I review Nick’s explanation in my head: Aether is an element in the air. Mage flame is the byproduct aether creates when it’s called into a solid state. Awakened Scions and Merlins can call aether for various uses. These things I’ve witnessed. But I’ve been so busy learning about the Order and what they can do that I haven’t really taken stock of what I can do.

Sight? Resisting mesmer? And as of last night, Oaths? The more I learn about Oaths and their role in the Order’s structure, the more I agree with Nick that I shouldn’t advertise that ability. But these are passive, quiet things. Easy to hide.

What happened last night was not a quiet thing. And if it happens again around the chapter, I don’t know if I’ll be able to hide it.

Rule Four. Never, ever let anyone see aether pouring out of my skin like burning blood.

My phone rings. I frown. It died at the Lodge and I don’t remember plugging it in last night.

“I charged your phone for you.” Alice is across the room, dressed and sitting at her desk. “Saw it was dead. Got you breakfast, too.” She points her chin at a paper bag on my desk.

As soon as I see it, it’s all I can smell. Biscuits. Still hot.

“You got me Bojangles?”

“Charlotte offered to pick it up.”

We stare at each other in uneasy silence.

“Gonna answer that?”

“Yes.” I reach for my phone and almost immediately wish she’d let it stay dead. “Hi, Dad.”

“Briana Irene. Explain yourself.”

I grab the Bojangles.

The thick scent wafting up from inside the paper makes my mouth water. Buttermilk biscuit–Jesus, take the wheel.

“I should have called you. I forgot. There’s just been a ton going on.”

It’s not just any biscuit. It’s a Bo-Berry Biscuit, thank you Lord. “Bless you,” I mouth to Alice. She smiles and sits down at my desk chair looking very pleased with herself.

“Oh, really? Like what?”

“Started hanging with some kids.”

“And how’s that going?”

Every question leads me right to my doom, I just know it.

“Fine.”

“Fine like getting sent to the dean’s office fine? Like ending up in the back of a squad car fine?”

“It was just a warning…”

Alice raises a brow. Disapproval from two directions. I angle my phone away and whisper, “Don’t you have a class to go to, or something?”

She smiles. “I’m free until ten.”

My father continues in my ear: “You say you’re gonna call me back, but you don’t. Then I find out you were out late at some party?”

I sit back in alarm. “What party?”

Right. The fake party that Nick and/or Sel made up for my mesmer.