There was a commotion as a woman with salt-and-pepper hair trimmed short and wearing a tweed suit cut her way through the gathered students.The dean of Aldryn,Romie’s memories provided.
“Dean Fulton,” Drutten greeted the woman. “Ms. Brysden here—she says—”
“I heard.” Dean Fulton’s dark eyes never left Atheia’s face. “Thank you, Captain Drutten, I’ll take it from here.” To the students, she said in a raised voice, “Back to your classes, everyone.Now.”
The students eventually scattered, eyes lingering on Atheia. They did not know what to make of her, and she couldn’t exactly fault them for it. She wore the skin of a dead girl who had been friends with the public enemy that was Emory, the Tidethief, the Shadow reborn. Of course they wouldn’t believe her outright that she was the Tides returned.
The dean watched Atheia carefully. “There are people who willbe wanting to talk to you.” It sounded like she wanted to addMs. Brysdenat the end of her sentence but thought the better of it.
Behind the dean were two boys, students who did not leave with the rest of their peers. Atheia knew their faces through Romie’s memories, recognizing them as members of the current Selenic Order cohort at the college: Louis Clairmont, a Healer with brown curls, and Javier Oritze Belesa, a Wardcrafter with long dark hair and fine features.
Recognition was stark on both their faces—and more importantly,belief.They were part of the Selenic Order; their entire life goal had been to bring back the Tides. And here she was, returned in the body of one of their initiates. If anyone would believe her, it was them.
Romie’s thoughts quickly formulated a plan, and Atheia couldn’t help but be grateful for her vessel’s wits and knowledge. If there was an ally to be found in this world, people who would not only believe her outright but also help her achieve her goal of eradicating Eclipse magic, it was the Selenic Order. Particularly the Tidal Council, the leaders of this secret society who were named in honor of the four Tides, in honor ofher.
Atheia smiled at Louis and Javier, turning her wrist out to show the silver spiral there that she knew was mirrored on their own wrists. “Shall I call on the Tidal Council, or will you?”
20BAZ
ALDRYN COLLEGE LOOKED GRIM AGAINSTthe bleak winter sky.
Baz emerged from the caves surprised to find he could do so by simply walking out instead of treading water; the low tide was pulled farther back than what was normal, making the entire cove a stretch of dark, wet sand as far as the eye could see. The unveiled shoreline was in a state of erosion like Baz had never seen before, hinting at powerful tidal bulges.
Indeed, from his low vantage point on the beach, he could see parts of Aldryn College had been worn away by the ravaging tides. The secret staircase that led to the Eclipse commons was still intact, though it was missing some steps, large gaps where rock had broken off. The old lighthouse had toppled over, lying on the uncovered seabed amidst a pile of dark gray rock that Baz had to wind his way around. If it had fallen a bit closer to the cave mouth, it might have blocked the entrance completely. Destroyed Dovermere altogether.
Baz felt like he’d appeared in another world. The feeling was stranger—bleaker—than when he and Kai had fallen through time to an older Aldryn. If this was the physical state of the world, if the tides were already acting out of sorts like Clover had anticipated they would, what did that mean for them all?
He didn’t know what to do next, didn’t even know where everyone was. Would his father and Jae and Selandyn be in the Eclipse commons, relying on the wards to keep them safe from the Regulators? Would they have taken refuge elsewhere, like at Alya’s Veiled Atlas tavern?
A great roaring split the silence, followed by the sound of a hundred seagulls taking flight, crying in what sounded like alarm.
Baz scanned the coastline and froze as he saw the horizon.
The tide was coming in. Not gradually, as it should have, but all at once. The wave unfurling toward him was gaining momentum and height, until it was a great, impenetrable wall of dark blue steel. A tsunami that would no doubt be higher than the cliff itself once it reached him.
A wave like that would take down the cliff, and the whole school with it.
Before Baz could call on his magic to stop it, another kind of magic crackled overhead. He saw a shimmer of something at the top of the cliff, which trickled like water down to the seabed. He realized what it was: a ward being put up, a shield stretched over the cliffside to protect Aldryn from the incoming tide.
A face appeared in the window of the Eclipse commons, but it was not one Baz knew. It wasn’t even an Eclipse-born. The person spotted him on the sand and shouted something Baz couldn’t hear.
And then a second face appeared in the window, one he knew well.
Drutten. The Regulator who’d made Baz’s life a living hell.
A predatory sort of smile touched Drutten’s face. More peopleappeared in the window, pointing at Baz and shouting things he couldn’t hear from down here, and he realized by their charcoal uniforms that they were all Regulators.
They sent a wave of magic toward Baz. He knew it was magic by the unnatural way the dozen of arrows came at him, precise and in sync, ethereally translucent as if they were made of air. Some kind of mixture of Wordsmith and Reaper magic, perhaps? Funny how his brain went into scholarly mode trying to decipher what magic this was when death was coming straight at him.
Baz tried to get out of their way, but the arrows changed course, following him. He flung out his magic at the very last second, stopping them midair, and unraveled their threads backward so they never existed at all.
His heart pounded in his chest as he stared wide-eyed at Drutten and his companions. They were trying tokillhim. They had taken hishome, and now they were out for his blood. And the tide was ever rising. Soon Baz would be annihilated, trapped between a wall of sea and one of rock.
Baz tore toward Cadence, away from the caves and the Regulators. He flung his magic out toward the giant wave on his left, trying to halt its progress, but it was like trying to stop the entire sea, the world itself. And half his mind was on the magical assault that was happening still, another volley of enchanted arrows shooting his way.
And then Baz heard his name.
Emerging from the path in the tall grass that led to Cadence were two people running toward him, waving their hands wildly to get his attention. Baz squinted, adjusting his glasses on his nose to better see who it was. One of the girls had dark brown skin, with long, tight braids swinging behind her as she ran. Ife Nuru. One of the Selenic Order members.
