Chapter 45

“Oh, god, Rafe,” I sigh. shaking my head up at him and glancing down the hall. “Do we have to do this now? My schedule says we have ten minutes for lunch before. our next mystery class –”

“Here,” Rafe says, dropping a wrapped power bar and a bottle of water on top of my books. “Academy isn’t big on hot lunch – just a snack before a big dinner. Eat while you walk, talk while you eat.” He puts a firm hand between my shoulder blades and urges me forward, making me keep pace with his quick stride.

“How do you even know where we’re going.” I murmur, struggling with the wrapper of my lunch with one hand. Rafe sighs, taking the food back and unwrapping it for me before slipping it into my hand.

“I looked at the map, obviously, and don’t try to change the subject,” he says. “What was going on with Luca this morning? He was staring at you, completely freaked out, and Jesse almost had a conniption he was laughing so hard.”

“How the hell should I know!?” I ask, blatantly lying and talking with my mouth. full.

“Ari!” Rafe sighs, glaring at me. “I know you’re lying – I’ve known you since you were born –”

“You were just a baby,” I mutter, even though he’s right.

“Fine!” he snaps, moving on, “pressing subject number two! Why the hell did you invite Jackson to have breakfast with us yesterday?”

I stare up at him for a second, forgetting to chew in my surprise, even though he keeps me moving. “What?” I ask, swallowing hard. “Rafe, that was like, a million years ago –”

“That was twenty–four hours ago,” he says, giving me a withering stare.

“Well a lot has happened in the meantime!”

“A lot that you were hoping would make me forget!” he counters, pointing ahead to a door that I understand from his body language is our destination.

I grin up a him, because…yup. He’s got me there.

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Chapter 45

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Rafe stops, grabbing my arm, making me stop with him. “Ari, we had a deal – that guy tried to kill you, and you promised never to speak to him again, and all of a sudden he’s at our breakfast table? What the hell!?”

“Rafe,” I sigh, glancing towards the door, knowing that we’ve only got a few minutes to get in there and I really, really hate being late for school. “I promise I’ll tell you, all right? Jackson – he saved me in the obstacle course –”

“What?” Rafe asks, leaning closer, shock all over his face. “He what?”

“He is the only reason I made a better time- and considering that I was the 90(th) candidate let in? If he hadn’t, I wouldn’t be here. We owe Jackson – and I promise that I will tell you all about it, but can we just get to class? None of this is pressing right now, right? We have time.”

Rafe scowls, glancing between the classroom door and me.

in this classroom to see my big brother

as soon

the room…

the man in

But seated at the desk in the front row, Jesse lounging in the seat behind

  1. me.

room, shoving me in front of him and heading for the desk next to Jesse. When I hesitate, Rafe barks my

handed us all the weird orb yesterday, his dark hair tied back low at the base of his neck. He grins at me, amused, but

nodding to all of us and moving to

Sun, 10

Chapter 45

we’re all here, we can

look curiously around the room

of five people?

hell is going

only the five of you showed a particular aptitude for my teaching specialty. Unlike the rest of your peers, you will be enrolled in this class for the entirety of your time at the Academy.

He go

smiling around at each of us in turn, I think enjoying the fact that each

in his every word. “I’m sorry,” he says, though he certainly doesn’t sound it,

the desk and pulling from it the black orb, “demonstrated an affinity for magic. I will be here, over the course of the next

go up almost to my

when we turned sixteen that the Goddess has given each of us a particular magical gift. But that

Aunt Cora said not to worry about – they didn’t find out about their own gifts until later in their

hell did the Academy find out? My eyes dart immediately to the

professor says, perhaps seeing the direction

Sun, 10 Mar

Chapter 45

67%音

of my own inventions, very useful. And while it does allow us to identify candidates who have an affinity for magic, it does not at

So!”

at the five of us. “Does anyone know what

in absolute silence,

I mean.

all magic, and that he’s going to train us

is maybe the coolest

is definitely a surprise.

shocking me by casually sitting on it, tucking his leg in beneath him. “Surely one of

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