“No,” Alexander said, his voice icy. He began to walk down the stairs, footsteps silent on the thick carpet. “Miss Price needs to learn that you cannot magic your way out of every obstacle. You hit your principal to save the Oracle. That’s what you should have done, but now there must be consequences. Being a Paladin means accepting the consequences that come as a result of doing your duty.”

Seriously afraid I was going to throw up, I clenched my hands. “So you chose to set one of the trials at my school, and now I’m probably going to be expelled, and there’s nothing I can do about it?”

Alexander sniffed, coming to the bottom of the stairs. “You’re a clever girl, Miss Price. I’m sure you’ll think of something. The Mage’s powers do not exist in order to make things more convenient for you.”

Please, I thought, but wouldn’t let myself say. Please don’t tell him.

Alexander’s eyes remained on mine, and while I didn’t think he could read my mind, I had a pretty good idea that he knew what I was thinking.

But that didn’t stop him from saying, “We removed his powers because he was using them to stifle the Oracle’s visions. An instruction you gave him, I believe.”

The hall was so quiet I could hear my own heart racing, could hear David suck in a surprised gasp. “You were doing what?” he asked quietly, and I turned to face him.

My clothes still smelled like smoke, which was probably why my eyes were stinging as I said, “We were trying to help you.”

But David was shaking his head, backing away from me. “You used Ryan to keep me from having visions?”

“No,” I said, walking toward him. The sun coming in the big front windows had turned his hair lighter, lining him in gold. “No, you still had visions, but not ones that were big enough to hurt you.”

I could see David’s throat working, and I hated the way he was looking at me.

From behind me, Alexander gave a sigh. “Well,” he said, “it would appear you two have some things to discuss.”

I looked back, and he was already heading up the stairs again. “And, Miss Price,” he added before turning back to flash a wolfish smile, “congratulations. You’re one step closer to being a true Paladin.”

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

WE LEFT Alexander’s house in silence, me trailing behind David. He jangled his keys in his hand, his jaw set, shoulders forward. I knew that look. That was David’s thinking look, and I had no doubt exactly what he was thinking about now.