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“Then we have enough information to take a shot at this,” Grant said. “We could get the Oaken Wands while the Executors are still at the festival. Tonight’s our best shot.”
“Let’s go before our spell wears off,” Chloe stated.
Lucas lifted his hands to create a portal to take us to the school. A beat passed, but nothing happened.
“The school is warded against portals,” he said. “We can’t portal directly in or out of the school. Nadine and I can try to work together to get past the wards, but they’re strong, and that’s going to take time we don’t have. It took us weeks to work through the Malovian wards before we could open a portal to get Grant and Talia through the last time.”
“Get us as close as you can,” I decided. “The second Lilian returns and finds Mandy and Tate missing, the Executors will swarm town looking for us. We have to move quickly.”
Lucas formed a portal leading into the trees surrounding Miriam College. We stepped through, and the portal shut behind us. Slowly, I crept through the trees, keeping my eyes on the school. A chill breeze swept through the trees, but other than that, the grounds were quiet.
“Looks safe,” I remarked. “Come on.”
We crept across the grass and snuck into the school. The outside of the mansion looked the same as it always had, apart from some construction material near the ballroom entrance. Inside, everything was different.
The last time we were here, the school was under attack. The space-bending spell that expanded the dorms and classrooms had been collapsing, and we’d barely gotten out. The room we entered wasn’t at all what I remembered the Main Foyer looking like. It had the same red carpet and black walls, and the painting of Mother Miriam still hung above the mantle, but the stairs were closer to the door, and there were fewer sconces.
Grant spun around to take it all in. “This looks like a smaller version of the Main Foyer.”
Chloe rolled her eyes at him. “That’s because it is.”
“We don’t have time to marvel at it.” I gestured for them to follow me. “Come on.”
We started down the hall, and I counted turns until we reached where I thought Verla’s office was—except the hall that was supposed to be there wasn’t.
“It should be right here.” I ran my hands over the flush wall, as if expecting the doorway to be concealed by magic.
“We can’t expect the school to be laid out the same way we’re used to,” Lucas said. “Not since the space-bending spell collapsed. They had to change things in order to rebuild. I think her office is probably back the way we came.”
Footsteps sounded down a nearby hall, and we quickly ducked into an alcove. The cats scurried behind us, and Isa hid beneath my cloak. I held my breath as I peeked around the corner. Two Executors walked past the end of the hall.
“I hate patrol duty,” one of them complained. “We should be down at the Festival of Chosen.”
“Don’t say that,” the other sneered. “This job is an honor.”
Their voices faded down the hall, and my heart rate slowed.
“Looks like we aren’t alone,” I whispered. “We have to be careful.”
I cocked a finger, and the others followed. I threw glances up and down the halls, but we didn’t see anyone else.
Navigating the school wasn’t as easy as I thought, because things weren’t in the same places I was used to. The halls were narrower, and there were fewer doorways than I remembered. We got turned around a few times until we reached a hall that looked familiar.
“I think this is it,” I said. We turned once more, and the double doors of Verla’s office came into view. My heart lifted. We were so close.
We took a step closer, until my magic slammed into something dangerous. Instinct took over and I threw my arms out to protect my friends. “Stop!”
They all jumped back.
Slowly, I approached the doors, but I didn’t touch them. Magic pulsed through the hall, and a high-pitched note rang in my ears. “There’s a strong ward here, a hell of a lot stronger than the one at Lilian’s house. Several witches cast this.”
“Can you break it?” Talia asked.
“It’s going to be tough,” I admitted. As I reached out, my magic recoiled on instinct. “The ward is strong, so transforming that magic into something else like a battle orb could bring the whole school down on us. Not to mention breaking it would alert the priestesses. I’ll have to try something else.”
Lucas eyed me warily. “What did you have in mind?”
“In theory, Curse Breakers can absorb magic,” I said. “I’m going to do that.”
