Tierney’s eyes fly open wide, and she almost chokes on her tea.
Professor Kristian nonchalantly removes his glasses, fishes another handkerchief out of his pocket and begins to clean them. “You’ve both probably heard by now that over a hundred military dragons flew straight into Valgard yesterday evening and headed straight for their Dragon Master—Mage Damion Bane.”
I swallow hard. “Yes. I heard...something about that. It’s...surprising.”
“Is it?” he asks, his brow cocked. He goes back to cleaning his glasses. “Surprised Mage Bane as well, apparently. It took him and seven additional Level Five Mages to kill most of the dragons and subdue the others. Mage Bane is likely to be under a physician’s care for a few months to come. He sustained a nasty claw slash down the side of his face and neck, I’ve heard.”
I struggle to keep my face impassive.
“The Gardnerians rarely talk about...embarrassments such as these.” He chuckles as he slides his spectacles back on. “But more than a hundred dragons—that’s not so easy to sweep under the carpet now, is it? And it happened just in time for the glorious celebration of Damion Bane’s rise to Commander of the Fourth Division base.” Turning slightly, he points his thumb toward the window. “Coincidentally, that’s not too far from here.”
He knows. He knows. My heartbeat picks up speed. And if Professor Kristian knows, who else might?
There’s a perfunctory knock at the door.
“Come in,” Professor Kristian says nonchalantly.
Vice Chancellor Quillen sweeps into the room.
A new surge of fear shoots through me, and I shrink back against my chair.
Ignoring Tierney and me, Vice Chancellor Quillen removes her winter wrappings, hangs them on the worn, wooden stand already crowded with our cloaks, then takes a seat near Professor Kristian. She smooths out the black silk of her skirts, a silver Erthia orb bright around her neck.
“Horrid weather, Jules,” she comments, sliding off fine calfskin gloves.
“Yes, quite,” he absently responds, the two of them disconcertingly oblivious to our presence as they take a moment to complain about the frigid cold that’s moved in.
Finally, there’s a break in the conversation, and a long silence as the Vice Chancellor settles in and levels her eyes at us.
I struggle to hold her penetrating, green-eyed glare.
As if suddenly remembering we’re there, Professor Kristian looks at me and gestures toward the Vice Chancellor. “I believe you’ve met Vice Chancellor Quillen.”
Panicked, I glance over at Tierney. Her eyes are riveted on the very Gardnerian Vice Chancellor, her fear dangerously apparent.
“Relax, Mage Calix,” Vice Chancellor Quillen says dismissively. “You’re among friends.” She turns to Professor Kristian. “How many Fae children did we hide during the war, Jules?”
“Two hundred and fifty-six,” he responds without a pause. “Not including Zephyr.”
My head is spinning. “Who’s Zephyr?” I ask.
“My adopted daughter, Mage Gardner,” the Vice Chancellor replies succinctly. “She’s Sylphan Fae. And far away from here. In Noi lands, with my brother, Fain.”
“How is Fain?” Professor Kristian puts in congenially.
“Enjoying the East,” she replies just as cordial. “He’s keeping pit dragons now.”
“For sport?” He seems surprised.
She smiles mischievously. “No. You know Fain. They’re his companions.”
Professor Kristian coughs out a laugh.
“Anyway,” Vice Chancellor Quillen continues, turning to me. “Zephyr is quite safe there. For the moment.” Her expression turns reflective as she looks at Tierney and shakes her head from side to side. “But so many more in hiding. And now—” she lets out a deep sigh “—it seems we’ve got to get you all out.” She shakes her head again and purses her lips at Tierney. “Don’t fret, Mage Calix. We’ve some unexpected friends, it turns out.” She looks to Professor Kristian. “It seems that someone dissolved the Elfin steel dragon cages. Did you hear about that?”
The side of Professor Kristian’s lip twitches into a smile. “Clearly the work of a Level Five Mage, Lucretia.”
The Vice Chancellor pins her eyes tight on me. “Isn’t your brother a Level Five, Mage Gardner?” I open my mouth, desperate to find a convincing lie, but she doesn’t wait for my response. “Tricky spell, too.”
“A protected military spell, I believe,” Professor Kristian idly comments, glancing over at her.
“I am so glad you brought that up, Jules,” the Vice Chancellor says, her gaze uncomfortably tight on me. “Because it turns out there’s a military grimoire missing. They just can’t seem to find it.” Her eyes sharpen. “Might you know anything about any of this, Mage Gardner?”
I can barely breathe. All our secrets, secrets no more.
Except for the white wand, I note with some relief.
Professor Kristian laughs lightly. “Come now, Lucretia. You know these girls are ignorant of all these matters.”
“Oh, that’s right,” she agrees. “How silly of me. They were with me last night, Jules. Mage Gardner and both of her brothers.”
“And why’s that, Lucretia?” Professor Kristian asks, blithely playing along.
“Well, there’s the matter of Mage Gardner being behind on her University tithe. And her younger brother’s acceptance into the Gardnerian Weapons Guild.” She shakes her head wearily. “We were in my office. All evening.”
“Putting in late hours again, Lucretia?”
The Vice Chancellor rolls her eyes and clicks her tongue. “Oh, it’s never ending.”
“Well, that is a relief,” Professor Kristian comments. “Especially since the Gardnerians are investigating every Level Five Mage’s whereabouts last night. It’s good to know Mage Gardner and her brothers are well accounted for.”
I sit there, speechless, blinking at them.
A smile lifts the corners of Vice Chancellor Quillen’s mouth as she eyes me with open approval. “Welcome to the Resistance, Mage Gardner.”