I dashed out of the living room.Eva and Diana ditched the guys and followed, both their eyes widening as I led them into my dad’s enormous study. I’d just crossed the threshold into the room, when the scent of leather from Dad’s jacket, hanging on the wall, hit me. My throat constricted as the familiar aroma bolstered my need to find them.
Dad had a crazy big library. He devoted most of it to the film industry and history books on old wars. But there was also a section of magical books, if you knew where to look.
I went to the shelf, next to which, a statue of a woman stood. Placing my finger squarely on the tip of her nose, I pressed it inward. The hidden button receded into her face, and the shelf that appeared to house only historical war books began to turn. On the other side a new shelf appeared, this one full of magical books and artifacts.
“Just like in the movies. So cool,” Eva breathed.
“Where do you think he got the idea?”
I waited until the shelf stopped moving before searching for one specific book. The volume I sought sat tucked in the corner of the top shelf, as dingy and battered as the last time I’d asked to see it years ago.
I pulled the library ladder over and climbed the rungs to pluck the book from its place.
“Is that . . . a first edition ofMastery of Potions and Elixirs?” Diana asked. “Experts regard that text as one of the best instruction manuals on potions ever.”
“It’s also excellent at hiding love letters,” I said, amused by Diana’s awe over the book that my parents claimed began their courtship.
Eva tilted her head to the side. “Explain.”
“My parents met at Spellcasters. They were in the same year, but I guess things were different back then. They didn’t have every session together. Whenever they had to split, my dad would write a love note for Mom and put it in this book. She’d read it in class, and the instructor always thought she was just really into the text.”
My chest warmed at the tale. “My mom told me about it when I was little. I thought it was so romantic and smart. And of course, I wanted to be in on the action. I asked them to leave notes in it for me too, and they used to do it all the time, before I got too busy to check. Hopefully, they remembered.”
I flipped through the pages with bated breath. I was about halfway through the book when I found it, a regular piece of computer paper folded and shoved tight against the spine.
My heart thumped hard as I pulled it out, hoping that it was a recent note. The paper still felt crisp as I unfolded it. The handwriting was undeniably Dad’s, done in a hurry.
“Is that it, Odie?” Eva asked.
A lump rose in my throat. “Yes. They’re safe. After we fought the demons in London, they had to hide. All our parents did.”
“Where are they?” Diana’s tone had gained urgency. I wondered if she’d even considered that her mother might be in trouble. I had to admit it was hard to envision battleaxe Priscilla Wake doing anything other than dominating. “Are they together?”
I nodded. “Andre and Sam alerted Headmistress Wake. She called our parents, and they banded together. They’re all in the same place, somewhere the demons can’t go.” I shook my head, unable to believe this was happening.
“I swear, Dane, if you don’t spit out where in two seconds, I’m going to hex you,” Diana hissed.
“Faerie,” I said. “They are currently guests of the Riverlands Court, thanks to the Torna twins.”
Eva breathed out a sigh. “Going there should be easy enough.”
I cocked my head at her. “Easy to get to Faerie? Why do you say that?”
“You and Diana already went there once. You know how to enter the realm. Even if we don’t arrive in the same court, surely we have something we can leverage for someone to show us the way. Unless, of course, we land in the Dark Court. Then we’re screwed.”
“Yeah, about that . . . ” Diana arched an eyebrow at me. “The champions don’t actually know where the entrance to Faerie is located.”
“But . . . you said it was at their academy?”
“It is. But we warped there,” Diana answered. “The location of the academy is kept secret from other magicals, except warpers who have been approved. Pretty sure Odette isn’t on that list.”
“No, I’m not.” I set the book down on Dad’s desk. “But we need to find a way there. Taking on a whole army of demons without help just can’t happen. We need our parents and their friends.”
Diana nodded. “Totally agree, especially considering we don’t even know what’s happening in the outside world. What if the demons have taken over the government entirely?”
“Well, shit,” Eva muttered. “If it’s not one stumbling block, it’s another.”
I was about to agree when a shrill sound cut me off.
