“What happened to keeping your silence because you thought it would reflect badly on Leopold?” Runa hissed. The other Guardians in the hall might’ve been too far away to hear, but they sure did stare. One even hollered, as though hoping the Horn of Dawn and Fang of Dusk would duel again and make it a spectator sport. “How would the Grand Keeper react to know that High Keeper Mayani’s and Chancellor Essam’s daughters both know what happened? Not to mention his own daughter?”

Cyril, who’d been leaning against the fireplace mantel, lost his balance. He swiftly collected himself, straightening his medals and puffing out his chest. “They’re my students. I can’t protect them all the time, but I wanted them to be careful. Viola, too, even if she’s not my student anymore.”

At all the attention, Edwyn turned to several Guardians ogling at a nearby table. One had a fiddle resting on her lap. “Well?” he barked. “Don’t just sit there gawking. Play us some music.”

At his orders, they scrambled to their feet. The noise of them drowned out any of Runa’s and Cyril’s conversation.

When I came to the Sea, the land of storm,

I found a letter, and the message warned…

“What do you take me for?” Runa asked Cyril. Her voice was so icy that frost shimmered out at her breath. “You can’t ‘protect them all the time’? They’re a bunch of kids.”

“We were barely older than kids,” he said darkly.

In all the weeks Runa and Cyril had spent together at the Sea, never once could Barclay picture them as anything other than enemies. But something weighed in that moment, something heavy. It made Barclay wonder whether it had been Cyril or Audrian who’d given Runa that scar.

Finally, Runa slumped her shoulders. “You win, then. My apprentices and I will leave in the morning.”

Surprise flicked across Cyril’s face; then he molded it into his usual pompous frown. “I think that’s for the best.”

So I kissed the earth one final time.

Then I sailed in search of that grave of mine.

Then, without warning, Viola marched between both of her teachers.

“No one can leave yet,” she declared. “Because what happened in the Mountains wasn’t the only reason we wanted to talk to you. The three of us found the Isle of Roane. Which means we can find Lochmordra.”

Four hours later the seven apprentices waited on the beach for their mentors to return.

Barclay, Tadg, and Viola had told the teachers everything. The Ciansnail shell. The underwater rivers. The whirlpools. The Hooksharks. The book about Maedigan. And so Runa, Cyril, and Edwyn had left immediately to investigate.

“Maybe this all really will be over now,” Hasu said hopefully.

Tadg grumbled something unintelligible.

“What?” Hasu asked.