“That’s it? That’s the trick?” Gabriel didn’t seem too impressed, but he did as he was told and was quickly running through the spell at the same rate Fort was.

Unfortunately, that didn’t last long, as Sebastian finished his lecture and the other students began lining up at the book for their turn. That was the problem with just having one book of magic.

“This is going to take forever this way,” Gabriel told him as they moved to the back of the line for another shot at learning Heal Minor Wounds. “Are you sure we can’t write the words down and take them with us or something?”

“Doesn’t work, they’ve tried it,” Fort said. “But Colonel Charles said you could use the book after class, so we can try then. They’re really strict about who can get access to it—”

“Oh, Gabriel has permission,” Dr. Ambrose said from the side of the stage. “Golden boy here has permission to do almost anything he wants, as long as he’s studying. Lucky, huh?” She gave Gabriel a cold look. “I’d tell Colonel Charles about you assaulting my assistant, but I have a feeling he’d take your side.”

Gabriel just shrugged at her. “If we can’t get access to the book now, it doesn’t make sense to wait around here. Let’s just come back when it’s not being used.”

Without waiting to see if Fort agreed, Gabriel turned and walked out of the room.

“Ugh, you kids,” Dr. Ambrose told him, and for once she seemed annoyed at someone other than Fort. “Be careful around that one, Fitzgerald. There’s a lot you don’t know about him.” She gave Fort a quick look. “Remember how you were when you first got to the school? He’s even worse. And look what damage you caused.”

- NINETEEN -

MATH AND SCIENCE FOLLOWED HEALING one after the other, not leaving Fort much time to think about what Dr. Ambrose had said, let alone anything else. The guards around the school seemed to be watching him more closely now, stopping him to make sure he was still wearing Agent Cole’s amulet.

All in all, he wasn’t sure things could get much worse. But considering lunch was next, Fort stayed optimistic that running into his friends again would prove him wrong.

This time, Jia, Rachel, and Cyrus were leaving as he and Gabriel entered, now on a completely different schedule than he was. Jia avoided his look again, but Rachel glared at him the whole time, bumping his shoulder hard as she passed him. Behind them, Cyrus looked like he was about to explode, he wanted to talk to Fort so badly. Fort told Gabriel to go on ahead. “I’ll be right behind you,” he said.

“Don’t let him guilt you,” Gabriel said, loud enough for Cyrus to hear. “You did the right thing.”