Page 32 of The Tribes of Magic (Paragons #3)

SPELLBOOK STUDIES

E very day, the Apprentices came closer to being Knights. We were spending more and more time at the Castle. Today, we’d gathered in the dining hall again, this time for breakfast.

“Do you really think someone here is spying on you for the General?”

I glanced at Nevada. She was wearing the same black shirt-and-shorts uniform we all did—the mark of an Apprentice—but she’d managed to add her own personal touches.

A pink cloth headband. A pair of pigtails with matching pink hair bands.

A gold bracelet with cute little animal charms: a lamb, a kitten, a koala.

“That’s right.”

“But who, Savannah? Who is spying on you?”

“I wish I knew.” I held my breakfast bagel in one hand. With the other, I turned the page of the Paragons’ spellbook. I hadn’t had much time for reading lately. I needed to cram it in whenever I could.

“And you aren’t worried this spy is watching you right now, reporting back everything you’re doing?” Nevada whispered.

“Maybe. But what am I doing right now that’s so bad? Nothing the General can get me on, that’s for sure. I’m sitting in the dining hall for breakfast, eating my bagel and studying like a good little Apprentice.”

“Studying an ancient magic book,” she pointed out.

I’d told Nevada everything I knew about the Paragons’ spellbook and how I’d gotten it.

“The General will definitely want to know about that book, Savannah. And once he knows, he’ll want the book for himself. It’s powerful. He’ll assign teams of scientists to try to learn its secrets.”

“You’re forgetting one thing. If the General does have a spy in the Castle, all they’ll see is me reading a book that is, as far as they can tell, completely blank, which while weird, is not newsworthy. No one can see the text on these pages. Not even Kato and Conner. Only I can.”

“I hope you’re right about this, Savannah.”

“Good morning.” Dutch sat down across from us.

He set down his overflowing breakfast tray. There were croissants and rolls and a big stack of toast—as well as cheese, cold cuts, eggs, and five flavors of jam.

“Hungry?” I said, amused.

“Famished.” Dutch assembled his sandwiches with the sort of meticulous efficiency generally reserved for military exercises. “The Castle has way better food than I get in my cottage. And more of it too. We should eat here every day.”

Bronte sat down next to Dutch. She’d exercised far more restraint when filling her tray. Her breakfast consisted of a single sliced mango with a couple of scoops of yogurt on top.

“I just spoke to Altair,” Bronte said. “Today, we’ll be working in the Magic Emporium. He wouldn’t say anything more than that.” She frowned. “How am I supposed to prepare if I don’t know what to prepare for?”

“I know what we’re doing today,” I told her.

“You do?” Bronte’s face lit up. She set her arms on the table and leaned in toward me. “What is it? What will we be doing?”

“Alchemy training.” I flashed her a grin.

Bronte let out a heavy sigh, leaning back into her seat. “Thank you, Savannah,” she said drily. “I already knew that much.”

As she and Dutch debated what Altair would have us do to demonstrate our Alchemy skills, Nevada scooted closer to me on the bench. “What do you think?”

“About what?”

“About Altair and Eris. Do you think they like each other?”

I looked down our long table. Altair and Eris sat at the far end, talking and laughing.

“I think Eris likes Orion.”

“Really? What makes you say that?”

“I just get the feeling.” I returned my attention to my book.

“Well, that’s all right. There’s nothing wrong with having two boyfriends.”

I looked up into Nevada’s smirking face. “I told you, Neva. Conner and Kato are not my boyfriends.”

She didn’t stop smirking at me. “Whatever you say.”

“I thought this nonsense would end with Kylie—” I stopped myself, frowning. Every time I spoke Kylie’s name was a sharp reminder that she was still out there and she still needed my help.

“You will find her, Savannah.” Nevada squeezed my hand. “I know you will.”

“Not like this.” I slammed the book shut.

There was a spell to track and travel between realms. I just didn’t have the power to do it. According to Orion, no one did.

But I’d combined magic with Kato yesterday, and then we’d been powerful enough to track Brett and teleport to him. Sure, that was a long way from finding someone in another realm, but it was a step in the right direction.

I’d just have to take a few more steps. Ok, a lot more steps. And the Paragons’ spellbook would help me do that. It contained all the magical secrets of the Many Realms. If there was a way to find the missing Apprentices, the spellbook would lead the way. This would work. It just had to.

Our two teams would be heading out with Altair in a couple minutes, so I rose from my seat and grabbed my book.

I made a quick trip to the storage lockers off to the side of the dining hall.

I placed the spellbook inside one of the compartments and locked it.

Training would keep me busy the whole day, which meant no time for reading.

We were having dinner here again tonight. I’d get my book back then.

When I turned back around, I saw our teams had already gathered in the hallway.

Bronte was nearby, talking to Dutch. And then, all of a sudden, it hit me, something I should have realized before.

Not only did Bronte like Dutch. Dutch liked Bronte.

I could see it from his body language, in the way he turned toward her, even when he wasn’t talking to her.

Huh. Interesting. I guess sometimes you have to take a step back to see what’s right in front of you.

Maybe Bronte should take a step back too. She was clearly oblivious to Dutch’s feelings. It was actually kind of adorable.

“What are you waiting for, Savannah? Come on!” Bronte was waving me over.

I rushed to join her and Dutch. If I didn’t, I was sure to get a lecture from one or both of them about endangering our team’s status on the Scoreboard. I arrived not a moment too soon. The Apprentices were already heading out the door.

Altair waited for us on the Hex. “Everyone here? Good. Time to move out.”

“What’s our task today?” Ansel asked.

“Today, you will be making antidotes.”

“Antidotes?” Dutch looked at Bronte, who shrugged. “Antidotes to what?”

“To the poison I’ll be slipping into all your dinners tonight.”