“Yup. They think they deserve sorcerer spy . . . or maybe even spymaster.” Diana arched an eyebrow, which made my stomach twist. “Don’t worry. Mother says it happens every year. We’re all competitive at Spellcasters, or else we wouldn’t be here. Once they realize that being in our good graces is to their advantage, they’ll warm up again.”
I scoffed. Diana was always so confident and blunt that it took me by surprise. Although, in this instance, I hoped she was right. I’d spent the majority of last year being disliked. I didn’t need a repeat.
We climbed to the top floor and came face-to-face with another green door. Diana pivoted to face us. “This is where you need to say the incantation that will allow you passage. Like this.”
She extended her hand to hover inches above the gold knob. “Dominum.”
Purple magic flowed out of her hand. It shimmered and undulated around the doorknob, which then turned on its own accord and opened.
“It’s that simple,” she said. “Just be gentle. If you’re mad or upset, try to cool it before you open the door. One year, someone spoke the incantation when they were angry, and the door flew off its hinges. Oh, and don’t tell anyone the password. Only spymasters up here.”
It was no wonder why others were upset they hadn’t made spymaster. I doubted that this was the only perk we’d get.
“Thanks. I guess we’ll see you at the feast,” I said, moving past Diana.
“Yup. Mother says she has a surprise for the whole school.” Her blue eyes lit up with excitement.
“Can’t wait.”
My room was the second one on the right, squished between Diana’s and Alex’s. After realizing that I wasn’t sharing a bathroom with Eva this year, a wave of sadness overtook me.
“We’re not roomies.” I stuck my lip out. “It’s the end of an era.”
Eva gave me an understanding smile and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. “I think all the spymaster level bathrooms are private. There’s not even a communal toilet on this floor. And judging by all the books and desks, that room over there is a special, spymaster-only library.” She pointed to the first room on the opposite side of the stairs. “We probably should have expected that the dorms would be nicer. Remember the King’s Castle?”
I nodded. Who could forget the Crucible dorm? That place was off the chain. “Still, it’s sad knowing that you won’t be barging in on me whenever you want,” I said.
Eva chuckled. “Yeah. I’m sure you’lltotallymiss that. But I’ll be a few doors away, so have no worries. I’ll knock until you let me in. If you don’t, well, I think I can do a decent Odie impression. Maybe I’ll trick the voice-activation enchantment.”
We shared a laugh, and after one last hug from my girlfriend, everyone separated to explore their private spaces.
A plaque bearing my name glimmered on my door. However, this year, the word “spymaster” had been added below. I took in the title with awe, proud of my achievements. When I stepped inside my room, I found that it was at least twice the size of last year’s dorm. A private bathroom stood off to the side, already stocked with plush white towels, and smelling of black currant. My desk resembled one that might be in a low-level executive’s office.
And then there was the view. Last year, my room had looked out upon the lake, and I’d secretly thought that couldn’t be beat. But I’d been wrong.
As I gazed out my window, a vast expanse of the forest swept before me. In the distance, hills rose and fell, and even further away, blue mountains soared toward the heavens. Sunlight dappled the greenery, dancing off the trees. I imagined that in the autumn, the scenery would be spectacular.
I sat on my bed, taking everything in, and my lips curled up. I had earned this. For months, I had been terrible at magic, and it wasn’t even my fault. After Alex released the bind on my power, I’d improved drastically. It was like I’d reaped all the benefits of my hard work in mere days.
But the rest of our class didn’t know that.
They didn’t know that I had been spellbound as a child, because like Alex and my connection to Morgan and Merlin, I hadn’t told them.
I doubt there’s a single couple in the academy’s history that has more secrets than us.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t make our secret public. Not without putting everyone around me in danger.
Chapter Four
The feast that marked the beginning of the new academic year was held in Agnes Sampson Hall. To mark the occasion, I dressed in one of my favorite long, green maxi dresses. Eva dressed up too, sporting fitted black trousers, a white blouse, and oversized emerald jewelry. She looked as though she belonged on Wall Street.
“The green goes amazing with your hair,” I said, only a tad envious of my friend’s bright red hair.
She wrapped her arm through mine and gave me a grin. “We both look awesome.”
The guys had said they’d be in the common space waiting for us. When we reached the bottom of the winding stairs, I spotted them among a crowd of female students.
No surprise there. Eva and I had lucked out snagging the talented, charming, intelligent, and hot-as-hell Wardwell cousins as our boyfriends. People—ladies in particular—couldn’t help but be drawn to our guys.
