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I was certain I also lookeddesperatefor a yes.

Lucian nodded.

“Thank fuck, man. Hang on, let me grab a pen. I’ll note the names of the books.”

Our host chuckled. “And you’ll what, pop by the library to grab them?”

He had a point. “I looked everywhere for three weeks,” I reminded Gideon.

“Not everywhere,” Lucian said.

I blinked.

“You didn’t have access to my collection, love.”

Oh.

“Right. You have rare books.” A quick look at his shelves walking in told me as much.

“Indeed. And a number of volumes that would be considered…how do I say this?Inappropriate. If the Archives kept copies, they wouldn’t be available to the public.”

I glanced back at the book on the table.

“Not this one. It is rare, but irrelevant. Just old tales I’m translating for Night Academy.”

“Night Academy?” I’d never heard the name.

“The school down here. It’s an escalator institute, covering everything from kindergarten to university—the entry requirements are considerably more challenging post-high school. The Nachtigall own it. The translation is a favor to Ronan.”

Of course there were schools in the underside. It made perfect sense; I certainly hadn’t seen any unders kids in our school, and they have must studied somewhere. I felt foolish again.

“I can see how dark rituals might not be part of a school curriculum.”

“They are,” Lucian replied with a casual shrug. “But whatever’s going on here isn’t so straightforward. I have aprivate collection in the east wing. Researching the ritual will take time, however. And I’m not sure you have that long.”

Yet again, my heart stopped. “What?”

Lucian seemed to make a conscious effort to sound gentle. “Rituals powerful enough to bend a person’s soul to one’s will would need precise conditions. Specific celestial events, time of the day, that sort of thing. It's no coincidence it happened during the full moon. My guess is, they'll try again next full moon.”

Fuck. I was truly going to be sick on his fancy furniture.

“In fivedays?" Gideon screamed.

“Why did I think it would beherattacking my eardrums when you’re here?” Lucian grunted.

I barely noticed the interaction.

Next full moon.

Five days.

Someone was going to cut me open, and worse, by the end of the fucking week.

My vision started to blur as my stomach recoiled, when I was suddenly pulled out ofthe pit of misery by two fluffy white paws, pressing against my knees.

"No, Zazel,” Lucian groaned, standing. “Don’t move, I’ll get him off you.”

Before he could do anything, however, the graceful feline hopped onto my lap, a fluffy tail brushing my face. The cat turned on his feet twice before lying down and starting to purr, the sound deeper than an average locomotive.