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“I asked for your opinion,” the teacher repeated, his melodious voice washing over her.

Alex had been so deep in thought that she had no idea what he’d been talking about, let alone how she should respond.

“I… uh…” She cleared her throat, trying to stall. Then she reached up and ran her fingers through her hair. “Um…”

“What’s that?” questioned Caspar Lennox, his eyes focused on the hand still tangled in her hair.

Alex lowered her arm and looked at her fingers carefully but couldn’t see anything unusual. “What’s what?”

Caspar Lennox pointed to her middle finger. “Where did you get that?”

Alex curled her other hand protectively around the ring Bear’s brother had given her. “It was a gift.”

“A gift?” the teacher asked, his scepticism clear.

“Yes,” Alex repeated firmly. “A gift.”

“Do you know what it does?”

“I know what itis,” Alex told him, aware of her classmates’ growing interest in their conversation. “But I’m not sure how it does what it… does.”

The Shadow Walker stared at her intently. “See me after class, Miss Jennings.”

Alex didn’t know what to make of his request, but she was relieved when he moved away to continue the lesson.

The minutes ticked down and when the gong finally sounded, telling them their classes were over for the day, Alex waved her curious friends off and remained behind, waiting for the professor to speak.

“How have you come to possess a Shadow Ring, Miss Jennings?”

“I told you,” she said. “It was a gift from a friend.”

“And yet, you don’t know how to use it?”

“I didn’t exactly ask,” Alex admitted.

Caspar Lennox held out a mottled-grey hand. “May I see it?”

Alex hesitantly slid the ring off her finger and passed it to him.

The professor peered closely at it while turning it over in his hands, almost like he was looking—or feeling—for something.

“This is a unique piece,” he said. “Can I assume you received it from Blake Ronnigan?”

Wondering how he could have known that, Alex nodded in confirmation.

“I’ve always considered Blake to be a highly perceptive young man. He was wise, I believe, to give this to you,” CasparLennox murmured, still looking at the ring. “Especially given your…uniquecircumstances.”

Alex opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but he continued speaking.

“When your need is great, you’ll be able to activate the Shadow Essence contained within the stone,” he told her, handing back the ring. “But you’ll have to immerse yourself fully in the Shadow to do so.”

“Ooo-kay,” Alex said, drawing the word out. “I don’t suppose you could dumb that down a little for me? What you mean by the second part?”

Caspar Lennox smiled slightly at her, his sharp, white teeth standing out against his unnaturally grey skin.

“When the time comes, you’ll understand,” he promised.

Alex bit back a snarky retort. Why was everyone saying that to her lately?