Chapter 32
Interviewer: And why create such a machine?
Prof. Brimstone: Why not?
Interviewer: Well, that’s hardly an answer, is it?
Prof. Brimstone: Very well. I hope that through this we might be found.
Interviewer: Found? Are you saying that we’re lost?
Prof. Brimstone: Aren’t we? Aren’t we all?
EXTRACT FROM INTERVIEW, 2030 P.O. (VAULT ARCHIVES)
Without the journal to guide me, I didn’t have much to go on. Just a fuzzy dream and the Weave Watchers’ cryptic words. But this was all connected to my sleepwalking, I was certain about that much.
There was a force guiding me…somewhere. Some power reaching out, trying to connect. It had led me to Selina’s journal and… Wait! I rushed to the windowsill, to the initials etched into the wood.
S.E. Selina Evergreen.
Oh Trinity. This had been her room.
That had to mean something.
Selina had been a student here, but no one remembered her. Even when I told them her name, they forgot.
There had to be a spell in place—one that, for some reason, wasn’t affecting me.
But if it was affecting everyone else, then who could help me figure this out?
I’d need to be careful who I spoke to about this.
Whoever cast the spell was most likely still at Nightsbridge.
I couldn’t risk tipping them off. But I couldn’t do nothing either.
I was stumped.
For now.
But my brain worked best when I let a problem simmer in the background. I pulled out the book on arcane botany and parked my ass at my desk. I had tons of reading to do before my new classes next week, so the Selina problem would have to wait.
I was nearing the end of my chapter when a sketch of a circle of mushrooms caught my eye, the tops gleaming in the moonlight. I’d seen this before. But where? Oh, Trinity, I’d seen it in my dream.
I dropped my gaze to the caption beneath the image.
Custos Naturae is a powerful spell that takes weeks to prepare. The fungi must be planted and nurtured with dew water and moonlight, each cap sown with intention. Completed correctly, the circle will protect its creator and hold any force that wishes to harm him or her within its grasp.
A protection spell. If my dreams were about Selina, then the spell must have belonged to her, too. But what had she been trying to protect herself from? The hooded figure?
I glanced at the window, at a sky painted orange by the dying rays of a setting sun. Where had the time gone? I closed the book and quickly changed into my training gear. Drayven would be waiting for me, and it wouldn’t do to be late.
* * *
Drayven didn’t show. Instead, he sent Jay and Brek, and I couldn’t even lie to myself—I was disappointed. They didn’t offer an explanation as to why he hadn’t come, and I didn’t ask.
My ego was bruised enough as it was.
We ran wooden sword drills. I couldn’t use a rift blade, but I’d still have a regular sword, and any blade was better than none. It could buy me time or cut me out of a tricky situation.
I sparred with the Thropes in their human form where they both attacked at the same time, shooting instructions and tips on where to stab and how to evade. Then Brek shifted and attacked me in his Thrope form while Jay taught me the best places to stab a beast like him.
I couldn’t help but grumble, though. “How will this help? There are no Horrors that look like Thropes.”
“Echoes can take a Thrope’s form,” Jay explained. “If they can get inside a Thrope’s head.”
“We haven’t had any training on shielding an Echo attack, so I doubt they’ll throw any at us.”
“Never underestimate a grading situation,” Jay said. “They could certainly throw in an Echo to test your natural mental shielding. But even if there are no Echoes, use this training to hone your reflexes and stamina. You’re going to need both.”
That shut me up, and we trained for another hour before I was too exhausted to continue.
They offered to walk me back to Bramble, and I accepted, not wanting another run-in with Sterling. I had my venom-coated hairpin in place just in case, but the thought of another scuffle made me want to weep with fatigue.
The chilly air was bliss on my overheated skin, and the night walk, flanked by two guys, allowed me to appreciate the nocturnal beauty of the Academy grounds.
This place was a work of art, from the neatly clipped and shaped bushes to the graceful sculptures and statues, down to the array of flora, planted in such a way that pastel and deeper hues worked together to brighten even the night.
We walked in companionable silence for a few minutes before it occurred to me how little I knew about these guys.
“So…I know that Drayven is a barghest, but what are you two?”
“Thought you’d never ask,” Jay said with a cheeky grin.
“Shit, I’m sorry.”
“He’s joking,” Brek said, shooting him a scathing look. “I’m a loup-garou and Jay is rakshasa.”
“I’ve heard of loup, but not rakshasa.”
“We’re a rare breed,” Jay said proudly. “Not many packs left. Mine is one of the largest.”
“And how come you guys were sent here? Is there a way that your packs choose?”
“It’s done by lottery to keep it fair,” Brek said. “At least in my pack.”
“Not for us,” Jay replied. “My grandfather signed the Covenant, and so our specific bloodline is responsible for supplying Thropes to the Academy every few years.”
“I know your cousin, Cami. She’s sweet.”
“Too sweet to be here,” Jay said.
Brek made a sound of agreement.
“She’s a twin,” Jay said. “Her brother Raj is what we call a runt. They were set on sending him—they usually send a male—but Cami fought them. She demanded the right to take his place.”
“Brave girl.”
“She is,” Jay said. “But I wish she didn’t have to be here. She’s much too smart to waste her life stuck in this place. But she says you’ve been hanging out with her?” He said it tentatively, as if he was worried it wasn’t true.
“Yeah, I have. She’s a good kid. I like her.”
His smile bloomed. “Thank you.”
“What for? My motives are completely selfish. She’s one of the smartest students in my class.” I winked. “She makes the best study partner.”
Bramble came into view, the upper windows glowing with amber light. Was that the Unwoven floor?
“He wanted to come tonight,” Jay blurted suddenly. “Drayven did.”
“Jay,” Brek warned.
My neck heated. “It’s okay. You don’t have to explain.”
“Yes, Jay, you really don’t,” Brek bit out.
Jay puffed out a breath and nodded. “Just…don’t give up on him if he pulls away.”
“By the blood,” Brek rolled his eyes. “You’re such a meddler.”
I didn’t have the emotional energy to worry about Drayven right now. Yes, I was attracted to him, but attraction wouldn’t get me through the grading. It wouldn’t get me into the vault.
I was glad he’d backed off. Now I could focus solely on my goals without having my heartstrings played with.
We slipped under the arch that led to the quad surrounding Bramble, and from this angle, it was easy to determine which windows belonged to my floor and which specifically belonged to me.
I’d left my lamp on, and the gentle glow was visible.
The light stuttered and a moment later a shadowy figure appeared in my window.
I was sure I’d locked my door. “What the fuck?”
“What is it?” Jay asked.
“There’s someone in my room.” I broke into a sprint across the quad.