Hemlock paused. Her fingers thrummed upon the textbooks on her desk before she said, “Yes, the Warden is looking for a way into this city. Which is why you must abandon your quest to find itat once.This is dangerous, Ava.”
“What’s in Forevermore? What does the Warden want with it?”
“What wouldn’t he want with it? Forevermore, if it exists, would contain all the knowledge the Elves had. There would most likely be information on demigods within, as well as all kinds of supernatural discoveries that other races have never gotten their hands on,” Hemlock noted. “You understand the repercussions there would be if certain people managed to attain powers and information they didn’t have before.”
“But—”
“As anthropologists, we want to preserve and protect the ruins for future generations, but others would destroy the city in search of gaining power. If these ruins exist, they are all we have left of the Elves. People like us must be intent on keeping the city safe from others, even at the cost of our own research.”
Hemlock straightened her papers. “You have a class, Miss Mitoh. If you do not move along, I will be forced to issue you an infraction. Now, hurry to it. And do not go looking for passage to Forevermore again. Not unless you’re willing to face the consequences of what such a discovery might entail.”
She was clearly throwing me out. I left her classroom disenchanted, wondering if she was right. That Hemlock was trying to warn me off uncovering the city made me nauseous. She was certain that if the doorway to Forevermore was opened, the discovery would be used for bad, and not good. If I was an anthropologist worth my weight, I’d do the right thing, and leave Forevermore to secrecy in order to keep it safe.
But I was a chosen one, too. I had a destiny to follow, whether I wanted to work out this prophecy or not. I was caught between the two. If I had to choose between saving the world and saving a lost city, it’d break my little explorer heart, but I’d save the world.
Then there was the Warden. I was frightened to think that somehow, the Warden had worked out we were looking for Forevermore, and had taken those books himself. I knew he was watching me closely.
Yes, there was a risk that if I discovered how to get to Forevermore, others may follow and turn it to dust. But I didn’t want the Warden to get to it first, and no matter how many years he’d spent looking for this city, he wasn’t the type to give up.
I was going to keep searching for passage to Forevermore, even if there were consequences.
Because the consequences of not getting there were even worse.
* * *
Marcus and I were hanging out in the stands in the prison yard the next day. Kallie was in her shifter form, chasing around a dead mouse that Marcus had found and resurrected for her. The dead mouse scampered this way and that at Marcus’ command. Kallie’s eyes were fixated on the mouse, mouth watering as she dove this way and that, trying to catch it. Oberi was in his husky form, chasing the mouse alongside her with his tongue hanging out. Rishi sat in the stands beside Marcus, his tail flicking back and forth as he watched the mouse move.
“It’s strange how much shifters act like actual animals, isn’t it?” I asked. Kallie leapt into the air to catch the mouse, but missed and fell on her face. She shook off her fur and tried again.
“A bit,” Marcus said, and he laughed. “She’d better hurry up and catch it soon, though. I can’t keep this up for more than… five more minutes?”
“Why? You made that dead deer run during the Darke Games no sweat,” I pointed out.
“Because we were going to die, and I had to,” Marcus said. “Since we got back, I’ve only been able to reanimate dead mice. For fifteen minutes. On a Tuesday only.”
“Wow.”
“I know I have the most worthless powers in the world. No need to rub it in,” Marcus grumbled.
Oberi jumped in front of the mouse, cutting off its path. The little creature turned and ran straight into Kallie’s open jaws. She caught the mouse, then ate it in one bite.
Kallie changed back and put her hands on her hips. “You’re gonna have to be quicker than that, Oberi,” she teased. Oberi whimpered and stomped his paws.
“That was too easy,” Kallie told Marcus. “You need to make it harder next time.”
Marcus jumped off the stands and faced Kallie. “Do you ever do anything that’s not… you know, physically exhausting?”
“I’m always ready for a fight,” Kallie said. “You should be, too.”
I scoffed. That was putting it lightly. Kallie would beat a bitch’s ass on sight, versus Marcus, who avoided a brawl whenever he could. They were total opposites, which made themsocute together.
“I prefer to use my brains,” Marcus replied. “You should try it sometime.”
“No thanks,” Kallie said. “When it comes to brains, I’d rather be spilling them.”
“You’re disgusting.” Marcus wrinkled up his nose.
“And you’re in prison. Most people would share my sentiment. Get used to it,” Kallie shot back. Marcus huffed, but he wasn’t half as offended as he pretended to be.
