“Then consider it an order,” Colonel Charles said, growing irritated. “And if I find out you’re not following my instructions, then we’ll reassess your usefulness in remaining at the school. Does that help clarify things?”

Fort nodded, glaring back at the colonel.

“Good,” Colonel Charles said. “Now go bond with your new roommate. Classes won’t begin until tomorrow, so you’ll have plenty of time today to get to know each other.”

With that, the colonel turned and walked back down the hall they’d come from, with Fort just watching him go, not even sure what to say to any of this.

“Well,” Sierra said, wincing. “This isn’t going to make stealing the book of Summoning any easier, that’s for sure!”

- FIVE -

FORT SLOWLY OPENED THE DOOR to his new room, silently taking it all in as Gabriel didn’t bother looking up from his book. Two beds were pushed up against one wall with a nightstand in between, and a dresser sat against the opposite wall with room enough for all their clothes. The walls were bare and painted the same ugly green as everything else.

Another door opposite the one Fort stood in led to what looked like a bathroom, which was the first good news he’d seen all day. Having to use the bathroom way down the hall in the middle of the night was never fun, especially if the soldier guards caught you out there. That automatically made this room better than the dormitory.

Except here he wouldn’t be sleeping above his best friend anymore. He wouldn’t have Cyrus around to talk to whenever he wanted, to go over the plan, or just to chat. Instead, his new roommate was a huge, intense boy that he knew nothing about but seemed to be important enough to get his own room and be given a permanent tutor.

Fort closed the door behind him, then dropped his uniforms on the dresser and opened the drawers to find an empty one. Gabriel had taken the ones on the left, so Fort stuffed his spare clothes into the top drawer on the right, though he left the Gettysburg Address brochure in his pocket. Then he moved over to the free bed and sat down, not saying anything in spite of the dozens of questions going through his head.

Sierra passed right through the closed door like a ghost, and Fort had to remind himself that she wasn’t actually here but was just projecting her image into his mind, so of course she’d follow him in. She looked between Gabriel and Fort, slowly shaking her head. “It already smells like boy in here. How do you people do that?”

How would you know what it smells like? he asked her silently.

“ ’Cause you can smell it, smart guy,” she said, tapping her nose. “Now watch out, I think the big one’s moving.”