“It worked the other day,” she snapped. “Why can’t you do it again?”
“Because it worked for about an hour, and then the augmenter melted,” he said calmly. “So obviously I can’t use that one again. It was too old, I still can’t believe I got it to work even for a little. I’m scouring the Skraboks for something else I can use, but there’s a reason we haven’t done this in over a decade. There are a lot of risks, Sigrid, and I’m not sure—”
“I don’t want to hear excuses,” she said, her voice crisp. “I’ll be back tomorrow, and I want better news.”
Anders caught a glimpse of her face as she turned to stride for the door—her skin was always very pale, almost the same color as her white-blond hair, and the shadows beneath her eyes stood out like bruises. And then she was gone, the door closing behind her in a slam.
What was an augmenter? Why did Sigrid want it so badly? And why did Hayn sound so hesitant about it?
All was silent for a heartbeat, then two, then three, both in the workshop and in the tiny room where Anders, Lisabet, and Theo were crammed in side by side. Hayn stood staring at the door. And then his gaze turned once more toward the mirror.
This time he walked toward it, approaching until he was almost nose-to-glass, staring at what Anders knew must be a perfectly black surface on his end. Anders held his breath, lest the sound give him away, and the trio of spies were so silent that he was sure Lisabet and Theo must be doing the same on either side of him.
Then Hayn spoke. “Is somebody there?” He was squinting at the dark.
None of the children replied.
“I... I can’t see anything,” Hayn said quietly. “But I thought I heard something, just now. If you can hear me, please, I just want to know if our students are all right. Anders and Lisabet are only first years, and whatever they’ve done, they didn’t mean to hurt anyone. They’re good children.”
Anders’s heart was thumping so loudly in his ears he felt sure Hayn must be able to hear it. He stayed silent. He’d never imagined Hayn being anything but furious at what he’d see as Anders’s and Lisabet’s betrayal.
Hayn sighed. “If anyone’s there, please pass on word that I need to speak to Anders. I need to speak to him urgently. I...” He paused, and glanced at the door again, before lowering his voice, and continuing in almost a whisper. “I have to tell him something that might be the difference between peace and the next great battle.”
Anders felt like he’d been struck over the head, the shock reverberating through him. Hayn had something to tellhimthat might be the difference between war and peace?
He’d always liked the big wolf—Hayn had been kind the first day Anders had transformed, and he’d been kind when Anders and Lisabet had come chasing information. But they weren’t exactly friends.
Anders scrambled for the right decision. He should check with the others before he revealed himself, since that had never been part of the plan—they’d only agreed to help him spy. Making contact with the wolves might be more than any of the dragons were willing to do.
But he might not get back in here again, and if he did, there was no guarantee Hayn would be in his office.
He had to take his chance while he had it. And as he reached his decision, Lisabet reached over to squeeze his arm in silence. He hoped that meantyou should say something, because he was about to.
“Hayn?” His voice came out as nearly a squeak, and he cleared his throat and tried again. “Hayn, it’s Anders.”
Hayn had been halfway through turning away, but he whirled back, gaze fixed on the mirror. “Anders?” His voice was somewhere between fear and hope. “Are you all right? Who else is there?”
Anders felt movement by his side, and Theo turned the dial on his lantern until it came dimly to life, the essence captured within it powering its soft glow. “Lisabet,” Anders said. “And this is our friend Theo.”
“Hi, Hayn,” said Lisabet quietly, and Theo lifted a hand in greeting.
“Pack and paws, I was so worried you were dead,” Hayn breathed, reaching out to grip either side of the mirror. “Anders, I need to see you as soon as I can. Do you have any way to get to Holbard?”
Anders’s eyes went wide. They were forbidden from leaving Drekhelm, let alone waltzing off to the wolves’ stronghold. “I—I don’t think so,” he said.
“Are you prisoners?”
“Not exactly,” Anders said. “But the wolves don’t want us in Holbard, do they? Sigrid must be so angry.”
“Sigrid’s angry,” Hayn conceded, with an apologetic glance at Lisabet. “But of course she’s worried.”
“Worried enough to forgive us if we came home?” Lisabet pressed.
The answer was in Hayn’s expression, and after a moment he slowly shook his head. “Tell me,” he said quietly. “Did you deliberately try to hurt your classmates? Or Ennar?”
“No!” Anders’s answer came quick, bursting out of him. “We didn’t want to, but they were attacking the dragons. It would have been the start of the next great battle if they’d killed one. We never even meant for them to follow us, Hayn.”
Hayn nodded. “That’s what Ennar and I thought,” he said, to Anders’s surprise. “Though she’s still less forgiving than I am.” He paused, and then pressed on. “Ennar said that you were claiming one of the dragons was your sister, Anders.”
