Her words don’t make me feel better, but they do confirm some of our suspicions. Unless the battle mage has had a drastic change in job description, I doubt she means emptying puke buckets and making chicken soup for sick kids.

Grudgingly, we head back to the gym where buck building is winding down amid a chorus of yawns.

“Well, that went to gingerbread,” I say.

“Gingerbread, what?” Morgan looks at me quizzically.

“You don’t say that in English? I mean, it didn’t go the way we wanted it to.”

“Didn’t go as planned? You think?” He scrubs his hands over his face and tugs on his curls. “Think we should’ve mentioned Joakim’s book?”

“It’s better we didn’t. Either MacCrone is telling the truth and there’s no trace of chaotic energy, which means the book is harmless, or she lied about that, which means she’s in on it.”

“In on what?” Morgan asks.

“If only we knew, but what she said about Natalie and the others—at least now we know there’s definitely something going on.”

“I guess.” He scissors his teeth across his bottom lip.

For a moment I consider not mentioning what I saw in the chaos book, but Morgan needs to know. “Also, I think my brother might be involved somehow.”

Morgan raises his eyebrows and I hurriedly explain about the notes in the margins. “Don’t tell the others,” I add. “Not yet. Please.”

Sini & Co. are heading toward us.

Morgan mimes zipping his lips. “But why would your brother be interested in that kind of magic?” he whispers. “Doesn’t it go against everything a tietäjä stands for?”

“Yes, it does.” I kick a pile of twigs, earning a disapproving look from a nearby teacher.

“That was scary,” Sini says.

“At least we got the jar.” Aysha flashes a grin at Morgan. “We’re still going to do the summoning, right?”

“Tonight,” I say. “Now.”

“Now?” Sini sucks in a breath, looking all kinds of queasy again. “No, I can’t. Not after MacCrone. Do you want us to get expelled?”

I give her a look that says You really want me to answer that?

“Then go back to Pilvitalo if you’re too chicken.” Ekaterina flings her words at Sini.

Part of me is grateful I’m not the only one in Ekaterina’s crosshairs.

“Katya.” Aysha turns the name into a reprimand. “If Sini doesn’t want to do it, that’s fine. I mean, it would be better if we had you with us, of course.” She turns to Sini. “Because we need you and you’re our friend and we’re doing this for Natalie, right? She’d do the same for us, I’m sure. But if you don’t want to, we’ll understand.”

“Oh fine!” Sini throws her hands in the air. “Fine, I’ll do it.”