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Dru shook his head. “Completely impossible.”
Toland nodded, then turned to us. “Piper. Jayce. Kingston. Kai. I’m afraid that I cannot possibly allow you to delay your exams, nor can I allow you to participate in the campaign on earth.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “You’ll just have to do the best you can. We’ll give you all the help that we are legally able to give you.”
The guys all looked at me with varying degrees of alarm, but I didn’t shout. I didn’t say a word. A chilling calm swept over my body and my anxious hands stilled. I nodded, a quick dip of my chin.
“I understand.”
The headmaster drew in a deep breath, looking relieved, but I could feel three sets of eyes practically burning holes in my skin as my bond mates stared at me in confusion.
“Then I suggest you go study,” Toland said. “Exams will take place on Monday.” He turned to Dru. “That is, if the committee will allow a four-day delay for all students due to extenuating circumstances?”
Dru flashed a brief, cursory smile and nodded. “The rulebook states that exams must take place within a week of the semester ending. Monday falls within that margin, I believe.”
Toland nodded. “Just barely. Very well. You four are dismissed. Please study hard. I know it’s impossible to learn months of material in four days, but—just do your best.”
“We always do,” Jayce assured him.
We left quietly, closing the door behind us. Dru and Toland clearly had more to talk about. I assumed Shen was still in there because the wards would need to be reset. All of the staff was busy putting things right, and we were all expected to fall back in line like nothing had ever happened. As if we hadn’t just spent a year in the underworld.
“Why aren’t you pissed?” Jayce asked. He sounded truly angry for the first time since I’d known him. “We have to take the tests completely unprepared, the consequences for failing haven’t changed, and they aren’t taking our hands-on experience into account at all. I thought you would lose it in there.”
“They’re expecting us to pass a test on material we haven’t even learned,” Kingston added. “Doesn’t that upset you?”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter what they’re expecting, because I’m not taking the test.”
Kai laughed. “You can’t just opt out. Trust me, I tried.”
“What do you mean, you aren’t taking the test, Pipes?” Jayce’s voice was quiet.
Glancing up at him, I slipped my hand into his, soaking up as much courage and power as I could from the connection that sparked between us.
I’m gonna need it.
“I’m not taking the test because I won’t fucking be here for it.” My gaze scanned the three men gathered in a tight knot around me. “I’m going back to the underworld. Xero’s alive. I can feel it. And I’m going to go get him.”
To Be Continued…
