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"They should go back to the sea where they belong," Feathertop grumbles.
"Sirens," I whisper.
"What?" Thomas' question is so quiet, I almost miss it.
I tap my wrist, trying to convey that I'll tell him once they've left. The gears are already turning in my head, especially after the book Caspian showed me.
"I think she's half-witch, she'd probably drown," Agatha says.
"Are you with me or against me?" Feathertop snaps.
Agatha sighs. "On this? Neither. The girl isn't causing any trouble from what I can see. Unless you think she's the one responsible for what's happening to Miss Black."
Wait, are they talking about Ivy? They can't be, surely? She's just a witch. I've seen her do magic. And Caspian would have mentioned if she's part siren, wouldn't he?
But then, I suppose he kind of has. He set up the book on sirens for me to read. And she does have that way of walking that draws all attention to her. It's safe to say that next time I see her, I'll be paying more attention.
"I don't know what's going on with Miss Black. But if this is still going on by the end of the year, I think we'll need to call her parents. She's not going to pass first year and there's no point in her staying at Grimalkin."
I close my eyes, chasing the tears away. I'm going to fix this. I'll prove to everyone that I deserve my place at Grimalkin. No matter what this stupid black magic spell actually includes, I'm going to go through with it and fix all the problems I've been having. No way will I be the girl who fails out of school. I know my parents will never outright say it, but they'll be disappointed.
"Is there anything we can do to help her?" Agatha says.
"No. She needs to work it out, though she'd be fascinating to study," Feathertop muses. "It's a shame I can't ask her about that without sounding creepy."
I let out a soft whimper. Hating knowing teachers are talking about me like this. Am I often a source of conversation in the staffroom? I hope not, but judging on this, I might be.
"We should get what we came from and get out of here," Agatha says. "This place gives me the creeps."
Her footsteps thud along the ground, heading away from us, probably to the bookshelf at the far end of the room.
At least they didn't come here to have a weird conversation about me. That's something.
"I don't know why. It's nothing more than an old bolt hole some warlocks built in the seventeenth century," Feathertop snaps.
"The book isn't here." There's a panicked note in Agatha's voice.
One that's shared in the look Thomas gives me. There's only two books we know about that have been removed from this room, and neither of them are good news.
"What do you mean not there?"
My curiosity gets the better of me, and I peek through the gap in the curtain. Even though there's more at stake now than before, I still feel like I need to know what's happening.
"Just that," Agatha responds. She looks vaguely familiar. Maybe like the supply teacher who gave Daphne detention? It's been a while since she tried to get us to fix spoiled food. It's hard to tell from this distance, though. The library may not be huge, but it's certainly far enough for there to be no making out individual features.
"That can't be right. This is where I left it." Feathertop pushes her out of the way, and looks through the books herself.
I try to crane forward, but overbalance and start to slip. A small squeak escapes from me, even as Thomas catches me.
The two women stiffen and look around the room.
"I think we're better coming back a different time." Agatha's voice shakes.
I half expect Feathertop to disagree and force her to stay. But she nods, and the two women almost run from the room.
Thomas and I stay silent for what feels like hours, but is probably no more than minutes, neither of us wanting to risk the teachers coming back and finding us.
Eventually, it becomes too much for me and a laugh bubbles up and spills out of me. My reaction confuses Thomas for a moment, but then he's there chuckling away with me.
