I didn’t ask, because that thought was just too sad.
She nodded, her brown eyes resigned. “She’s sure that I’m trying to trick her, but I’ll keep trying.”
I placed a hand on my friend’s shoulder. “You’re doing your best. Don’t forget to eat.” I gestured to the plate I’d brought her because she hadn’t made it to the cafeteria yet, and it was already two in the afternoon.
“Thanks, Odette.” She gave me a wobbly smile.
As I left the Demonology classroom and shut the door behind me, I sighed. Although we’d made a lot of progress, it seemed that the pain streaming through Spellcasters would never end.
Spellcasters wouldn’t reopen in time for the next academic year, which was two weeks away. Too much of the school was in shambles for that to be feasible. And honestly, it was just as well. The students and staff who had lived under the demons’ reign of terror needed time to heal. They needed to go home and return on their own terms. For those who wished to reenroll and continue their education and the fight against the dark, when classes eventually resumed, it wouldn’t be here. At least not right away. We hadn’t completely succeeded the night of the Battle of Spellcasters.
The Furies still lived. First hand sources claimed that they’d fled the academy grounds, and taken a large contingent of demons with them. That they remained walking the Earth meant the school was at risk.
That, and Headmistress Wake suspected that the royals had enchanted the academy. If that was true, they could force their way in again. She was building a team of powerful witches who would inspect the school after the students and staff had left, no later than tomorrow.
My parents had volunteered to be a part of that team, and knowing of their skills with wards, Headmistress Wake had accepted their offer of help right away.
Until a team of witches had inspected every inch of the school, they would allow only select people back inside. It might take months for them to give the school a clean bill of health. Until then, if a student wished to continue their education, witch professors would hold classes at the Fae Academy of Elemental and Arcane Arts.
I wasn’t sure I’d be attending.
My hesitation didn’t stem from fear of another attack. Or even from suspicion that parts of the PIA were still crooked. In fact, after hearing of the battle, the PIA was launchinganotherinvestigation of their institution.
The organization assured us that this one would be more thorough than the first investigation that helped suss out traitor agents. The agency claimed that if there were additional secret prisons, they’d discover them and liberate people wrongfully imprisoned. I believed them because this time, they’d called in unaffiliated mind witches to help.
And yet, despite the PIA’s commitment to weed out corrupt officers, I’d come to terms with the fact that espionage might not be my dream any longer. I suspected that no professor at the academy, or possibly anywhere, could teach me what I needed to know.
I’d already asked the most senior professors—all except Professor Adyto, who had perished at the hands of the royals—what they knew about the godlings. It wasn’t much. The library hadn’t quenched my thirst for knowledge either.
Still, the possibility that I wasn’t the only one in existence burned inside me. There had to be more godlings out there. Perhaps they were also seeking information. Or perhaps they were just binge-watching TV shows like a normal person. Oblivious to their true nature.
“Wherever they are, I’ll find them,” I muttered under my breath.
“Talking to yourself, Dane?”
I turned to find Diana hobbling up behind me. “Hey. Where did you come from?”
She laughed. “You passed me as I was coming out of the bathroom. Didn’t even see me, you were so lost in thought. And then you started talking to yourself.” She arched an eyebrow. “Want a sounding board?”
I heaved a breath. “Nah, just considering my future.”
Diana knew what Ishtar had told me. I’d informed all my closest friends, my parents, and Headmistress Wake, hoping they’d have answers. Of course, they had none.
“There’s a lot of that happening now,” Diana replied. “I never thought I’d see the day when Spellcasters would be empty.”
At that very moment, we passed a downed statue of Alice Kyteler. Her arm had been broken off in a scuffle.
Diana eyed the statue and shook her head. “Or that an epic battle would be fought here. Are you planning on going to the fae academy when we have to clear out?”
“For a bit. At least to see the soldiers off. Mom and Dad will be busy here for a while, and I don’t want to go home without them.”
“And after?” Diana asked.
“Tiberius asked Alex to return to Seattle. I guess a few of the people we rescued from Dulce Base aren’t recovering as well as they’d hoped. Tiberius told Alex he might learn a few novel things if he went to help. Obviously, Alex was all about that. I’m going with him, and so are Eva and Hunter.”
“The dream team.”
I smiled. “We’re only missing you.”
