Being necessary meant something else always needed doing.
Good thing I was built for it.
17
Elio
THE SUMMONS CAME DURING DEFENSIVE drills outside the library.
We’d been running student safety protocols for weeks—ever since Raven’s kidnapping made it clear campus security had gaps the master could exploit. After the wellspring incident three days ago, when three students nearly died trying to cleanse re-corruption themselves, attendance had more than doubled.
Students were paying attention now. They had to be—Wickem’s wellspring had turned again. It was becoming clearer across the witch would that something was very wrong with magic.
Marigold and I were demonstrating corruption detection—how my illusions could reveal signature patterns before her necromancy confirmed them—when Professor Cribley emerged from the library, her silver-beaded braids catching the afternoon light.
Mr. Lightford, Miss Grimley, President Sprig requires you in the administrative building. Immediately.
I exchanged a glance with Marigold. Her dark brown eyes held the same question mine did. What now?
Echo’s scales shifted to anxious yellow on my shoulder as we followed Cribley across campus. Scout paced along Marigold’s shoulder, his tiny claws tapping out nervous energy.
Any idea what this is about? Marigold asked quietly.
Several, I admitted. None of them good.
Ms. Wallace met us at the entrance of the offices, her usually warm expression strained.
Conference room, she said.
President Sprig was already seated, and Professor Cribley and Ms. Wallace took seats next to him. The tactical map on the wall showed our integrated surveillance network—my illusion detection overlaid with Marigold’s necromantic corruption sensing providing comprehensive coverage across campus and beyond.
Someone had been studying our system very carefully.
Miss Grimley. Mr. Lightford. Sprig gestured to seats across from him. We need to discuss the defensive network you’ve been operating.
Marigold sat. I followed.
Specifically, Sprig continued, we need to discuss access protocols and authorization.
Our protocols are documented… Marigold started.
You gave Elio Lightford complete access to your corruption detection system, Sprig interrupted, his tone matter-of-fact. Without faculty oversight or approval.
Marigold’s posture straightened. We integrated our surveillance capabilities to improve effectiveness. The combined system catches corruption signatures that neither necromancy nor illusions would detect independently…
Or it gives someone with a documented history of manipulation unprecedented surveillance capability across campus, Cribley said.
The temperature in the room dropped several degrees.
My illusion network serves detection purposes, I said, keeping my tone even. Pattern recognition, corruption identification…
And monitoring, Wallace added. I heard worry in her voice not accusation. Your illusions can see things, Elio. Hear things. Track behavior across campus. Combined with Marigold’s necromantic reach, you have comprehensive surveillance that extends well beyond Wickem’s grounds.
She wasn’t wrong.
That capability is directed at external threats. Marigold’s voice carried an edge now. Defensive.
Directed by you, Sprig said. An eighteen-year-old student who’s been at Wickem less than a year. Making critical security decisions while romantically involved with the heir to Wickem’s most infamous manipulative family.
