Walking forward, Saylor gripped my arms, tight enough to hurt. “We do,” she insisted, giving me a little shake. “There have to be three, Harper. Three people, working together. The Oracle, the Paladin, and the Mage. One part of that missing . . .”

“And what?” I asked, my gaze flying back to David. He was standing now, but his face was blank and I had no idea what he was thinking.

“It won’t work,” Saylor said, and for the first time, I saw how desperate she really was. Her voice went softer even as her grip got tighter. “Harper, Christopher and I risked everything to save David. We did not get this close to lose him now.”

I struggled out of her hands. As I did, my eyes fell on the wall behind her and all of those skinny sideways figure eights, the symbol of the Paladin. Something surged in my blood, but I shut my eyes. No. No, I was not doing this. I was walking away. I could walk away.

But standing there, shaking with some power I couldn’t even name, that seemed easier said than done.

I thought of my mom and dad. Of Ryan and Bee and all those college brochures in my desk at home. And the shaky feeling started to recede.

Taking deep breaths through my nose, I tried to get myself under control. “Tell me why,” I said at last. “Tell me why it’s so essential that I give up my whole life to keep David safe.”

Saylor blinked and took a step back from me. “He can see the future, Harper. The only person in the entire world who can. Don’t you think that’s worth protecting?”

Rubbing my hands over my face, I fought the urge to scream. “Yes, but not at the expense of my life.”

There was the lip roll again. “And what is it you plan on doing with your life that’s so important, Harper? Is it more important than ensuring the safety of the only Oracle?”

“Yes.”

We both turned to look at David. His hands were shoved in his pockets, his gaze on the floor. “Harper’s life is important, Aunt—” He broke off, shaking his head. “And she’s right. She can’t just follow me around forever. That’s not fair to her. Or to me. I mean, I might actually want to get a girlfriend at some point, and no offense, Pres, but I think you might salt my game a little. Wait, do I have to be celibate, too?”

Saylor rolled her eyes. “David, take this seriously.”

Even from a distance, I could see the steeliness in David’s eyes as he took Saylor in. “I am. Trust me. And that’s why I’m saying this whole thing is crazy. Paladins and Oracles and ancient Greece . . .” Sighing, he lifted one hand to rake it through his hair.