I don’t know why he’s keen to see it, but I tell Blaze to land nonetheless, and then Fox is striding over to examine the tunnel’s mouth.
“Why do you want to see it?” I ask.
“In some of the books I’ve read,” he says, “there were tales of magical tunnels that led from the academy out to the Highlands – an escape route, so to speak.”
“Why would there need to be an escape from the academy?”
Fox shrugs. “I don’t know, but this could be it, our way into the academy.”
“Do we need a way in?” I say. “We could just displace, couldn’t we?”
“If I were Sterling, guarding the academy with soldiers, I’d install spells to detect anyone attempting to displace into or out of the academy.”
“There are spells that can do that?”
“There are.”
“But why would he use them?”
“They may be watching for you, Briony. Or me. Or Veronica. Or anyone else the Empress suspects is on our side. Displacing is too dangerous. But this tunnel could be a way in.”
“Could be,” I say, “but the tunnels were like a maze. We’d never find our way through, Fox.”
He smirks at me, and then he’s sending his shadow magic shooting into the tunnel.
“I don’t see how that’s going to help,” I mutter.
“You know my senses are enhanced, Miss Storm,” he tells me, “and they are enhanced even through my magic.”
“But we’re miles away from the academy.”
“Trust me,” he says, with a confident smirk I find way too hot.
He closes his eyes, and the smirk melts away as his face hardens in concentration, two little lines forming between his brow. I peer over at Blaze, who’s watching both of us. He’s never been a fan of the Professor, and there’s a tension in his body as if he’d be half tempted to try burning Fox alive again, like he did once before.
When it’s clear whatever Fox is doing is not going to be over quickly, I unwrap the food parcel Dirk gave me, feeding a roll to Blaze, who swallows the thing whole, and then nibbling onone myself. Finally, Fox’s eyes snap open, and his shadow magic comes racing back to his outstretched hand.
“I think I found it,” he says. “A way through.”
“I don’t see how you did that,” I say in disbelief.
“There’s a scent in the tunnel. A breeze coming from the other end, carrying that scent up to me.”
“And what’s the scent of?”
“The academy.”
“Okay,” I say, jumping to my feet. “That looks like our way in.”
I turn back to Blaze. The last time I left him on his own, he wasn’t exactly thrilled by the idea. There was a lot of protesting, whining, and general guilt-tripping.
“You know what I’m going to say, Blaze,” I tell him this time. The dragon tilts his head to one side. “You can’t come with us. You’re a little too inconspicuous. So you’re going to have to stay out here like a good boy this time. We’ll be back as soon as we can. And anyway,” I say, “there’s lots of great hunting here.” I point in the direction of a small goat herd that is curled up for the night.
I pause, waiting for the puppy eyes, the whining, and the general cute onslaught to begin. To my surprise, Blaze drops down to his belly, expelling a dramatic sigh. It seems he accepts the situation, even if he doesn’t like it. Maybe the group of goats huddled in the distance is just too much of a temptation for him.
“Good boy,” I tell him, stroking my hands down his nose and peppering him with kisses. The bond between us seems to be growing stronger and stronger. It’s becoming harder to leave him each time I have to. It breaks my heart a little bit more. But this isn’t just to let us creep in; it’s once again to keep my friends safe.
“I love you, Blaze,” I whisper.
