On a more positive note, my stamina had significantly improved. I had been using my magic all morning, plus the previous day’s debacle of a magical mishap, and I was not overly fatigued. It was a great improvement in my capabilities, and if nothing else, Heidi would be proud.
The sound of someone running up the inside steps towards the rooftop interrupted the growth of my record-breaking basil plant.
I turned apprehensively to face the door, momentarily stuck in place. No one apart from Selene and me ever came up to my rooftop garden—it was even more sacred than our living space.
It wasn’t Selene. I never heard her approach. I was only ever startled by her appearance.
Quickly, I decided to crouch down behind the wooden flower bed to hide.
I watched, peeking over the top of the flower bed, hiding behind overgrown basil leaves as the door flung open. My heart leapt in my chest.
A girl, another servant in the purple uniform of House Maria, was breathing hard. She wasn’t wearing her coat, the cold obviously not affecting her to the same degree it did me.
She looked wildly around as she stood at the open door.
“Percy?” she whisper-yelled.
“Percy? It’s Mhari. We met last term inPolitical Structure of the Borealis Kingdom. If you’re here, please let me know,” she called out, taking a few unsure steps into my garden.
“Please, Percy, it’s important. I’m here to help,” she begged.
Help with what? How did she get past the guards?
Strands of her dark hair stuck to her forehead as a cold wind blew her hair around. She was sweating, like she had been running for a while.
Her yellow eyes scanned the rooftop, and I ducked down, my back against the wooden planks. Something about this wasn’t right.
“I know you’re here somewhere, Percy. I can smell you,” she called out.
Of course, she could smell me. She was a shifter of House Maria, like Father—no, she was from House Maria, but her clan was of Viridis. I remembered from the awkward class with Mr Jenson.
Mr Jenson had left midway through the summer term. We were told due to a family emergency, and he had not returned for the autumn term.
Was her sense of smell enough to root me out up here, or simply enough to know I was here or had been recently?
All I could smell was basil. I was grateful at that moment for my inability to do anything other than grow the plant despite my efforts to accomplish the opposite.
“Okay, maybe you’re not here now. But maybe you are, and if you can hear me, please listen. They took Ana about ten minutes ago. They dragged her from the halls. I ran here as fast as I could,” she told me, and I heard her begin to step further into my garden.
Ana? They who? Who would take her?
“What do you mean, they took her?” I called and then crawled to the other side of the box, trying to make as little sound as possible, growing the basil as I passed to provide more coverage.
“The Academy guard. I know what the two of you are accused of. The whole of Sanguis knows. She asked for someone to warn you. Screamed it, actually,” Mhari explained.
“How did you get past the Royal Guard?” I questioned. How was she able to get into the building, never mind all the way up here?
“What Royal Guard? There were no guards,” she replied, and I heard her footsteps stop.
No guard? That was impossible. I had informed the guard this morning when I left that I would be in my garden. It wasn’t that long ago. My garden was one of the few places I could go unaccompanied now, but that was only because Selene was sure no one would be able to get past all her Royal Guard.
“Percy, please stop hiding. I don’t even know why I’m here. I just thought someone had to tell—”
The sound of gravel crunching under many tyres from the drive below interrupted us. Even up on the rooftop, the sound was distinct. Was Selene home from her classes early?
Mhari ran right past me to the rooftop edge to investigate, unaware that I was only feet away from her as she leaned over the ledge.
“It’s President Minerva. Why is she here?” Mhari said.
