I grin. “Tiny and vicious. Believe me, I know exactly why you want to go to Providence. Who knows what she’ll do left to her own devices.”

And just like that, we’re back on the same page. No more fog. No more answers, either. But it’s always kind of been that way with him. And it doesn’t matter. Because even if I don’t know exactly what’s going on, I know him.

I exhale. “I guess a few weeks isn’t the end of the world.”

He nods like he knew I would come to this conclusion. “Good. We’re agreed. And Nova, I know you’ve got a lot of questions. And I know how much self-restraint it’s taking for you not to fight me tooth and nail on this. But I promise you that you know exactly as much as will keep you safe. And I will take care of whatever is going on.”

I frown at the shields. No, I don’t know what will keep me safe. And how did he hear about this school, anyway? I assumed it was some kind of wicked crazy program he knew about from his CIA days. But the students aren’t American, as far as I can tell; they’re from all over the world. And the figures on the shields that Layla named are from vastly different historical periods. I don’t see how they could have any connection to American intelligence.

A girl and a guy enter the foyer, speaking in hushed voices. But instead of passing by, they stop.

“Aarya,” the girl says, introducing herself, and does a curtsy. She’s got a similar complexion to Layla’s and loose wavy hair. Aarya is…Sanskrit, I’m pretty sure. However, it’s also a name that’s used by a variety of cultures all over the world.

“And this is Felix,” Aarya continues, and I catch a British accent. The guy next to her bows. Where she’s relaxed, he’s stiff. And he has a scar across his cheekbone that reaches all the way to his ear.

“November,” I say, placing my hand on my chest. “I’m not much of a curtsier.”

Aarya laughs, even though what I said wasn’t funny.

“If you don’t already have plans for lunch, please feel free to join us,” Felix says, also with a British accent. But his facial expression remains stiff, almost awkward. He and Aarya appear to have such different demeanors, it’s hard to imagine them as friends.

“Oh, thanks,” I say. Finally a normal welcome. “That’d be great.”

And just like that Aarya and Felix give me a quick nod and move on without another word. Well, maybe it wasn’t a super-normal welcome, but it’s definitely among the friendliest interactions I’ve had so far.

I turn to Layla, but her expression has gone colder than before.

“Did I do something wrong?” I ask her, and the guard’s head moves ever so slightly in our direction.

She speed-walks out of the high-ceilinged room and into the hallway. About halfway down, she stops and looks both ways to make sure we’re alone. “Aarya’s…She’s a Jackal,” she says in a hushed voice.