DEVON: Has Profectus burned to the ground?

CARLY-ANN: OMG. You’ve been expelled!

CARLY-ANN (on the public school forum): LACEY CHU WAS EXPELLED FROM PROFECTUS.

I let out a groan that makes Mrs. Pendle almost drop her electronic chalk. I snap my mouth shut and keep my eyes glued to the top of the desk. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see her glaring around the room, but thankfully she doesn’t settle on me. I swipe my hand over the top of Slick’s wings, indicating that I don’t want to read any more messages. My stomach churns, knowing the gossip is going to spread around the school like wildfire. No chance of my flying under the radar.

When the bell rings, I’m the first out of the door. I have absolutely no worries about catching up with what’s going on at St. Agnes and far more about what I’m missing out on at Profectus. I need this school day to end so I can text Ashley and find out exactly what’s happening.

Zora scrambles out moments later to meet me. She grabs my hand and grips it tight. Without saying a word (neither of us want to talk about it with others in listening distance), we march our way around to the one place that we know we won’t be overheard: the school library.

When we settle into one of the study booths, Zora immediately grabs me into a hug. I embrace her back. I don’t want to let her go.

“You’re okay!” she says into my hair. “I’ve been so worried about you. Sorry I didn’t come and see you right away once you were back, but I figured you’d probably want to rest before getting back into things. I visited the hospital lots though. How are you feeling? Are you totally better now?”

“I feel okay,” I say, with a shrug. “Tired, but I don’t know if that’s from whatever kept me in the hospital or what happened today…”

“They didn’t let you back into Profectus,” Zora says matter-of-factly.

I blink rapidly. “How did you know?”

Zora shrugs. “I wondered about it when your mom didn’t bring Jinx home. Without Jinx you don’t have a level three baku anymore. And isn’t that one of the requirements?”

I nod. “The doors wouldn’t even open for me without a level three. The school is supposed to give me some financial aid…but nothing. I feel so helpless.”

“And you don’t remember why you were passed out in the street? Or anything about where Jinx is?”

I shake my head. “No,” I say. “Slick doesn’t have anything recorded in his memory, either—it’s like there was a glitch or something.”