“Oh, gross,” Eric groaned. “That’s disgusting, Hagar.”
“You big baby.” Hagar rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers. Whatever had held my mouth shut vanished. “It’s a new trick I picked up over the summer. It’s not much good in combat, but it makes a good party trick. I only used it because Jace was about to say the L-word.”
“Wipe your mouth.” Clem handed me a white napkin.
I scrubbed it across my lips, and it came away stained a dark crimson.
“This better not be blood.” My stomach turned and my appetite vanished. “Hagar, tell me this isn’t blood.”
“It’s not exactly blood,” she said with a shrug. “Only blood aspects.”
“You know”—I swallowed hard and put the napkin down on the table next to my half-empty plate—“I don’t think that’s better. Let’s not do that again.”
“Just don’t say the L-word, and I won’t have to.” Hagar winked. “The boss would like all that kept really, really quiet.”
“Did the heretics take credit for that attack?” I asked.
“No,” Hagar started, then clamped her mouth shut.
“Mr. Warin,” Headmistress Cruzal said from behind me. She rested her hands on my shoulders, and waves of comforting warmth spread down my spine from her fingertips. “I’d like a word with you.”
The headmistress stepped back to allow me to rise from my chair, beamed a dazzling smile at me, then turned and led me out of the dining hall.
“I’m sorry to interrupt your breakfast,” she called over her shoulder as we threaded our way through the crowd. “How are you feeling today?”
“I’m fine,” I replied. “You can tell the Inquisition that nothing’s changed since they last saw me.”
“Hmm, yes,” Cruzal said. “They warned me you’ve been less than cooperative during their questionings. You won’t be any trouble for me this year, will you?”
Cruzal didn’t bother to look at me when she asked the question. Her tone was cold and distant, as if she had more important things on her mind than a rebellious student.
“That depends,” I answered honestly. “I have enough enemies. I’d rather not make more. Are you planning on asking me to do something that would make me cause you trouble?”
“Not at all.” Cruzal finally stopped and turned to face me. “I wanted to introduce you to some new students before things got too hectic with your normal classes and aptitudes.”
That was surprising. I would’ve thought the meet-and-greet action had ended when I was no longer the School’s champion. Though no one had been named as my successor, so I guess I was still the reigning champion.
I’d miss that cottage.
“These students are a bit skittish.” Cruzal guided me down a narrow passage into an older part of the campus. “They’re also very untraditional, so don’t be alarmed by their appearances.”
That was a laugh. I was about the least traditional student the School had ever seen.
“I don’t judge books by their covers, honored Headmistress,” I said honestly. “I’ll try to set their minds at ease.”
“That would be excellent,” Cruzal said. “These students are quite valuable. It’s imperative that we do everything in our power to help them succeed.”
Something about Cruzal’s tone rankled me. It was as if she were talking about objects, not people.
“I’ll do whatever I can to help them reach their potential,” I said. “Though I’m not sure what I can do for them.”
“You’re the only one who can guide them.” Headmistress Cruzal had stopped in front of an iron-bandit door set into a rough stone wall.
Before I could respond, she’d pulled the door open and breezed into the classroom. I followed her, and the door swung closed behind us with a bang that startled the new kids so badly I thought they’d run.
“Good morning, initiates,” Cruzal called to the students, who looked like a pack of nervous rabbits. There were plenty of chairs arranged in orderly rows and columns across the room, but the new initiates had chosen to stand in clusters scattered around the perimeter. They glanced nervously from Cruzal to me, then dropped their eyes.
My all-black stare tended to have that effect on people.
“I want to go home.” A blonde girl with olive skin and piercing green eyes stepped away from her group. “Now.”
“We can discuss arrangements for your return after orientation.” Headmistress Cruzal kept her tone warm and kind, but that didn’t do anything to hide the biting undercurrent to her words. These kids were no more guests here than I had been at the Temple. “For now, I would like you to meet one of the School of Swords and Serpents’ most promising initiates, Mr. Jace Warin, the hero of Kyoto.”
“He was the champion last year.” A scrawny initiate with big brown eyes and scruffy black hair pointed at me. “He was undefeated.”
I nodded. “I was. Though a few candidates came close to beating me.”
“Miss Rachel says you can help us,” the blonde girl piped up. “She said if we came here, you’d teach us to be like you.”
Hearing Rachel’s name triggered a cascade of memories. The last time I’d seen her she’d been headed off to work in an outreach program to find more hollow cores. I’d figured it would take most of this year for that project to show any progress.
It looked like I was wrong.
“Of course he will!” Headmistress Cruzal put her warm hand on my shoulder. “Mr. Warin will be your professor of Eclipse Studies. With his help, you will all continue in the proud tradition of those historic champions of humanity. Under his guidance, you’ll be the next generation of Eclipse Warriors.”
The students seemed dubious about this, and I couldn’t help but agree with their assessment. I was no professor.
Headmistress Cruzal gave my shoulder another squeeze, then leaned in close.
“Don’t let us down, Jace,” she said. “Brother Harlan assured me you were the only one capable of transforming these poor souls into creatures of value. It would be most unfortunate for all of us if you proved the inquisitor
