The door shut behind us. “What’s going on? I thought you weren’t supposed to return to the Institute yet. If the Warden sees you—”
“All is well,” he promised. “I’m back on staff and preparing for the upcoming semester. I don’t believe the Warden suspects me of anything, and I intend to keep it that way. The Demigod Guardians have run across information that you and your friends should know.”
“If it’s in that book, we need to hide it from the Warden,” I insisted.
“The Warden should not suspect anything,” Takashi assured me. “It’s been right in front of us all along. This is a book of poetry— nursery rhymes and stories that are thought to be fables, all originating from supernatural societies. The book is widely available in the school’s library. But there are some stories in here that have proven to hold truths, such as the Nivita legend from your own culture. The story told of a woman who died and became a tree.”
“What does this have to do with demigods?” I asked.
“If that story is true, the others could be, too,” Takahashi said. “We think we found a clue to the merfolk key that you and your friends will need to open the Elven Gate and fulfill your prophecy.”
My heart surged with hope. “What’s the story?”
“It’s an old Atlantean story the sailors used to tell while at sea. It’s calledThe Assassin’s Destiny,” Takahashi said. “It speaks of a woman assassin who stolea treasure of the sea. We believe that to be the merfolk key.”
Takahashi began to narrate a verse aloud. It sounded like a poem.
“Into the dark she ran, with her treasure of the sea.
The key to her riches lies with the assassin’s destiny.”
Pages rustled as Takahashi closed the book. “We think this story is a treasure map that will lead us to where she hid it.”
“This is great!” I cried. We already had four keys— after we stole the angel key from the Warden’s safe— and already, we had a clue leading to another.
I pondered the words for a moment. “The assassin’s destiny… what is that? Is this another prophecy?”
“It’s likely,” Takahashi said. “Which means—”
“It’s about Kallie,” I said simply. “She was an assassin in Malovia, before she was sentenced to the Institute. She’s one of the demigods searching for the keys. So it must be her destiny to find it.”
“We believe so,” Takahashi agreed. “Which means that Kallie must be the one to decipher this. It isherprophecy,herdestiny. She must connect with her origins and discover who this assassin was, in order to find where this mysterious woman hid the key.”
“Maybe she already knows without realizing it,” I said thoughtfully. “I’ll tell her right away.”
“Take the book,” Takahashi offered, placing it into my hands. “Give it to Marcus. He can keep it in his stash.”
“I will. Thank you so much.”
“I know you’re excited, but remember to keep your guard up,” Takahashi told me. “I will see you in a few weeks’ time, once our counseling sessions start up again. In the meantime, make sure to stay out of trouble.”
That was always my prerogative, but with the people I hung around with, Takahashi was asking for the impossible.
I left the room buzzing with excitement. Ava-Marie was making a recovery, and we had a lead on the next key. All seemed right in the world.
When I entered Ava’s hospital room, the doctors had cleared out.
“I found something about the keys,” I said in a rush. “Well, Takahashi found it.”
“We can talk about it when Kallie and Marcus get back,” Ava said. “My mom just left to update my dad, and I don’t have much time.”
“Time for what?” I asked.
The bed creaked as Ava tried pushing herself upright. She groaned, and concern swelled over me. I tossed the book onto a chair and hurried to her bedside.
“The doctors unhooked me, but Mama won’t let me get out of bed,” Ava said. “She’sveryinsistent I stay put so the doctors can observe me. They need to run more tests, and they don’t know how long I’ll be here. But Ineeda shower. I feel so gross. Can you help me quick while Mama’s gone?”
“Yeah, of course,” I said. I’d do anything she wanted. I helped her sit up, then tossed the covers off her feet and guided them onto the floor.
