She set the bouquet in a vase inside her dorm before she said, “We have to talk to the others. Come on.”
We found Delmare, Stefan, Kiara, Theo and Odette in our usual cozy corner at the library. The autumn leaves falling outside the window were coming down in torrents, and the fireplace nearby crackled, setting up a comforting scene. An illusion had been cast in the library to imitate the scent of pumpkins and burning marshmallows. It was incredibly homey.
We were here to discuss Odette’s prophetic powers.We’d canceled our last get together due to… well… my recent attempt to end my existence, but we couldn’t put it off any longer.
I’d been filled in by the boys on what had happened, but since I was in the infirmary, we hadn’t gotten together to discuss it as a group until now.
“Where’s Alexei? He’s late,” Emma asked as she slid into a chair beside the large square table. Everyone else had already taken their seats.
“We can fill him in later. The longer we linger, the bigger risk someone finds out what we’re talking about,” Stefan said. “Let’s get down to business.”
Everyone looked expectantly to Odette. “What?” she peeped.
“We’re asking if you had a vision since the other day, love,” Theo said.
Theo immediately realized what he’d said the moment the pet name slipped out. He froze, and a pink blush rose to his cheeks. Odette stiffened while the rest of us held our breath.
Odette cleared her throat. “Um, no. I haven’t foreseen anything.”
Theo’s slip of the tongue wasn’t brought up further. Sheepish, he remained quiet as Delmare said, “So let’s take Odette back to the pond. Maybe she’ll have another vision.”
“It doesn’t work like that,” Kiara objected. “The gods allow seers to see things when they feel they’re ready. Odette won’t receive another vision until the gods deem it the proper time. Especially if she tries to force it.”
Odette nodded. “I agree with Kiara. I’ve already tried, and I can’t make myself fall into another trace. The best we can do is wait for me to have another vision.”
“Are you ready for that?” Theo asked.
Odette looked at the ceiling. “I… think so? It’s complicated. There’s so much about being a seer that I don’t know, but I’m willing to learn! Especially if it helps us find the Crystals of Harmony.”
“I think the best option while we wait for you to have another vision is to research thedryca.Your druid blood, and the history of the druids, might point us in the right direction,” Emma suggested.
“I’m already on it,” Odette said. “I’ve checked out dozens of books on druids from the library. What I’ve learned is that they were more than just prophets. They were great scholars and knowledge keepers of the fae— like living libraries. They recorded our histories and the practice of our religion for centuries. They would’vedefinitelyknown about the Crystals of Harmony. What we have to look for is where they kept and passed down their information. Most of it was through oral stories, but I’m sure they wrote down somethingsomewhere. Perhaps if we can access their knowledge, it might trigger me to have a vision that’ll lead us closer to the alicorn stone.”
So that’s what we were looking for— a way to access the once-great storage of wisdom the druids had. I wasn’t sure how we’d do that, as they were all dead. But perhaps there was an abandoned library, or journal somewhere that held some of their secrets. If we could learn what the druids kept between themselves, it might lead us right to the alicorn stone.
At that point, Alexei came strolling in. His expression seemed rather bothered.
“Where have you been?” Kiara asked.
“Getting information,” he said. “The Black Claw is back in the city. You know the monsters the cult was trapping last semester? They’re being used as a conduit for Gabby, for her to harness dark magic.”
“How do you know?” I was surprised Alexei had managed to get his hands on such a crucial piece of information.
Alexei scowled. “I was flying over town. I stopped to rest for a moment on a rooftop and overhead two cultists talking below in an alleyway. They’re keeping the monsters in an old warehouse on the edge of town. They have at least four in there, which doesn’t sound like many, but it’s a lot when you consider how big these creatures have to be.”
“And how powerful,” Stefan added.
“So what are we going to do about it?” Kiara looked between us. “Gabby is already magically talented due to the full moon ceremony she uses to harvest power from Droga. We can’t let her keep draining these creatures, too. She’s too strong as it is.”
“There’s only one answer, is there?” I asked glumly. “I have to put on the mask again.”
A small bit of silence rang between us. I expected Emma to pitch a fit, or at least look pissed— instead, a bit of introspection came into her eyes.
Odette tilted her head. “But I thought you were done with him, after what happened with—”
Theo nudged her, and she fell quiet. I swallowed nervously.
“I don’t want to be the Phantom anymore. But my personal grievances aren’t worth putting Dolinska in more danger,” I said. “Only a vigilante can stop this.”
