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“Oh,” Alex said, seeing the logic in that.

“Do you reckon you’ll be okay to leave straight after breakfast?” Bear asked, bringing the conversation back around.

She nodded. “Sounds perfect. I’m really looking forward to meeting your family and seeing somewhere outside the academy.”

Alex noticed the strange looks the cousins sent her way and realised that she hadn’t been careful enough with her words. “It’s been so long, I mean,” she covered, “since I arrived and all. It feels like I’ve been here forever. It’ll be nice to get away… again.”

She’d never been a very good liar, but thankfully Jordan came to her rescue.

“Yeah, it does feel like forever,” he said. “I think we’re all pretty excited for the break. I can’t wait to have some of Gammy’s apple pie. Mmm.” He smacked his lips and rubbed his stomach. Alex thought he might have even been drooling a little.

“We go home every weekend, so it’s not such a big deal for us,” Mel said. “But still, it’ll be nice to not have classes and homework for a fortnight.”

Alex agreed wholeheartedly. Two weeks with no PE sounded heavenly. She was about to respond but her words were cut off when she yawned.

“You should go to bed,” Jordan said. “You’re going to need your energy for the next two weeks.”

“Holidays are meant to be relaxing,” she informed him.

“You’ve never been on holiday with us before,” Bear said, grinning. “You might even need a holiday from your holiday.”

Just the idea of it made Alex feel even more tired, so she bid them goodnight and stumbled up to her room.

She was asleep before her head even hit the pillow.

Twenty-Two

“Excuse me, Alex, may Ihave a word before you leave?”

Alex quickly swallowed the last of her breakfast and looked up to find Administrator Jarvis standing at the head of her table.

“Sure,” she said, leaving her friends and following him outside and around the corner for some privacy.

“Firstly,” he began, “I’d like to apologise for not contacting you before now. It’s been some time since we last discussed your transition into academy life and I should have paid more attention to you, especially considering your unique circumstances.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, waving aside his words. “I’m sure you’ve had a lot to deal with, what with the headmaster still gone and everything else.” She didn’t mention the Lockdown, but she was sure it was still causing Jarvis some concern, if the bags under his eyes and his pale complexion were any indication. “And besides,” she continued, “you know what they say about the whole sink-or-swim concept. Sometimes it’s good to be thrown straight into the deep end.”

“From what your instructors have said, you’ve become quite adept at treading water,” he said with a smile.

Alex snorted in disbelief. “They’re lying.”

He chuckled before turning serious again. “There’s something else I’d like to talk to you about.”

She nodded, prompting him to continue.

“I understand that you’re staying with the Ronnigans for the holiday, is that right?”

“Yeah. Jordan spends Kaldoras with them every year and Bear invited me along this time. They didn’t want me to be left here on my own.”

“Of course, of course,” Jarvis said. “Very kind of them.”

“Is there a problem?” she asked when he trailed off into silence.

He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. “No, no problem. I’d just like to caution you—while I know you’re a smart girl, and I’m sure your friends and the Ronnigans will take good care of you, you must stay on your guard. It’s still vitally important that no one discovers where you’re from, especially now that you have access to the Library and its secrets.”

“You know about that?” she asked, surprised.

“Professor Marselle contacted me as soon as you were Chosen,” Jarvis explained.