“I know.” He scratches at the untidy tufts of his thinning hair. “It’s hard to talk about this for us adults, especially as parents,” he says, and I sit up straighter to show him I’m listening. “We’re meant to protect children. As teachers and tietäjät, we’re especially meant to protect the children at this school, and we failed. That’s why it’s so important to us to keep the rest of you safe.” He clears his throat before continuing. “Your mom feels personally responsible for a lot of this.”

“I’m pretty sure Mom didn’t kidnap Natalie.”

Did she? The little voice adds at the back of my mind.

Dad winces. “No, but children going missing from your mom’s school doesn’t make her look good. It hurts her reputation and reflects badly on all of us.”

“Is this all about hurting Mom then?” I ask. Why? How?

“Your Mom is involved in making decisions that upset quite a few people,” Dad says. “Not everyone agrees magic should be so controlled in this world. Some believe people should be free to practice magic as they wish. And the number of people who believe that is growing.”

I haven’t paid that much attention to UCMW politics considering it’ll never be my concern, but I remember reading some articles last year about an opposition faction led by…Caitlin O’Connor. Morgan’s mom!

“So is all of this—the vault break-in and the kidnappings—is this all to show Mom they can do what they want? Is what happened in Svalbard connected to Natalie being taken?” My palms are starting to sweat. “Is it all political?”

“Everything is always political.” Dad takes a deep breath and steals a sip of my tea before continuing. “There are powerful objects in that vault that some might wish to use for their own purposes.” He’s clearly choosing his words carefully and not telling me anything I don’t already know.

“Like the Sampo?” I watch Dad’s face. His frown deepens, cutting canyons across his forehead.

“Yes, like the Sampo.”

“I know about Mervi the Magnificent. I know she was supposed to keep it safe. Is that want Toivo meant? Are the Turunens custodians of the Sampo?”

“You don’t need to worry about any of this.”

“Because I don’t have magic?” Saying it hurts worse than the hot tea scalding my lips. “I’m still a Turunen.”

Taika the Talentless, the little voice sings. It doesn’t have the same ring to it as Mervi the Magnificent, that’s for sure.

“Perhaps one day you’ll come to appreciate who you are,” Dad says. “For now, leave these matters to us. Please. We don’t need any more stress.”