I hesitate. Will using bone magic to plot revenge against Latham be breaking this promise? But seeking justice isn’t selfish. I won’t be doing it just for myself. I’m doing it for my mother. For Gran. For everyone else Latham has hurt, and will hurt in the future if he isn’t stopped.

“Yes, I do.” I let another drop fall on the bones.

“Do you vow to help your fellow citizens find happiness, while matching their talents to the needs of the country?”

“Yes.” A third drop of blood spills into the basin.

“Do you promise to follow every tenet of your training, to uphold the values that you learn within these walls, and to use your magic for good?”

“Yes.” I squeeze my finger to force another drop to fall, while saying my own words silently: I vow to use all three Sights to seek justice.

Master Kyra sets the bones on fire. She pulls a pouch from her pocket and sprinkles its contents over the basin. The flames turn a vibrant blue and shoot high into the air.

“Saskia Holte,” Kyra says, “you have been bound to this magic and you are now authorized to don the training cloak.”

As I wrap the red fabric around my shoulders, I can only hope my silent additions to the binding ceremony keep all three Sights intact.

I need every advantage I can get if I have any hope of finding my mother’s bones before Latham uses them to control the future.

“You must be hungry. You hardly ate earlier,” Tessa says as we walk away from the great hall. “We should probably get you something to eat.”

I can’t help the laugh that bubbles up my throat. Tessa hasn’t stopped trying to feed me since we met.

“What’s so funny?” The register of her voice elevates just a fraction, and I realize I’ve hurt her feelings.

“Nothing,” I say. “I was just thinking that it’s so obvious you’re an oldest child.”

Tessa’s eyes go wide with astonishment. She stops walking and spins to face me. “How did you know that?”

My stomach squirms uncomfortably. The truth is, I’m not sure how I know. But I do. It’s the same way I know my father loved the scent of woodsmoke—a thing I never remember actually learning, but the knowledge is written on my heart just the same.

“Well, you’ve done nothing but try to take care of me since I got here.” I gently bump her hip with mine. “It’s clear you’ve had practice.”

A series of images flash through my mind: Tessa’s cool knuckles resting against my forehead; Tessa kneeling in the grass beside Bram as she performs a healing spell to take away his pain; Tessa sliding a tray of food onto my lap, her brow furrowed in concern.

The tips of her ears turn pink. “Am I that transparent?”