There are about twenty-five other people in the room, mostly working in pairs, ranging from about my age to my parents’ ages. My eyes are immediately drawn to the only familiar face, Rafe. I hadn’t realized he was also a Sire, but I guess it makes sense since he’s a transfer. His blond hair is in a bun, and his sleeves are pushed up above his elbows, revealing sun-bronzed muscled forearms. He’s working with a striking girl with deep umber skin who is just as tall as he is. Her hair, a mix of brown and blond locs, is plaited into a thick braid that falls to her waist, and a necklace in the shape of a snake rests around her throat. She has a green guildstone in her ear—an Alchemist. But neither of them has a Sire diamond. My eyes flick to their fingers, where they both wear matching pairs of rings, one each of diamond and bone. Hypatia had shown me her Sire ring and explained that in Avant they wear their guildstones and birthstones on their fingers instead of their ears, and I remember that bone rings indicate members of the Avant Guard.

Master Hayyan gives me a tour around the room, showing me where the supplies are and telling me about some of the projects the other Sires are working on. There are three older journeys upgrading a massive eight-foot golem that is used for deep-sea welding when making alterations and repairs on the Atlas tunnel. Another pair is experimenting with organ growth as part of a hormonal therapy for gender transition that doesn’t require invasive surgery.

I have a hard time imagining that my abilities could make me capable of these kinds of things, so I’m equal parts awestruck and intimidated.

Everything I’ve been taught so far has reinforced the idea that much of the science lost to provincial society is tied in with their loss of knowledge of Sire abilities. If provincial Sires were taught how to use their Ha’i, that alone could transform our science and health care. I wonder how many Sires are out there, their abilities completely dormant, or plaguing them the way mine plagued me. And Master Hayyan is sure to know about a way that Sires can share their abilities, if one does actually exist. The training I can get in this lab could be the most important knowledge I gain for the Families.

“The best experimentation happens through collaboration,” Master Hayyan says. “So let’s find you a partner.” I dutifully follow her as she threads her way through the pairs of working students, but dread descends as I see which table she’s approaching. Oh no. This can’t end well.