“Damn. What’s going on, Sage?” he asked. “Are we talking animal sacrifice or something?”

“Adrian,” I said quietly.

He grew serious again. “I promise. Not a word, unless you say otherwise.”

I didn’t have to study him to know I could trust him. “Okay, then. But before we go, I need your hairbrush…”

Ms. Terwilliger lived in Vista Azul, the same suburb Amberwood was in. To my surprise, the house really did look quite ordinary. It was small but otherwise blended in well to its older neighborhood. The sun had long since set when we arrived, and I was conscious of the school’s approaching curfew. When she let us into her house, I found the interior a bit more in line with what I’d been expecting. Sure, there was a TV and modern furniture, but the décor also featured a lot of candles and statuary of various gods and goddesses. The scent of Nag Champa hung in the air. I counted at least three cats in the first five minutes and didn’t doubt there were more.

“Miss Melbourne, welcome.” Ms. Terwilliger took in Adrian with interest. “And welcome to your friend.”

“My brother,” I said pointedly. “Adrian.”

Ms. Terwilliger—fully aware of the Moroi world—smiled. “Yes. Of course. You attend Carlton, correct?”

“Yeah,” said Adrian. “You’re the one who helped get me in, right? Thanks for that.”

“Well,” said Ms. Terwilliger, with a shrug, “I’m always happy to help star pupils—especially those who are so diligent about keeping me in coffee. Now then, what’s this urgent matter that brings you out at night?”

My eyes were already on a large bookcase in her living room. The shelves were filled with old, leather-bound books—exactly the kind she always made me work on. “Do you… do you have a spell that would help locate someone?” I asked. Each word caused me pain. “I mean, I know they’re out there. I’ve come across them in my work a couple of times. But I was wondering if there was maybe one that you’d recommend over another.”

Ms. Terwilliger laughed softly, and I looked away. “Well, well. This is definitely worth a late-night visit.” We were in her dining room, and she pulled out an ornate wooden chair to sit down. One of the cats brushed against her leg. “There are a number of location spells, certainly—though none are quite at your level. And by your level, I mean your constant refusal to practice or better yourself.”

I scowled. “Is there one that you could do?”

She shook her head. “No. This is your problem. You’re going to do it. You need to.”

“Well, not if it’s beyond me!” I protested. “Please. This is a matter of life and death.” That, and I didn’t want to taint myself with her magic. Bad enough I was encouraging her at all.

“Rest easy. I wouldn’t make you do it if you couldn’t handle it,” she said. “To make it work, however, it’s imperative we have something that can connect us to the person we’re looking for. There are spells where that’s not necessary—but those are definitely out of your league.”