“What do I need to do?” Ivy asked. “Because you damn well know I’m not gonna stay in this joint while the rest of you book it outta here.”
“You go gather the others and tell them what’s going on,” I said. “The four of us will meet up at the lake and get the key, while the rest of you wait for us in the Lair, so we can escape through the portal together.”
“Finally, a decent plan,” Ivy said. “You know, big shot, this just might work.”
“Hold on a second,” Ava said. “We should take the keys that we already have. If we’re breaking out, we need to have them on us at all times, so if something happens and we can’t come back to the Lair, we don’t leave them behind.”
“Right. Marcus can always paint us another door that I can shift into a portal if we get stuck somewhere,” Kallie said.
Ava went to the magical chest Kallie had created with her illusion magic, the one that onlywecould unlock. Ava withdrew the four keys we already had in our possession— the keys for elementals, witches, fae, and angels— and put them into her pocket. My heart was pounding wildly. We were making so much progress… all we had to do was not screw it up.
Kallie closed the portal, and we hurried back inside the prison. The halls were eerily quiet as we went our separate ways. Ava and I rushed to Hemlock’s classroom, but didn’t find her there, so we continued down the hall to Takahashi’s office in the counseling tower. Ava waited at the bottom of the stairs as Oberi and I took several flights up, but we found that room was empty as well.
Fear gripped my chest, though I forced myself to stay calm. Where were they?
Did you find them?Ava asked telepathically when we returned to her side. She was worried about speaking out loud, which was a genuine concern, with how silent these halls were.
No. They’re not around, which is weird, because they told us one of them would always be in their office if we needed them, I added.
Something’s wrong, Oberi panted.
Yeah. It's too quiet,I mused.Where are all the guards?
What if the Warden found out Takahashi and Hemlock were working with us after Esther reported our potion?Ava thought frantically.
I didn’t get a chance to respond before we heard shouting down the hall. “Hey! You kids aren’t supposed to be down here!”
Heavy hands landed on us, and Oberi barked.
“Mandatory assembly! All students are to report to the Hall of Mirrors immediately,” the guards growled.
I went to yank my arm away, but thought better of it. Ava had the keys on her, and if I fought back, they’d search us. It was best to go along with them right now.
Something’s going down, Ava said, and her thoughts tightened with worry.
Don’t let them find the keys,I warned.
I won’t.
The guards didn’t give us any choice. One of them pushed Ava’s wheelchair— without asking, I might add— and the others held my wrists tightly as they escorted us to the Hall of Mirrors.
The room was in chaos when the guards shoved us inside. Judging by the noise, every inmate in the school had to be packed into this room. Confused chatter filled the area, like nobody quite knew what any of us were doing there. Our friends must’ve seen us, because they hurried to our side. They were all here, gathered in a tight group in the back corner of the room.
“What’s going on?” Ez asked us. “Ivy said—”
“I saidnothing,” Ivy interrupted, warning Ez not to say anything out in the open.
“The Warden’s searching our rooms,” Kallie said in a panic. “The guards picked up Marcus and me in the fae cell block. We saw them confiscating my things, including my grimoire. They shoved Alette into a cage and took her away!”
I gritted my teeth. “That means they’ve got Sprigs, too.”
Alistair cracked his knuckles. “Where’d they take them? I’ll get ‘em back.”
“Let’s not go in guns blazing until we know what’s happening,” Chancey told Alistair.
“Does anyone knowwhywe’re here?” Opal asked.
“No idea, but it can’t be good,” I said. “We couldn’t find Hemlock or Takahashi.”
