We will warn you only once.
Her head hurt. She rubbed her arms absently.
The more you pry, the more likely you are to get hurt.
Clutching her bag to her chest, Ellory ran back to Moneta Hall with that threat ringing in her ears.
Interlude
They’re alchemical symbols—specifically for mercury, salt, and sulfur if I’m not mistaken. The Swiss physician Paracelsus also dabbled in alchemy, and he identified these three chemicals as the tria prima, or the three primes of which all materials are composed. We’ve learned better, of course, but until the eighteenth century, many alchemists believed these could be combined to create entirely new elements.”
“Why, though? Did these mean something or do something specific?”
“In theory, mercury was a fluid element. It represented air, mind, volatility. Salt, a solid, was base matter, representing the body, the earth, and water—permanence. And then sulfur, that was spirit, fire, combustibility. Alchemists believe that by adding different levels of combustible sulfur to a solvent of mercury, they could create anything, leaving a residue of salt behind.”
“Huh.”
“You look more confused than you were when you walked in, Mister Graves.”
“I sort of am. I guess I don’t see the logic…no pun intended.”
“Beliefs aren’t always logical, but they do tend to follow patterns. Humanity has applied the rule of threes to their world since the beginning of time, from the valknut to the pyramids of Giza, following the earth’s natural patterns. You might find it illogical to ascribe symbolism to elements, numbers, and shapes, but it’s no more outlandish than the field of science, which disproves its own long-standing theories every few years.”
“What about you, Professor?”
“What about me?”
“Do you think these alchemical symbols could be magic?”
“…”
“Professor?”
“I think…magic is another form of belief. Perhaps the strongest form there is. If enough people give something power, then, yes, I would say it could be considered magical. Sorry, what class did you say this was for again?”
—Transcribed by Ellory Morgan from a recording by Hudson Graves
17
Liam Blackwood perpetually looked as though he had stepped off a runway, and today was no different. His rich brown hair curled brightly over his forehead, his ivory skin lazily kissed by sun. He’d attracted a small crowd of admirers, and he spoke to them softly, flashing a smile that almost warmed the crisp autumn day. His hands were in his pockets as he leaned against the side of an indigo-colored car.
“Is that a fucking Rolls-Royce?” Tai asked, her eyes wide. Ellory, who had no idea what a Rolls-Royce looked like, shrugged. “It’s the latest Rolls-Royce!”
“Wow,” Ellory deadpanned.
“If you saw the price tag of that car, you’d be scared to even look at it, let alone put your ass on those seats.”
Ellory wasn’t thinking about cars or price tags. She was thinkingonlyabout Liam, with the kind of fierce determination that Tai wouldn’t understand. After all, Ellory hadn’t told Tai about her early-morning altercation. She didn’t tell anyone but Hudson, and Hudson didn’t even bother to answer her text message. After daysof staring over her shoulder and calling the increasingly annoyed campus police to drive her home from her closing shifts, Ellory grew tired of being afraid. She immersed herself in arcane histories and occult mysteries for far too long, treating it with the same importance that she treated her schoolwork. For once, she wanted to try being a normal woman on a normal date with a normal man, one who actually enjoyed her company. So, when Liam had invited her to go apple picking with Boone Priestley, Ellory had jumped at the chance.
The fact that it would get her off this haunted campus was a bonus.
Liam spotted Ellory over the head of the woman he was talking to, and he waved. His fans turned to look at her, confused and then surprised and then annoyed, but Liam didn’t seem to notice as he slipped past them. Ellory wasn’t used to this—being wanted and being envied for that want—and she didn’t know what to do with it. Her body felt like a series of disconnected limbs rather than a functioning unit as Liam closed the distance between them, smile bright. Her hands found her pockets, then straightened her hat, then tucked a stray curl behind her ear. She was stuck between trying to seem nonchalant and feeling painfully awkward.
Beside her, Tai leaned against the doorpost. “Blackwood,” she said with a nod. “Nice car.”
“Thanks,” Liam replied without taking his eyes off Ellory. “It was a birthday present.” He stepped closer, his voice becoming feather soft, as if they were the only two people in the world. “Hey, you look amazing.”
They were going apple picking, so Ellory had dressed for apple picking: a loose-knit thermal top, a gold cotton parachute vest, black leggings, and waterproof lace-up boots. Her beanie was gold,her peacoat was olive green, and her dangling earrings were a gold line of stars that almost touched her shoulders. She didn’t think the outfit was anything special, except that the deep V-neck of her top showed more cleavage than usual. His eyes hadn’t dropped below her face, though, so maybe it wasn’tenoughcleavage.
