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She blinks. "I haven't asked anything."

"I know."

I almost smile. Nyra walks closer. "What is the Heart of Varethia?" Professor Vayne stops. Not dramatically. His pen simply stops moving. Half a second. Maybe less. Then his eyes lift.

"Where did you hear that?" There.

My exhaustion disappears. Nyra's expression changes too. Behind me, I feel Caelen straighten. Rhyven says nothing. "Old civic records." Nyra answers.

Vayne sets down the roster. "Forget them."

I stare. "That isn't suspicious at all."

"Good." He picks the roster back up. "Saves time."

"What is it?" I ask.

"An archaic phrase."

"For what?"

"Several things." Interesting. Exactly what Nyra said.

"Such as?"

"Vaelith."

"Professor." His eyes lift.

"No."

Nyra steps forward. "Is it a place?"

"No answer."

"A structure?"

"No answer."

"Religious?"

"No answer."

"Connected to the Hollowborn?"

Vayne's expression hardens. "Enough." The word lands differently. Silence. I study him. Professor Vayne has dismissed us before. Insulted us. Threatened us. Assigned training specifically designed to make us regret being born. But this? Different. He's not irritated. He's closing something.

"You will stop pursuing this." He says.

Nyra actually laughs. Once. Not because it's funny.

"That makes me significantly more interested."

"Then develop self-control."

"Why?"

"Because you have actual threats to prepare for."