“Yes, ma’am, it is.”

Warner chuckled and held his hand out. “Right, well, pass it around so we can help check all these vials for it.”

I slid it to Lennox who then passed it to Warner. As soon as everyone saw the symbol, they dove for the vials closest to them. I’d checked the ten I could reach but didn’t see a match. By the time I looked up, I saw matching deflated frowns on their faces too.

Warner sighed. “Bentley, do you know anything here? I know you’re not allowed to tell us, but Jackson said Tegan was sneaky in her hints on his quest⁠—”

“What part of what I’m doing over here makes you think I’m harboring useful information?”

Tim folded his newspaper and stood. “So do we want Katherine coffee, Katherine tea, or Katherine soup?”

“Yes,” we all said at the same time.

“On it.” Tim was still chuckling even as Albert nearly crashed into him as he led the pack by us. “Maybe some for them too.”

We all laughed for a moment before reality snuck its way back to the forefront.

I cursed. “We’ve been at this for hours. I need to try and get the symbols to reappear.”

Lennox leaned back in her chair and steepled her hands in front of her face. “You’re probably subconsciously suppressing it.”

“Lovely. Anyone have ideas to combat that?” I glanced around the group. “I need to force it back out. I need to see what I saw during my initiation.”

“You need the Book of Shadows,” Tenn’s deep voice said from out of nowhere.

We all jumped. Some of us gripped our weapons or chairs. I just gripped my chest because my heart nearly leapt out of its cage. Tenn stood at the top of the stairs that led to the lower level with the infirmary. He looked the same as he always did, in his standard uniform, but the shadows in his eyes were haunting. He took a step forward just as Bobokins came rushing right for him. Tenn didn’t frown or look alarmed, nor did he speak, he simply lifted his long leg in the air to let all seven dogs run under him. He turned to watch them speed out the front door, his mismatched gaze unreadable as he watched them through the window behind my head. As the sound of nails hit the hardwood floor by the back door, Tenn crouched down right in tornado alley. Rootbeer was back in the lead, and even though her eyes lit up when she saw him, she didn’t slow down. Instead, she jumped over him. Albert and Squishy were right behind her, leaping over him without slowing. But as the basset hound and three beagles approached, Tenn slid to the side and held his arm out about four inches off the ground for them to jump over.