m so happy to hear that.”

“Thank you,” she says.

“But didn’t you have to finish two more?”

She nods. “I completed the second test a few days ago. I didn’t want to say anything until I had good news.”

“Well, that’s great. Congratulations,” I say.

“But there’s something you should know.” She pulls away, her expression serious. “I didn’t take House Fiama’s tests.”

I shake my head. “What?”

“I tested for House Aria.”

“I’m not following.”

She exhales a sigh and twists her fingers. “I thought it was hopeless,” she says. “But I got friendly with some students from Aria. They offered me a deal to pledge to their House instead.”

I shake my head again. “I’m still not following.”

“I’m becoming an Extinguisher,” she says proudly. “They’re seeking recruits and said they’d help me pass my tests if I agreed to sign up.”

“An Extinguisher?” I say, my voice hollow. “But . . . why?”

“Fiama was done with me, Poe. Devon told me I had almost no chance.” Her eyes fill with tears. “I had to do it.”