staring off down the hall the other way, his back to the wall, but it’s Rule Numero Uno when there’s

a gun out—you make sure you know where it’s pointed at all times.

“That’s good.” Benjamin sounded relieved. “That’s really good. I thought I saw you running down

the hall. But it couldn’t have been you, since you were here. Maybe it was a curiosity-seeker or

something.” He gave me a Significant Glance, as if I was supposed to help him out with this.

Yeah, that really makes sense. “I dunno.” I closed my mouth after that. Anna was supposed to be a

secret, but she sure didn’t act like it. And would she be a secret here at the Schola Prima, among all

the djamphir? She’d walked right past Graves and Benjamin and them to get into the Council room,

right?

Still, just because she was all over the place didn’t mean I had to hand out information like cupcakes. Besides she predated me here and was the head of the Council.

“Oh, come on.” Leon actually snorted. “It was the Red Queen.”

“Isn’t she a myth?” Thomas noticed I was looking at the gun and actually flushed. It went into a

holster under his left armpit, and I relaxed a little. “Oh, sorry.”

I shrugged. Again. I was getting good with the shrugging. I could practice in front of the mirror and

have a different one for each occasion.

Benjamin was watching my face, too. “No, she is not a myth. She’s just kept from the hoi polloi like

us. And very busy with her duties. You saw her this morning.”

Thomas absorbed this. “I thought she’d be taller.”

Sockfoot George asked the question I wanted answered most. “What was she doing here, then? And

without bodyguards? Unless they were here in Shadow.”

Oh, great. All eyes on you, Dru. “I don’t have a clue.” And I didn’t.

They all stood there for a couple seconds just looking at each other. And I jumped—Graves was

right behind me. He did something odd, then—he put his arms around my waist and hugged me.

We’re both tall, but he seemed to have gotten taller. Back in the Dakotas we were almost eye to eye.

Or maybe it just seemed that way because he hunched over all the time, his body shutting itself

away from a world it wanted no part of.

And the djamphir boys stared at me again. I blushed for no discernible reason. I was turning red an

embarrassing amount of the time lately.

So first Graves liked me too much, but then he would hug me in front of other boys?

“Yes. Well.” Benjamin cleared his throat. “Twenty-four-hour guard. Posted at the door. Someone

with her at all times.”

“It will likely be me, since you don’t have waivers yet. Damn paperwork.” Leon shrugged. “No