na

le period, the world moved in

rs that the nib bent, but I didn't write a single

ough memories, cross-referencing dates,

nd y

ore the Intermediat

half the school, begging Colin Reynolds to wear my em

ned lecture tracks, sitting alone in the cold shadows o

r ag

red glass than look at Colin

le turrets tolled twelv

leaded glass windows, signali

ustle of packing parchment filled the air as

." Professor Foster's voice cut t

k, tapping her oak wand

m fell insta

for involving the descaling of fi

over the rows of Crimson Dawn and Azure Gale students. "Beginning tomorrow morning, our advan

rmur rippled th

me, her eyes wide with

nake-tail into our lecture? They usually keep all t

caught in

thudding in my ea

ster said, her tone brook no argument. "The academic council has granted him special dispensation to complete his upper-tier c

the private door behind the dais,

her shoulder and hooking her arm through mine as we joined the flow of students moving into the grand corridor. "Or

tone gallery, but my thoughts

ocratic

o

who i

adn't paid attention

dling Colin's initials

of the high-born students in ignoring him, treating his threadbare cl

aught genius, surviving on half-rations in the Abyssal dormitories while sending every br

tly near the base of the grand sta

od lemon tarts will be gone, and you know how

e in Abyssal named

er brow furrowing i

. Not on the Council's register of lineages, t

f her tongue made my jaw

edge that made Collette's eyes widen slightly. "Col

believing a word. "And I'm secretly the High Chancellor of the Magic Council. Com

orridor toward the heavy arched doors that led to the un

d knot of dread in my stomach dissolving i

row I