Over seven weeks had passed since Barclay came to the Sea, and the first day of Summer had finally arrived. Despite this, it was still far from warm. Barclay, Tadg, and Yasha wore their heaviest wool sweaters and had their window shut tight.

“Jump,” Tadg ordered the Stonetoad, which was the extremely boring name that Tadg had dubbed his species. Per Cecily’s suggestion, the apprentices had all taken to calling him Toadles. Though sometimes Tadg called him Scatbreath. “Jump!”

Toadles stared blankly at Tadg from atop his bedpost.

Tadg groaned. “He doesn’t even blink.”

Barclay peeked up from his copy of The Nine Most Crucial Events of Lore Keeper History. “Maybe Toadles would be easier to train if you were polite.” Beside him, Root huffed in agreement.

In return, Tadg gave Barclay a rude gesture and turned back to his Beast. Yasha snorted but muffled the sound in his elbow.

“Jump,” Tadg commanded. “Jump!”

Toadles leapt off the bedpost and plopped in the center of Tadg’s pillow, then squirted a dark purple liquid onto the white linen.

Barclay fell into hysterics. And even Yasha, who was usually too serious for jokes, let out a surprised howl of laughter.

“That’s what he thinks of you,” Barclay told him.

“He’s not the only one,” Yasha added.

Tadg collapsed onto his bed, and the jolt of the mattress made Toadles soar into the air. He landed in Tadg’s lap and teetered from side to side, dizzy. Then, gathering himself and looking up at his Keeper, he uttered a loud “Croak!”

Barclay and Yasha laughed harder.

“You remember that night Tadg woke up and Toadles was on his face?” Yasha said.

“Tadg screamed so loud that Ansley came to check on us,” Barclay said, remembering fondly. “I didn’t know your voice could go that high, Tadg.”

Tadg jerked his head, and the water in the cup on the nightstand splattered all over Barclay’s face and open page.

“Hey!” Barclay sputtered, shaking out the damp pages. “This is Runa’s book.”

Tadg raised his eyebrows. “Really? I thought that book was a load of phooey.”

“What is it?” Yasha asked curiously.

Barclay was about to explain that it was a textbook and therefore should be treated with respect. But then Tadg reached over and tore it from his hands.

“Dad told me the author is some Scholar Keeper,” Tadg said, “though there’s been talk she might lose her Guild license. I mean, have you ever heard of the Great Capamoo War? And I thought Ickypox only affected chickens, but she said it once killed half the Lore Keepers in the Woods!”

“Pretty sure it was goats,” Yasha said.

Tadg smirked at Barclay. “You’re from the Woods. Are you part goat?”

“If it’s all nonsense, why would Runa assign it to me?” Barclay asked miserably. He’d memorized most of the book by now.

“Maybe it was a joke—”