I looked back over at David. His hands were clenched tightly around the steering wheel, eyes on the dark road in front of us. We were driving out of town, in the opposite direction from the college where we’d been earlier, and the houses were starting to be few and far between.

I caught Ryan’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “When I said I wanted you to do more Mage stuff, I meant I wanted you to check on the wards Saylor made.” David’s “aunt” had put up all kinds of magical protection charms over Pine Grove to keep the Ephors from finding him, and we’d told David that they needed to be charged up from time to time.

“And,” I added, twisting in my seat, “I think you may want to add wards farther out.”

“Sure thing. Should I go ahead and cover the whole state?” Ryan asked, and I rolled my eyes.

“No,” David said. “No more wards.”

Surprised, I twisted in my seat, the seat belt digging into my hip. “What do you mean ‘no more wards’?”

David shook his head, but didn’t look at me. “I think the wards are screwing up my visions.”

I could hear Ryan shift in the backseat, and willed him not to say anything. Luckily, he didn’t, and David continued. “I mean, I had those two big ones, right? The thing about the earthquake in Peru, and then the one about that senator lady Harper likes becoming president. But then... nothing. For months now.” He was talking faster now, fingers drumming on the steering wheel. “So maybe all the wards Saylor put up to protect me are, like, getting in the way of that.”

I tried not to squirm in my seat since it wasn’t Saylor’s wards getting in his way.

“And now,” David added, “the most important thing I’ve been able to see is that your friend will marry a douche someday. Not earth-shattering stuff.”

“Which friend and which douche?” Ryan asked, leaning forward, but I ignored him.

“I happen to think that kind of thing is important, David.” And I did. Sort of.