How is my aunt connected to the family?
Until I speak to Tobias, I'm not mentioning names or anything else I don't understand.
"I'm troubled by the fire prediction,” says Sofia. Troubled? "We need to look into this more. Perhaps it's time to revisit your visions, if you actually attend our practice sessions."
Goosebumps rise on my arms. Each time I've given control to my unconscious mind, I've ended confused or upset. "With Jamie, tomorrow?" I suggest as I fold the letter and push the paper back into the envelope. If Sofia thinks she gets to read this, she's wrong. "He strengthens me."
A brightness enters Sofia’s eyes again. "Such a lovely boy. Committed and focused on his studies and his life. You would do well to keep him close."
"I do." I stand. "Thank you for passing on the letter. Can I go now?"
Sofia rises from her seat too. "Please don't worry too much."
"I'm not. I knew what to expect after meeting my aunt. She makes no sense."
"No, I mean don't worry that your life will follow the same path as hers. However similar you are to Marie, you are quite different."
I struggle to hide my worry and the urgency to leave the room. "I know. Everybody tells me this all the time."
My aunt’s letter may be unclear, but one word stands out more than any other.
Winterfall.
Chapter Fifty-Four
JAMIE
How do I handle the April situation? We’ve spent a couple of years working alongside but separately to each other. I never worked as a team until recently. People frustrate me, because whenever I worked on group projects, at least one person would arse about and do nothing.
Like grouping with Andrei.
I’d spend extra time making up for other’s lack of work and eventually decided to study alone.
At first, April and I were competitive academically, even though our magic schools are different—she’s earth elemental and struggles with spirit-based spells, and I’m less adept at manipulating elements. As the months passed, we helped each other.
We became library ‘roommates’.
Her father’s position as a historian helps us both when we’re working on Magical History, and we first bonded over our love of learning everything about the past. April’s interests lie with the border between folklore and reality where our world joins with the human. She’s mentioned studying further and following in her father’s footsteps.
Dracula appears to be her latest obsession, but last year she approached me to talk about Frankenstein. Our debate became an argument when I refused to accept anything supernatural from the book. Frankenstein tells us more about human society than our world. Creating life from dead bodies? I scoffed at the time and offended her badly enough that she never spoke to me for a week.
Now I’m fully aware that creatures created from the dead can exist.
I mull over this as I wander into the library and scan the desks for students.
Nobody.
I left the book containing Mr. Dobbs’s case in the sanctum. Has April taken the book yet? I made notes at the time, but I’d love to reread and spend more time holding the book. Nothing struck me as unusual about the energy attached, apart from the uncomfortable history, and I couldn’t picture any strong images from the book’s past. This is no more than a notebook for records written by a doctor, but maybe there’s more.
The door to the witches' sanctum is unlocked and the lanterns on the walls lit. I hear a male and a female voice from one of the study rooms and avoid approaching when I recognise the voices as Dane and Kailey.
With a shake of my head, I walk into the room with the history books.
Somebody else is working here—either that or they never tidied up after themselves. Several black books are open on the desk and three more are piled haphazardly near the edge. A large parchment stretches across the remaining space, weighted down either side by more black books.
I set my bag on the floor, ready to tidy away the books, and catch sight of the drawing on the parchment. Lowering myself into the chair in front, I study the paper.
Building plans.
The academy? I quietly close the door before returning to the map. Who would leave this here and why?
I’m great at words, not so great at cartography, but this is definitely the academy building.
My scalp prickles as my suspicions grow—I’m in the sanctum and miraculously a plan of the academy appears. Glancing around, I pull out my phone and take several shots of the large map. As I’m taking the last one, the door opens. April stops before walking into the room and her cheeks turn pink.
“Jamie! What are you doing here?” she stammers.
“Why didn’t you tell me you had the plans?” I retort. “Seems coincidental you’ve left them on a table in the place I spend time.”
Her face flushes further. “I saw you with your friends this morning. I didn’t think you’d come here.” She holds up a coffee cup. “I only left for ten minutes.”
“Kailey and Dane are down here.” I gesture towards the next room.
“Yes, but nobody knows or cares what these plans are, apart from me and you.” She chews a nail, eyes darting between me and the map. “I was going to tell you. I wanted to take a look first. I read the book I gave you—if something’s weird at the academy, I want to know too.”
“Why? To tell Theodora?” I ask.
She cocks her head. “You should tell Theodora. What are you planning with your friends?”
“Are you spying on us?” I ask, eyes narrowing.
She picks at her coffee cup lid. “Not exactly. A lot of people watch and notice the four of you. Five of you, if you include Professor Whitlock. Besides, you asked for my help.”
Wasn’t April the one who asked about my research and offered to help?
April walks over and sets her cup on the desk before rolling up the map. “I want to help, or I’m taking this to Theodora.”
Crap.
“She already knows,” I lie. Tobias promised a full debrief with Theodora, should we find anything concrete. Until now, all we have is Maeve’s heartbeat delusion and no sign of anything.
“Then you won’t mind if I give her this.” She clutches the plans against her chest as she calls my bluff.
My shoulders sink. “You can’t be involved, April.”
“How do you know? Ask your friends. Tell them I helped.”
She’s breathy and insistent, like a kid wanting to join an exclusive gang, which isn’t far from the truth.
“Could I see the academy plans?” I ask and hold my hand out. “Please, April.”
“Tell me when I can meet you all.”
I blink. Wow. This is a new side to the meek April. I took photos. I don’t need the map. “I’ll talk to them.”
Her eyes brighten. “Thank you.”
“I’ll call you.” I take my backpack from the floor, annoyed with her demands. As I reach the doorway, I look back at her. “What are you going to do now?”
“The same as always, Jamie. Find the answer.”
Chapter Fifty-Five