"I do, only because they mentioned jewelry," she said. "I'm a sucker for a nice piece of jewelry. That explains half my boyfriends."
I resisted the urge to laugh at the image of the curler-clad werefox in the robe and slippers being inundated with jewels by amorous suitors.
“What kind of jewelry?” Gray asked.
“A ring,” she said. “Sounded like it belongs to someone called Panas.”
Panas? Why did that sound familiar? “Thank you very much, ma’am,” I said.
The werefox ogled Gray. “Anytime, dear. Be sure to come back if you have any questions.”
Once in the elevator, I turned to Gray. “Where have I heard the name Panas?”
“Agatha mentioned it when we asked about the sword,” he said. “I’ve been trying to come up with a connection.”
“They’re both valuable, presumably,” I said. “Isn’t that enough of a connection?”
He raked a hand through his blond hair. “Not in my experience.”
As much as I hated to do it, I knew I needed to let Gray go now. He’d already gone above and beyond his favor to Robin.
“I appreciate all your help,” I said.
His brow lifted. “Why does that sound like a dismissal?”
“Because it is. I can’t let you keep following up leads with me. It isn’t fair to you.”
“And any of this is fair to you?” he asked, with slightly more heat than I would’ve expected.
Although the elevator doors opened, we remained inside, still talking.
“Of course it isn’t,” I replied. “But you don’t even know me. There’s no good reason for you to help.”
He stared at me for a beat too long. Those piercing eyes seemed to see right through me. “If you change your mind, you know where to find me.”
Gray strode into the lobby, and left the keys on the desk as instructed.
“Tell your boss he needs to find a new tenant,” Gray told the centaur on our way out.
The centaur seemed crushed. “Seriously? Lorelei’s gone?”
I patted him on the shoulder. “If it’s any consolation, it was an emergency. She didn’t mean to leave without saying goodbye.”
The centaur sniffed. “How do you know?”
“I just do.”
I sat in the dining hall with my roommates and Robin, sharing the details of my visit to Moonlight Junction.
“Panas has a familiar ring to it,” Robin said. “No pun intended.”
“Gray and I heard mention of it when were in the Obscura,” I said. “We didn’t pay attention at the time, but now we think there’s a connection.”
Dani nibbled on a swizzle stick that looked like it was made of glitter. I had no clue what it was, but it had to be sweet. “It should be easy enough to find information in the library.”
“That was my next stop after food,” I said, spearing a strange-looking orange vegetable. Although it didn’t resemble a carrot other than the color, I hoped it tasted like one.
“I can help you,” Robin offered.
Four heads swiveled in his direction.
“Why would you do that?” I asked. “We’re even.”
“Even for what?” Mia asked.
Oops. “Nothing,” I said quickly. “Sure, you can come to the library with me, if you want. I was going to bypass the books and ask Cato for help.”
The others exchanged surprised glances.
“Cato…He helped you?” Robin sputtered.
I lowered my fork to the table. “Is that not typical? I got the sense he helped anyone who wandered past his beak.”
Dani threw her head back and laughed. “Definitely not. What’d you do? Bring him an offering?”
“I didn’t even know he was there,” I said. “He spoke to me when I was browsing the books.”
“Is that the night you went roaming?” Cerys asked. “When you found the…Master at Arms?” She clearly couldn’t bring herself to say his name.
“Yes,” I replied. “We had a nice conversation.” I kept the part about my father to myself.
“Too bad he didn’t see the real killer,” Mia said. “They must’ve gone into the museum through another entrance.”
“There are plenty of avenues,” Robin said.
“You guys need security cameras,” I said. “That’s what they use in the human world.”
“Vampires wouldn’t show up on them,” Dani pointed out.
“Speaking of vampires,” Mia said, leaning forward. “How’s yours?”
I bristled. “He’s not mine.”
“Sure looks like yours to me,” Dani said. “You two looked cozy as two vampire pirates in a dinghy.”
“Vampire pirates?” I repeated. “They’re a thing?”
“Not so much anymore,” Cerys said. “The AMF travels the Seven Seas to keep them in check.”
“Which branch does that?” I asked.
“Depends on the body of water,” Cerys replied. “You might like that post, given your penchant for water.”
“Not sure I’d like that post if it meant fighting off vampire pirates,” I said. I scraped the last of the food off my plate and gulped down my lemon fizz. “I’m heading to the library now, if anyone else needs to go.”
“I’ll go,” Dani said. “I want to watch you talk to Cato. Maybe he’ll finally give me the time of day.”
“And I’ll look up Panas the old-fashioned way,” Robin said. “In case Cato doesn’t have the information.”
“Don’t tell him what you’re doing, or he’ll never want to help you,” I said.
Robin took his sweet time peeling skin from an familiar green fruit. “I don’t know that we should rely on Cato for details of great importance.”
“We don’t know yet whether the ring is of great importance,” I said. “Whatever Cato can tell me, might help me figure it out.”
“And what about Gray?” Robin asked. “Will he be continuing the quest?”
“It’s hardly a quest,” I said. “I’m just trying to clear my name. You guys noticed that no one else is sitting at our table, right?”
Everyone immediately looked down at their respective plates. I hadn’t wanted to draw attention to it when we first sat down, but my presence definitely cleared the area.
“I, for one, like a quiet meal,” Mia said.
“Me, too,” Cerys added. “Any help you need, Bryn. Just say the word.”
“You’ve been helpful enough getting me acclimated,” I said. “Classes are hard enough to adjust to.”
“I can’t even imagine,” Dani said. “I’ve been preparing for this academy my whole life. I don’t know what it would be like to be dumped in without warning.”
“Dumped in the paranormal world, no less,” Cerys said. Her delicate features oozed sympathy. “You’ve handled it all beautifully. You know that, right?”
“If, by beautifully, you mean getting myself pegged as a murder suspect and a thief, then, yes, I’ve done very well.” I stood and lifted my tray. “I’ll bus this, and head over now.”
“You don’t need to bus your own tray,” Dani said. “Haven’t you been paying attention?” She took out her wand, and pointed it at the table. The trays hovered in the air and then zipped over our heads before disappearing into the kitchen. “Voila.”
“You’re right,” I said. “I haven’t been paying close attention.” I’d been cleaning off tables for the past four years. It would be a difficult adjustment to make. “Is everyone coming to the library?”
“I booked a kayak for an hour slot,” Mia said.
“And I’m meeting with a study group for parapsychology,” Cerys added.
“Robin and I will come,” Dani said. “I want to meet Cato.”
“You just want everyone to know you,” Mia replied.
Dani straightened her shoulders. “Nothing wrong with that. A little personal currency goes a long way. Ask anyone in my family.”
“You don’t really want to go there, do you?” Robin aske
d.
Dani’s expression clouded over, and I wondered what he meant. “No need to be a jerk, Mr. Prefect.”
I decided to drop the subject for now. Gray’s confession was quite enough for one day.
We made our way to the library, where Robin quickly disappeared between the stacks. He seemed to have a sixth sense as to where to look. I went straight to the horse’s—or the gryphon’s—mouth.
“If it isn’t my new friend,” Cato exclaimed, as I maneuvered my way around the tables.
“Hi, Cato,” I said. “This is my roommate, Dani. We’re doing a little research together, and I thought you would be an excellent resource.”
“How can I help, Bryn?” Cato asked.
The gryphon barely glanced in Dani’s direction. She tossed her strawberry blond waves over her shoulder, clearly miffed by the lack of attention. Maybe if I looked like a supermodel, I’d be annoyed, too.
“Do you know anything about a ring owned by someone called Panas?” I asked.
Cato mulled over the question. “Anything special about this ring?”
“I’m not sure yet,” I said. “It might be connected to the sword that’s missing from museum storage.”
“So it might be connected to the Master at Arms’ death,” Cato said.
“Exactly,” I said.
“Panas, you say?” Cato asked, and I nodded. “The Ring of Panas is ancient. A man named Panas was the original owner. He was said to have worn the ring in every battle as a talisman.”
“And now the ring is said to possess the spirit of one of the fiercest warriors in the East,” Robin interrupted, hurrying over to us with a book in his hand.
Cato gave a low growl. “I was about to say that.”
“So I guess it’s pretty valuable,” I said, just as I suspected. “Do we know where the ring is now?”
“My knowledge ends there, I’m afraid,” Cato said.
“I can offer a bit more,” Robin said smugly, waving the book in the air. “The last known owner was a genie in the East called Amsu. He would wear the ring to public events to keep his enemies at bay.”
“And where’s Amsu now?” I asked.
“Amsu is dead,” a voice said. I whipped around to see Professor Langley. “He died of natural causes last year. I remember it distinctly because he left no heir and the entire estate was up for sale. I was able to acquire a valuable item for the academy, and a few smaller items for personal use.”
“A genie died from natural causes?” I queried.
“Genies are mortal, like us,” Professor Langley said. “They just happen to live very long lives.”
“Any idea what happened to the Ring of Panas?” I asked.
The steely-eyed professor scrutinized us before responding. “Why do you ask?”
“Because it may be connected to Calvin Motley’s death,” I said.
“I don’t see how,” Professor Langley snapped. “I think you’d be better off focusing on your studies than playing warden prematurely, Miss Morrow. You have quite a lot of catching up to do, particularly in my class.”
“I would think the death of a colleague and a stolen academy artifact would be more important than my studies,” I said. I didn’t mean to give him a hard time, but he seemed to bring out the worst in me.
He inhaled deeply. “Chancellor Tilkin seems to like you, though I’ve no idea why. That won’t be enough to save you, should you fail my class. So I suggest you adjust your focus and put your energy where it belongs.”
“Is the ring here?” Robin asked. “Is it the item you acquired for the school?”
“No, it was not,” the professor said. “Though I would have been happy to obtain it had it been available. To my knowledge, it was not among the genie’s effects.”
“So it was either stolen or sold before the estate sale,” I said.
Professor Langley zeroed in on Robin. “Prefect Chambers, I expect better from you. You’re the role model for this group. It is in your best interest not to lead them astray.”
“Yes, sir,” Robin replied, red-faced.
The professor adjusted his cloak before continuing through the library toward the museum.
“Stefan really doesn’t like you,” Cato said to me. “What did you do to him?”
I reeled back. “Me? I haven’t done anything to him. I only just started attending his classes.”
Cato clucked his tongue. “You’d better make sure you give Arcane Rites special attention. He’ll flunk you without a second thought. I’ve seen him do it before. Students come in here, sobbing in the middle of the night. He’s brutal when he wants to be.”
“That won’t be me,” I insisted. Not the sobbing part anyway.
“I should go back to the room and study,” Dani said, wearing a guilty expression. “I’ve been doing well in his class. I don’t want to screw up my average.”
“You couldn’t screw up if you tried,” Cato said. “I’ve seen you in here, cracking open the books when your peers were attending parties and festivals.”
Dani’s cheeks burned crimson. “I need to prove myself.”
“To whom?” Cato queried.
“To everyone,” she replied. “As soon as anyone hears my name, I can feel the weight of their judgment.”
“Dani?” Cato asked. “What’s wrong with your name?”
“I’m Danielle Montrose Degraff,” she replied, raising her chin a fraction.
Cato’s beady eyes widened. “I see.”
I blinked. “I don’t see. What does that mean?”
Dani heaved a sigh. “I didn’t really want you to know. You’re basically the only student here who can’t judge me. You’re oblivious.”
I sank into the nearest chair. “Enlighten me.”
Dani shot Robin a helpless look. I could tell she didn’t want to tell her story. I knew the feeling.
“Her grandmother,” Robin said. “Helena Caldecott Degraff. She led a troubled life.”
“Troubled is putting it mildly,” Cato said. “She was a magic addict. Nearly exhausted the family fortune, and caused major problems for other family members, who tried to keep her addiction a secret at the expense of their jobs.” Cato eyed Dani with newfound respect. “If I had realized you were a Degraff, I would’ve paid attention to you much sooner. My apologies.”
That explained Dani’s tendency toward overachievement. She really did feel that she had something to prove. I understood her desire. I never knew my father, but I still wanted to differentiate myself from him. Prove that I was better than him.
Dani smoothed her perfect hair. “You have no idea what it was like at home. I couldn’t wait to come to Spellslingers, even knowing what the family’s reputation would be here.”
“Your grandmother was a talented witch,” Cato said. “I remember her.”
“The magic became too much for her,” Dani said. “The whole family suffered as a result.”
“I’m sorry, Dani,” I said. “I had no idea.”
She lowered her gaze. “It isn’t something I like to talk about.”
I knew the feeling all too well.
Robin placed a comforting hand on Dani’s shoulder. “We should return to the residence hall, so you can prepare for classes.”
“What about the ring?” I asked. “I have to go back to the Obscura and find out where it ended up.”
“You’ll do no such thing,” Robin objected hotly.
Okay, maybe I wouldn’t, but I bet Gray would. “Robin, could I borrow that solo bicycle?”
He eyed me warily. “Why? Where do you plan to go?”
“Not to the Obscura, I swear,” I said. “I’m suddenly in the mood for a milkshake and fries.”
“You just ate,” Dani said.
“I need comfort food,” I said. “It’s a human world thing.”
“Comfort food consists of foods like pizza, meatloaf, and macaroni and cheese,” Cato spouted.
“See?” I said, pointing to the gryphon’s head. “He knows.”
“Fine, take the bicycle, but do be careful,” Robin said. “Bring your wand.”
“I still don’t have my wand.”
He groaned. “Fine, take the bicycle.” He stalked off in the direction of the main building.
“Where are you going?” I called.
“To put an end to this evil that’s permeated our walls called bureaucracy,” he yelled back.
Whatever that meant, it sounded good to me.
Chapter Fourteen
I parked the bicycle in front of the Stake-n-Shake and hurried inside before a waiter could offer me a bottle of sparkling blood. The moment I breezed through the door, I realized it was a mistake to come alone. The place was chock full of vampires. How safe could I be? Because uptight Robin had felt comfortable coming here, it hadn’t occurred to me to exercise caution.
I began threading my way through tables toward the back staircase when I saw him, and my breathing hitched. He was huddled in a booth by himself, absently tapping the base of a milkshake glass. I ground to a halt. His broad shoulders tensed as he became alert, seeming to sensing my presence.
Our eyes locked.
“Morrow,” he said gruffly. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to see you. I have information.” I slid into the cushioned seat across from him.
“I thought we were done.” Gray slid his blood red milkshake closer to him, as though I might pinch it from him.
“I decided I could use the help, after all,” I said. “If you’re still willing.”
“I went back to the Obscura to ask about the ring,” Gray admitted.
My spirits lifted. “Really?” I didn’t know why that fact elated me, but it did.
“Don’t get too excited. She didn’t know much. Just that it was somewhere in the region.”
That was disappointing. “Do you know anything about a dentist for vampires?" I asked.
“A dentist? I feel like I should be insulted," Gray replied.
“Don’t be. He's an elf named Jonas. He’s apparently made a killing treating vampires’ dental needs. I thought maybe you would've heard of him."
“Sure, I’ve heard of him. Never had an appointment with him, though."
I cocked my head. "Would you object to making one now?"
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