“I’ll meet you guys in the courtyard,” I told them and slipped off the bed, straightening my black dress. I needed some alone time, and they seemed to get that. Even Skye poofed out of existence.
Making my way out of the dorms, I wandered through the rose garden in the courtyard aimlessly, watching them set up rows of chairs for the funeral. In the distance, I noticed the senior hunter Skye had gone on a few dates with hunched over the casket—Skye standing behind him in her ghostly form.
Please don’t make me talk to him, I thought, and beelined it for the academy. I was so not in the mood to tell Skye’s last conquest that she was a ghost. I was in such a rush to disappear that when I slipped into the elevator I just mashed a random button, focused on getting away. It wasn’t until the doors opened at the basement level that I realized I was in that special section Dash had mentioned, the one where they kept the relics. I was officially on the mysterious SB floor.
I should have closed the elevator doors and gone back up. I was pretty sure I wasn’t allowed down here. The button must be broken, because I’d pushed it before out of curiosity and it never took me down here. Something caught my eye in the room, and when I saw glass case upon glass case of shiny, pretty, magical things, I couldn’t stop myself and stepped out of the elevator.
Holy relic heaven.
The place was lit up like a museum. Overhead lamps shone on display cases, illuminating the contents. Crystals, rings, daggers, books, chicken bones? There was so much to look at, I didn’t know where to start. To the left of the large wide open space were the glass display boxes, but the right was stacked high with shipping crates. I moved to get a closer look at a book made of black leather that looked to have a real eyeball sewn into it, then the elevator dinged behind me.
Without thinking I leapt behind the shipping crates and hid, peeking through a gap in two crates as the elevator doors opened.
Aurelia stepped out with Theo and an older female hunter with long gray hair that I recognized as one of the librarians. I think her name was Mrs. Knapp. The trio moved to one of the cases, where Mrs. Knapp set a box down on the top of the glass. A small blue glow emanated from a crack in the lid.
“This should keep the demons or anyone using dark magic from being able to create portals here anymore,” Mrs. Knapp muttered. “I’ve been working on it nonstop with the healers. At the very least, it should repel the energy long enough for us to call you, Aurelia.”
Aurelia looked tired; her lips turned down into a frown. “Thank you, Michelle. This is extremely helpful and will surely strengthen the wards.” Sighing, she brought her hands up to rub her temples. “I just wish we understood why the wards are failing us now. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Do you think it could be the girl?” Mrs. Knapp asked.
The girl?
Aurelia dropped her arms and gave Mrs. Knapp a funny look. “Tatum?”
A small gasp escaped my mouth, and Theo snapped his head in my direction. His watchful eyes scanned the space. I covered my lips and held my breath, and the group continued talking a moment later.
“I think it’s possible,” Mrs. Knapp continued. “For centuries, the wards have kept portals from opening within our compound. Then this girl shows up, we learn she’s the daughter of our greatest enemy, and suddenly portals are popping up everywhere on our grounds. The timing alone is suspicious.”
Suspicious?What did that mean?
Aurelia was quiet for a moment. I wanted to shout that it wasn’t true, but what did I really know about portals and protective wards? At the very least wedidknow the demons that emerged from the portals both times were looking for me, so in that sense itwasmy fault.
Aurelia shook her head. “No, we can’t assume this has anything to do with Tatum, nor can we afford to have that suspicion grow within our ranks. She may be Apollyon’s daughter, but she’s a good kid. I don’t believe for a second she’d do anything to purposefully harm anyone. If she does have something to do with the failing wards, it’s not anything she can help, so it doesn’t change our course of action. She’s a Lumen, one of us. We protect each other. Fortifying the defenses around our community will be enough. It will have to be.”
A warm ball of emotion formed in my chest at the motherly way she’d just laid down the law and said that I was one of them and to be protected.
Mrs. Knapp looked a bit affronted. “Of course, I didn’t mean to imply that Tatum would do anything maliciously. Only that her presence seems to have triggered something.”
Aurelia nodded, reaching up again to massage her temples. “I can’t let anything happen to these students. After losing Arthur’s talisman, the last thing we need is another attack.”
We lost Arthur’s talisman? I just told Gage we had it.
I probably should’ve stepped out and let them know I was there, but it would’ve been awkward. And if I was being completely honest, I wanted to hear more, so instead of revealing myself, I leaned forward.
Theo reached out and rubbed his wife’s shoulders. “That wasn’t your fault. They overwhelmed us, tricked us.”
Aurelia shook her head. “No… we knew better. It’s not like they hadn’t done the same thing before. We should have done a better job keeping that vile object away from Arthur. We should have tried to destroy it. There’s no excuse.”
Theo frowned, concern for his wife clear on his face, but he didn’t push the point.
Aurelia sighed. “Let’s try to keep the information about Arthur’s talisman from leaving this room. The last thing I want is for Tatum to worry that he could curse Joelle again.”
My blood instantly ran cold. Arthur could curse Gran again?
Mrs. Knapp touched a spinning angel mark on the top of the box and the lid popped open, flooding the space with blue light.
Aurelia winced at the glow, but the corners of her mouth lifted in a grin. “Great job, Michelle. This will fix the problem, I know it.”
