“Aw, no need to be, Lace! We’re all here for you. And you’re so smart, you’ll catch up in no time.”

“Thanks. But it’s weird not having Jinx,” I say in a low voice.

Ashley squeezes my upper arm. “You still don’t remember anything about that night?”

I shake my head.

“Don’t worry, I’m here for you.”

“Thank you,” I manage to stutter out.

“We all are.”

We round the corner to see the rest of Team Tobias standing at the bottom of the steps to the academy: Kai, River, and—of course—Tobias himself. I can’t help but grin as I see them.

As we approach, River’s level three frog baku, Lizard, is doing somersaults on the wall. I sometimes wonder if River has altered Lizard’s battery life to give him even more energy—or maybe River just generates so much power through his fidgeting that he keeps Lizard powered up no matter what.

By contrast, Kai’s husky baku Oka is much more still and calm. But strength is visible in every inch of Oka’s body, same as Kai’s muscle-bound body. It’s amazing how much a person’s choice of baku mirrors their personality.

No wonder Kai’s eyebrows lift in surprise as he spots Slick on my shoulder.

“Lacey! You’re back! Ooh, I wonder if they’ll do a baku battle rematch now,” River says, rubbing his hands together.

Tobias gives River a warning look. “What?” says River, throwing his hands up in the air. Then he looks at me. “Lacey doesn’t mind, do you?”

I shake my head.

“Seems unfair that you didn’t get to participate in the final battle. There should be a rematch.”

I shrug. “I think I’ve seen enough battles for now. I’ll try for the internship next year.”

“As long as you’re not too poor to upgrade your baku,” remarks Kai. His eyes slide over my beetle baku and he grimaces.

“Don’t be so insensitive, Kai!” Ashley exclaims.

But Kai just grins. “Lacey knows I’m kidding around. Profectus will give her a grant. And you know you love me,” he says with a wink.

“Let’s talk inside,” says Tobias. “I’m freezing.”

I look up at the imposing Profectus Academy building, designed to look like the front of a Gothic castle. It might be perfectly modern inside, but the outside inspires intimidation and awe.

As we climb the steps, I wonder who’s taken over Companioneering now that Mr. Baird is gone. Our principal, Dr. Grant, fired him when she discovered he was a corporate spy for Moncha’s biggest rival firm, BRIGHTSPRK. I won’t find out until this afternoon, though. I have math first, then my coding class.

Slam! My foot hits against wood. We’ve walked straight into the doors to Profectus.

They won’t open.