“Yeah, but you’ll need to put his name in the gate register before they’ll let him in.”
I thought back to the day I first saw Grayson. He whispered something in the gate guard’s ear and the man let us through.
“Do you pass names to the gate very often?”
He sits back in his chair, completely relaxed. Even his aura smoothly flows around him, barely visible. “Sometimes. Why do you ask?”
“I remember you from the day I got here. The guard let us through after you talked to him. What did you say?”
He puts his finger on his lips and winks at me. “That’s a secret.”
Could he pass a message to my dad on Christmas if he shows up?
I don’t know what to do with this more playful Grayson. He’s been completely relaxed and stress-free since his release from restriction. Was it really a punishment?
“Okay. Then tell me honestly. Now that I’ve read through all of this and dealt with your crushing homework, how can your clothes travel with you when you move?”
“That’s easy.” He leans forward and gestures for me to come closer.
“What is it?”
“Magic.” He waves his hand in the air and I smack his arm.
Same answer as before. “Whatever. Don’t tell me then.”
His laughter soothes my ruffled feathers, releasing tension I didn’t know I had. “Finally,” he says, and settles back in the chair.
“Finally what?”
“You’re finally relaxed. I’m not one to tell you what to do, but if it was up to me, I’d make sure you never had to go on one of those cases again.”
He was trying to cheer me up. “If I had my way, I wouldn’t take them again. Did you know that a powerful spirit can force me to relive the last minutes of their lives? All the way to death.” I take another drink of my hot chocolate.
“Is it them or is it you?”
“What?”
“I mean, if a ghost or spirit could make people relive their last moments, why would they only do it to you?”
The warmth of the mug seeps into my cold hands as I consider his question. “What if I’m a conduit?”
“Like a spiritual medium? You don’t really seem like the passive type. I mean, even when your sister appears, you talk to her directly instead of letting her speak through you.”
“Speak through me? What do you mean?”
“Do the ghosts speak through your lips when you talk?”
“Well, no.”
“So it’s all internal then?”
“Yeah.”
He stands up. “Wait here. Let me get you something.”
He’s gone before I can say anything. I tap my pen against my notebook and consider his words. If I’m not really a conduit, or a medium, or whatever it is, then what am I?
He’s right, though. I can sort of manipulate his aura and he’s not a ghost. He’s a living, breathing, mostly human being with supernatural powers and shapeshifting smoke abilities. That carry his clothes with him. Whatever. I shake off the straying thoughts and go back to his observation. If he’s right and I’m wrong, then how many other things have I been wrong about?
A stack of books slam down beside me. I jerk in surprise. “Here you go.”
I groan. Not again. “What is this?”
He holds up a book. “Everything you need to know about channeling ghosts.” Another book. “The cram guide to spirit familiars.”
“These are books about my power?”
“Maybe. This one is especially interesting.”
He drops it in front of me. No Ghost, No Problem. How to Summon the Dead for Your Bidding.
“This isn’t necromancy, right?”
He laughs and shrugs. “I was in a hurry. Who knows?”
“Will I be able to take all of these?”
“I don’t see why not. Lacey’s grades are the best in her year, so she gets special priority in the library.”
“Oooh, a bonus library card?”
“Hey, it’s a big deal when it’s a new spell book or cram guide. Those things run tens of thousands of dollars at a minimum, so demand is high.”
With a whistle, I eye that cram guide in his hand. “Okay, I’m sold. Let’s check them out.”
“What? Now?”
“Yes. I want to start reading them.”
“But we just got here.”
“And I want to study in my room. I need to buy some notebooks. Where do I get them?”
He sighs. “The school store, but it’s closed now. I’ll run back to my room and get some blank ones to give you.”
“Thanks.” I grin, and catch myself as I start to shove my other books back in the bag. Tens of thousands of dollars, huh? I ease them in delicately, realizing I have no way to pay back even a fraction of that if I damage it. He said they were spelled against destruction, but I don’t want to take that chance.
He grabs his stuff and both of our mugs while I lug all my books to the front desk.
It’s still amazing how I use this bracelet for everything. I scan the bracelet and Lacey’s name pops up on the screen. We check out my stack and the librarian behind the desk seems especially amused at my request for a double canvas bag wrap since I don’t want to damage such precious books.
“When are they due?”
“For you, there isn’t one. Just return them when you’re finished.”
“What?”
Grayson rolls his eyes at me and holds open the door. The cold blast of air sucks. “Come on.”
We get outside and I balance the bag straps to a more comfortable position on my arm. “What did she mean?”
“About the due date?”
“Yeah.”
“It means you’re in the top 1% of the school. You can keep the books for as long as you want.”
“But these books are precious and rare.”
“And that’s how the 1% stays at the top. See? You’re learning.” He pats my shoulder like I just won a prize, and all I can think about is the rigged system..
I won’t keep these books for longer than necessary, but I’ll need a way to take notes.
“What do I do when I need supplies? I can’t buy any.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t have any money.”
“Didn’t you read the handbook?”
“Yes. Well, the rules section.”
“You get a stipend. Run your bracelet over the scanner and you can buy what you need. The higher you score in your class, the more money you get. You should check your balance when you get back to the dorm.”
“How do I do that?”
“There’s a scanner on the first floor, right after you walk in. Try not to do it when others are around, though. Greed is ugly and extortion runs rampant around here.”
“So, basically, it’s like the real world and an ATM machine.”
“Sure.” He glances at me and I realize he has no idea what I’m talking about.
“The store will open up again on January 6th. Buy yourself a cell phone and laptop then.”
The weight of his words slam into me and I blink back the moisture in my eyes. Why am I so emotional?
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. The wind is stinging my eyes.” I won’t tell him that this is the first time since I was six that I know where I’ll be next year. He grabs the canvas bag of books out my hands sets them on the ground next to us.
“What are you—”
“Hush.” He adjusts my scarf and raises the collar of my jacket. “Better?”
I can’t look him in the eye. “Yeah.”
“Good. Let’s get out of this cold. I think a blizzard is rolling through.”
“If they can control the night sky, why can’t they control the weather?”
He picks up my bag of books and leads the way, crunching through the snow on a path he seemed to memorize. “The sky is an illusion. A dome blocks UV radiation for our nocturnal students, but blocking weather would be the same as blocking air. Almost
impossible to pull off on a regular basis. And absolutely no reason to do it while school is out during break.” We reach my dorm and he hands over the bag. “Get inside. Get warm. Don’t go to your defense class tomorrow.”
“I have to. He finally started teaching me something.”
“I’ll tell him not to bother.”
“No.” I grab his arm. “Please. He leaves for vacation with his family the day after tomorrow. This is my last chance to learn anything from him.”
“He’ll be back.”
I stare at him. “I need to defend myself now, Grayson.”
He nods slightly. “Fine. I’ll have him give me and you a curriculum for you to follow during his vacation. Expect him to be cranky about it tomorrow.”
“Thank you.” I squeeze his arm and he pats my hand.
“It’s fine. Now get inside so I can puff out and get back to my dorm. I’m freezing.”
I laugh and scan my bracelet on the door and go inside. The moment the door latches shut, he turns to smoke and shoots away. So convenient to move that way.
I’m stuck with walking.
A small scanner attached the wall catches my attention. Was that the account balance thing he was talking about? I walk over and swipe my bracelet under the light.
A number flashes across the screen that leaves my throat dry and my heart slamming in my chest. Was that in dollars? I scan it again and it’s the same. Holy rolling in dough. I mean, it wouldn’t buy a mansion, but there’s no way a student could spend that much in a year.
I shifted the bag of books to my left hand and started up the stairs. Unless you use it to buy study and cram guides like Grayson suggested. How the top 1% keep their positions, huh? I sigh. Once the store opens, I can get a laptop or whatever else I need to make taking notes easier and faster. Staying in the top is going to be more difficult than I thought. I’m getting excited just thinking about it.
22
The day after tomorrow is Christmas Eve. And my appointment with Dad.
Rolling over in bed, I fight the urge to bury myself under the covers and ignore everything. But today is the last day I can meet with Rendall. I’m finally able to create my own aural shield, but he can shatter it at will. Even practicing with Lacey at lunch hasn’t yielded any results.
The morning is just as dark as the rest of the time in this weird Academy. I thought I’d be used to it by now, but every minute feels the same. Maybe I should go to the sunroom the doc mentioned. I haven’t been back since we took out the stitches, and his shadow hasn’t appeared lately.
Shoving the blanket off my head with a groan, I force my tired body to get up and move. The wounds are completely closed up and the scars on my face are almost nonexistent. He really is a miracle worker.
Dragging my weary body through the frigid cold to the annex building takes a lot longer than I’d hoped. My fingers are frigid and my cheeks ache from the biting wind.
The smell of freshly baked pastries and hot chocolate assault my senses when I walk in. I hang my scarf and jacket on the hooks and rush inside the room. Grayson, Courtney, and Rendall are all chatting as they sit on top of the desks.
“What’s this?”
“Well, I thought we should get together before we all head off for Christmas.” Courtney’s restriction ended last night after my study session. She bragged about it and then assigned me a hundred pages of seals to meticulously transcribe while she’s visiting family until the third of January. Asking her specifics about the seal lead to dead ends. I was too nervous to try and break it apart for her to decipher. Bringing up a seven-level seal put me in a two-hour lecture for trying to break taboos and get her in trouble.
“Lacey?” A hand waves in front of my face, startling me out of my thoughts. “You look angry. You okay?” I look up to see Rendall smiling at me. “It’s a party. Relax.”
I grin and drop my backpack in a chair. “You’re right. Sorry. I was just thinking about my homework.” I glance at Courtney and catch her smirk before she starts talking to Grayson about next semester’s courses. She treats him completely different than she does me. I wonder if she knows that he’s aware of my identity as well.
They laugh and the room relaxes further. Listening to them talk reminds me that I still have to face an entire campus full of strangers who knew my sister better than I did.
“Hey, there you go again.” Rendall touches my arm and I shake my head.
“Sorry. I haven’t been sleeping well lately.” I grab a pastry and dig in. Cream cheese and strawberry. My favorite. And still warm. “Thanks to whoever got these.”
“I did.” Courtney grins at me. “You should at least wear some concealer or something. Those bags under your eyes are scary. I thought you were trying a new makeup style again.”
My eyebrows raise. Where is she going with this?
“I noticed you wear a lot less makeup now.” Rendall snatches another pastry and takes a huge bite.
“Ah.” I take another bite to hide my awkwardness.
“The more natural look is better, I think.” Grayson chimes in as he grabs a pastry.
Good one. I owe you, man. He winks at me and I nearly choke on my pastry. He really needs to stop doing that. It doesn’t fit in with his super badass rebel vibe. Or maybe it does a little too much.
Courtney glances between us and then pours a glass of juice from a pitcher. “That’s right. You and Lacey used to date a long time ago. Didn’t you?”
My eyes widen and I ease into a chair, staring at Grayson. Really now?
His ears tinge red and his smile drops to the cold, brutal one he likes to pull out when he’s really torturing me with schoolwork. The same smile that he used when he sliced me to pieces in the gazebo.
I choke down the bite of pastry and cough as it gets caught. Rendall smacks me gently on the back and a glass of juice is pushed into my hands. I take a gulp to ease the burning in my throat and chest.
With eyes watering and my chest aching from choking, I manage to wheeze out an apology. “Sorry about that. Went down the wrong pipe.”
Courtney barely swallows her sneer and I realize I’ve probably found yet another phrase Lacey would never use.
“That was forever ago anyway.” Grayson watches me as he takes a long drink of the orange juice he just offered me.
I glare at him for stealing it from me, but wave it off as he grins back. “Yeah, a lifetime ago. Now you’re a royal pain.”
“You need to get better at insulting me.”
“I’ll work on it.”
Our normal interactions are a lot mellower lately. Even our fighting is fun.
“I’d like to propose a toast.” Rendall hands glasses to each of us. “May next year be just as strange and enlightening as this one.”
My lips twist in a wry smile at his reference toward me showing weakness to him. The enlightenment is all fake, but his help has been immeasurable these past two weeks. We clink our glasses together and take a long drink.
“That reminds me. I finished translating that necklace you gave me.” She pulls it out of her pocket and lets it dangle between us. “I even cleaned it up for you.”
I take the amulet and smile my thanks. “That’s awesome. Thank you.”
“You gave her the necklace?” Grayson raises his eyebrows, and I avoid his gaze.
“Yeah. She’s amazing at this stuff.”
“It was a fun challenge.”
Courtney smiles, and is more relaxed than I’ve seen her since we first met. I put the necklace in my pocket to hide it from Grayson’s glare. I didn’t exactly tell him I was going to loan it to her, so I can see why he’d be a little upset. It’s not like I showed her the seal and spell book he loaned me.
“So what are you going to do on Christmas?” Rendall asks me.
“I have a relative coming in.” Getting Dad in and out quickly will give me a relaxing holiday. I’d rather have a quiet Christmas dinner with Grayson and the awesome kitchen staff who keep making my favori
te foods than chasing down dead bodies in a blizzard.
“Oh, I hope they’re not light sensitive,” Rendall says, and takes another bite.
“What do you mean?”
Grayson sits on the edge of a desk. His aura wobbles around slightly, an unusual pattern. Is it because he knows I’m talking about Dad? “For two days before the new moon, light is used to recharge the seal of protection on the school. We follow a normal day schedule. The morning after the new moon, the seal returns to full strength and we’re protected for another month.”
“So the barrier is weakest right now?” My head feels fuzzy.
Courtney chuckles. “Security is increased now. Sneaking off campus is impossible, too. That’s why we have to leave today. Tomorrow, the grounds are completely restricted until after the seal breaks.”
Sneaking off campus? I blink slowly at her. Was that statement targeted at me? Does she know what Dad planned? But how? The message was hidden with a blood key.
Grayson tugs at his collar and Rendall hums to himself as he munches another pastry. I stare at my hands and see an afterimage as I move the one holding the glass.
Courtney takes the glass from my hands and puts her palm on my throat. Pain hits me immediately, but I’m unable to move. “Are you okay?” she whispers.
Is this a new way to humiliate me?
“Are you having trouble seeing straight?” She smiles, and I reach up to knock her hand away, but my body won’t move properly.
She holds out her hand toward Grayson and mutters. I move slowly, sluggishly turning my attention in his direction.
His aura jerks in response and I see him try to lunge back, but he’s trapped inside a barrier. He beats against the wall and Courtney begins casting another seal.
I glance at Rendall, but he’s still enjoying his pastries, either not noticing or not caring about what’s happening around him.
“Ren—”
“Don’t bother. He’s under my control. I’ve been manipulating him since he lost in the arena.”
Fear leaves my tongue bitter and turns the pastries and juice into ash in my mouth. She drugged us. Didn’t she?
I sway on my feet.
“Rendall,” her voice rings out, and Rendall’s head snaps up to stare at her, eyes unfocused. “Seal her. Let’s go.”
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