I frowned as I tried to determine what they might be referring to. “I’ve seen what these substances can do,” remarked Chris. “I saw them when they were used at my cousin’s school. If the Alchemists really do have more of them, they’re letting them go to waste if they aren’t using them in the fight against evil.”

“The Alchemists fight evil by cataloguing it,” chuckled someone.

“Don’t make those kinds of comments around our contact,” warned Master Ortega. “He’s already hesitant about doing business with us. His people won’t like it if they find out what he’s doing.”

“I know what I’m doing,” snapped Master Angeletti. “And believe me, I’m paying him enough to get over any hesitancy he might have.”

The conversation drifted back toward a discussion of the recruits, analyzing each of us according to what the Warriors saw as our pros and cons. I only half listened, my mind spinning with the other shocking piece of news I’d heard. Based on what Chris had said, it sounded as though they were talking about using vampire blood to create performance-enhancing tattoos on humans. A surge of those had occurred at Amberwood Prep, resulting in both athletic and academic prowess. The problem was, the results of those tattoos were unpredictable and often had illicit side effects. The ring had been shut down when I’d helped uncover its mastermind: Keith Darnell. He’d been sent off to re-education, reprogrammed, and now toed the line with nearly robotic loyalty.

Or did he?

The Warriors had kept referring to “he” as their contact. I’d known of no other Alchemist participating in such activity . . . was it possible Keith had broken free of some of that programming? Was he now making a secret deal with these psychopaths, one that would give their fighters superhuman strength?

Again, I heard those clicking keys, driving home the importance of getting a look at what was on that laptop. I considered a few options that might allow me a chance to peek at it, but I soon rejected those. The Warriors might act like they were from the Middle Ages, but it was very likely Master Angeletti locked his laptop when he left it. I might need technical assistance to view it. That, and I really wanted more than just a peek. If he logged notes on all their meetings, kept track of important calls and transactions . . . well, the possibilities for what that laptop could hold were endless. Rescuing Jill was my main priority, but I might very well walk out of this with information that could show us a whole lot more.

Abandoning the masters’ meeting, I used more invisibility magic to break into other dorms and smuggle out Sabrina and Eddie. Neither was asleep when I found them, and we managed to find a secluded spot behind a storage shed to talk.