“Well, they also sent me here to get rid of me.” Her tone dropped, a touch of hurt seeping into it. “They were hoping it would get rid of myrebelliousside.”
“I’m sorry.” I didn’t know all of her story, but from the pain in her voice, I could tell it was a hard topic, and I wondered if it had anything to do with her panic attacks in the middle of the night.
“Here we are.” Sydney knelt in front of the headmaster’s door. She pulled two bobby pins out of her hair and went to work.
Ender had believed I unlocked the doors in the library when, in reality, I had stolen the librarian’s key and didn’t want anyone to know. Every single lock in this forsaken academy was made of tungsten—and I couldn’t manipulate it. If we had gotten caught, it would have been better if he had no knowledge of stealing a key or taking part in the thievery.
Stealing the headmaster’s key, on the other hand, wasn’t a very accomplishable task. The little charm around Aura’s neck would immediately be noticed if it was MIA.
“Got it!” Sydney whispered in triumph a few short moments later. She went to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge. “That’s strange.”
“Are you sure you unlocked it?” I asked as she stepped aside for me to try. My hand turned the knob, and it opened just fine.
“Huh.” Sydney shrugged. “Must’ve been stuck.”
“And you just loosened it for me,” I joked.
Inside, the office was dark, so Sydney lit a small ring of fire. She didn’t know I was an ether mage, and despite how close we were getting, I wasn’t going to tell her. Not only did it put her in danger, but it also put Viv in danger.
“Thank you for your help,” I said to Sydney as I went over to John’s desk and began opening anything that was unlocked. She had been eager to help when I told her I needed to see why he had Ender’s file on his desk, but she’d declared herself all-in when I said we had to pick the lock.
I assumed Ender’s file had been present because of the rock creature incident, but that was a month ago. Then there was the phone I had found, and no one seemed to actually know what type of mage John was. He had a familiar, so was most likely a level four. Of course, the directory had been left with theDemonherrats before I could find out and take more than a couple pictures of its pages. I needed to know more.
Inside one of the drawers was a lighter, the body carved from wood.
Interesting choice to make a lighter with.
I glanced up. Besides the soft glow Sydney’s magic was emitting, the room was dark. No candles were lit, and I wondered if they hadn’t always been lit with magic.
The file wasn’t on the desk, so we started searching the filing cabinets. They were alphabetically labeled but locked. I didn’t have to wait long for Sydney to unlock the cabinet markedH, so I could look for Hart. After she whistled and muttered something about that being her fastest picking yet, I made quick work, my fingers moving through the files.
“Can you watch the door?” I asked Sydney, and she nodded, taking a guard position.
Once I found Ender’s file, I set it on top of the others, opening it. The first sheet had a picture of Ender. His face was narrower, and his hair was a bit shaggier—he looked like a freshman. I wondered if the files for me and Viv had our pictures—we hadn’t taken one during orientation.
There wasn’t a lot of information besides the mention of a small school he had attended in Canada prior to his arrival,a Priscilla Hart—his guardian who worked for the council—and that his parents were deceased. It didn’t even mention his parents’ names.
Another paper with a small picture stapled to it lay behind it, and I pulled it to the front. The older woman in the photo looked just like Miss Lee, the groundskeeper who had given Ender the cupcake. But the name on the sheet saidBernila Galang.
Why would she go by a different name? And why would a scant record sheet on her be in Ender’s file?
“Someone’s coming,” Sydney popped back though the partially closed door. “I can hear wheels and think it’s the janitor. They haven’t rounded the corner yet.”
“Let’s go.” If it wasMiss Lee, the groundskeeper, I didn’t want her to find out I was sneaking into the headmaster’s office.
I put the file back and closed the drawer. The letterTcaught my eye, and I paused. I would love to know what John had in my file—but then again, would it be nearly empty like Ender’s? How much did he know?
I guess it didn’t matter. Our time was up.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Selene
Winterbreakofficiallystartedfour days ago, which kicked off the academy’s semester break. The majority of the students had already left after their exams and some had yet to leave. Students were either picked up by family or transported by guards to the closest city as a meeting point.
Guards and few professors remained on campus, including Mr. Hastings. April said they held Christmas in the library and had few events throughout break for the students who didn’t—or couldn’t—go home. A bit of sorrow balled in my throat, and I swallowed it down. It wouldn’t be our traditional small holiday, playing cards and eating a mix of chestnuts and walnuts, but Viv and I would still spend it together.
“Any news from your friend yet?” I asked Sydney as she met me in the courtyard before lunch. Her parents hadn’t invited her home for the holiday. She wanted them to reach out to her first, and when they didn’t, she opted to stay.
