So many emotions swirled through her, it was hard to process themall. To her horror, she wanted to weep with all the sadness and frustration andanger. Maybe she could do so while throwing things. But she took a deep breath,not wanting to fall apart in the open and give the passersby any more reason tothink pyradistés unstable.
And she cringed at the thought of Sylph trying to comfort her.They’d both be so embarrassed and out of their element, they might combust.
The Pyradisté Academy looked incredibly nondescript from theoutside. It could have been any old brick apartment building, its windowsunadorned, its door simple with no markers or banners proclaiming what wasinside. Thana had thought it a sad building at first, but now she was happy tosee it remained depressingly normal. If everyone in Marienne decided to huntdown pyradistés, many wouldn’t even know where to find them.
Unless the people who’d seemed scared of her in the streetdecided to shout her whereabouts across the city.
And now she was back to angry again. Wonderful.
Thana dismounted to hitch her horse near the side of thebuilding. She tied the reins and turned to Sylph, who held her own reins andstared at the hitching rail as if waiting for it to come to life and offerassistance. Thana resisted the urge to roll her eyes or laugh, even as heranger wanted her to lash out and relieve some tension.
Maybe she was finally learning diplomacy.
“Like this,” she said, moving aside so Sylph could see her loose,then retie the reins. “See?”
Sylph blinked and held the reins forward as if urging Thana to doit for her. Thana’s frustration must have registered because Sylph frownedslightly, and a bit of color came to her cheeks. “I don’t want to…tie itincorrectly.” She ducked her head, then raised her chin in the airunnecessarily high, her face a darker shade.
“Spirits give me strength,” Thana muttered. “Here, watch.” Shewaited until Sylph stood beside her. “Copy me.” Sylph finally tied the reinsunder her direction. Thana didn’t want to be a teacher, but she would not be aservant. She hoped Sylph was dreading the day when Thana finally decided to beneither and went her own way.
“I do know quite a lot about horses, you know,” Sylph said, notmaking eye contact. “I’ve just never had to use a…” She nodded toward the rail.
Oh yes, she probably knew all about breeding and hunting orracing or whatnot. But how to tie a strip of leather to a piece of wood wasbeyond her. Thana prayed to the spirits for patience. She led the way aroundthe front again and through the simple doors which were well-oiled intoboringness, so they matched the rest of the building. Inside, she stopped andbreathed deep.
A huge pyramid rested in an open area just past the foyer,separating the staircase from the rooms and halls leading in differentdirections. It was an ancient artifact, a masterwork of facets that caught thelight from the windows in the foyer and sent it shining in all directions,lighting the room as if it sat outside at midday.
Sylph gasped, and Thana smiled proudly before she frowned. Sherounded so quickly, Sylph took a slight step back. “Please do not reach forthat pyramid with your power. In fact, don’t reach for any pyramid. Don’t eventhink of them.”
Sylph shook her head hurriedly. “I won’t. I promise.”
Thana nodded, grateful they were both terrified by the prospectof Sylph retuning a pyramid that was taller than they were. With her oddability to move stone, she could probably make all the buildings in Mariennedance.
“This way.” Thana led the way up the staircase. She couldn’twander around looking for unattended pyramids to take, so Headmaster Cyruswould have to help. And he’d want to know why Thana was leaving Marienne. Shecould warn him that Queen Earnhilt was considering imprisoning pyradistés. Moreof them could flee. That sounded like the right thing to do, but Thana hadpledged her loyalty to the crown above all else—she was part of an orderdesigned specifically to protect the Umbriels, after all—and to inform othersof their plans would be treason.
If she’d stayed, Gunnar and Earnhilt might even have been able toconvince her that their plan was the right one. No, not when she thought of theoffhand way Earnhilt had spoken of killing Sylph, who hadn’t asked for herpower. There was right and wrong, and treason didn’t matter.
Then why did her stomach churn so?
“The headmaster’s office is this way,” she said softly as theycame to the second landing and turned down a hallway.
“I see.” It was a noncommittal, barely listening sort of answer,but it was far better than if she had pushed ahead and shouted demands. Thana’sheart was beating so quickly that if Sylph had put a foot wrong, Thana mighthave yelled the place down.
The little card pinned to the headmaster’s door brought Thana’sheart into her throat. She knew what it would say before she reached it, butshe hurried forward anyway to stare at the note stating that Cyrus wascurrently in class and would return in an hour.
But was the hour up or just starting or somewhere in the middle?There was no water clock in the hall, and no one stood nearby to ask. Thanatried the door and found it open, but of course it would be. It only led intoCyrus’s sitting room with its handful of chairs and low table. When Thana triedthe door to the actual office, she found it locked.
Her limbs felt heavy as she rested her forehead against the door.She could feel time getting away from her. Sylph’s father would find the maidand be looking for Sylph. Gunnar and Earnhilt would notice Thana’s absence.They’d look through the palace first. Sooner or later, they’d compare notes.They would shout at one another and begin to ask questions, and it might taketime, but they would track Thana here. She and Sylph had made no effort tohide.
“Are you all right?” Sylph asked softly.
Thana turned. Sylph had shut the door to the hall but rested ahand
