A ghost of a smile flitted across Sylph’s face. “Hence the card.”
Thana chuckled. “I don’t want…we can’t wait.”
“I know.”
Thana’s mind raced even as her stomach sank. What in the spirits’names was she even doing? She should have stayed in the palace, let Sylph makeher own decisions. The queen had been in a position of power much longer thanThana. She knew what she was doing, knew the best course to take in anysituation. She could prevent civil war and keep the peace just as the monsterinside her—inside all Umbriels—kept the great Fiend under the palace in itsprison.
Sylph was staring, and Thana thought she saw a slight tremble inthose full lips. Her imagination, perhaps, or maybe it was fear. It wasn’t justSylph’s inheritance at stake. Thana pictured her lips bloodless, her sparklingeyes lifeless, and her murder blamed on some other poor soul so the duke wouldhave a target for his anger. Then that poor soul would be killed by the duke, butThana couldn’t imagine that one, couldn’t see past Sylph’s life being snuffedout.
It was enough to make her ache.
She turned and regarded the office door again. She neededpyramids in order to defend them both. “I don’t suppose you know how to pick a lock?”
“That would be lucky, but no.”
Thana nodded. “Right.” Her mind hit on a solution, and before shecould rethink it, she dragged a chair closer to the door.
Surprisingly, Sylph moved to help. “What are you going to do?”
“Break my foot, most likely.” She positioned the heavy chairclose enough that she could lean on its back and raise her leg high enough tokick the door right next to the lock. She took a deep breath, glad of thechair. She imagined falling flat on her back if she tried this any other way,and she and Sylph didn’t need another reason to be embarrassed around eachother.
Thana kicked as hard as she could. The contact made an impressivenoise but didn’t give, and pain vibrated up Thana’s leg. She groaned and limpedfor a few steps, trying to hurry the pain away, never mind the keendisappointment.
“Are you all right?” Sylph asked, face creased in concern.
“Mm-hmm,” Thana said, clenching her teeth. “Nothing broken.”
“Let me try.” She mimicked Thana’s position and kicked. The doorflew open with a splintery crack. She beamed so widely it was hard to hate her.“All in the heel, I think.”
No, Thana could still hate her a little. She hurried into theoffice, fighting not to limp. Someone might have heard that, narrowing theirwindow of time even more. Luckily, Headmaster Cyrus kept quite a few pyramidsin his office. He liked to trot them out to show new students, and his hobbywas research. He would have loved the chance to teach Sylph, but there was notime to explain.
Thana borrowed a satchel from the coatrack and put the pyramidscarefully inside, separating them by type into the pockets, never so glad thateveryone who taught at the academy practiced meticulous labeling andcategorizing of pyramids as rigorously as they taught it.
When she’d filled the satchel, Thana said, “Let’s go,” and ledthe way into the sitting room before remembering the other task she’d beenconsidering: Warning Cyrus about the queen’s plans. She turned back just asSylph pulled the office door as shut as it would now go.
The outer door to the hall flew open.
Thana whirled, heart flying into her mouth so fast, she couldn’thelp making a strangled sound. A man in a black cassock with the white pipingof a teacher stared at her curiously before smiling, revealing a row of whiteteeth amid a dark beard.
He pointed past her. “Is he back yet?”
Thana couldn’t think of who he meant, couldn’t even recall whoshe was at that moment. Sylph stepped past, a slight smile in place. “We werejust knocking, but the headmaster hasn’t returned, it seems.”
“Oh.” He sagged a bit, then shrugged, dark eyes twinkling. “He’llhear soon. With all the commotion, every student will no doubt be poking theirhead out.” He smiled wider, someone with news and desperate to be the first toshare it with the higher-ups.
“Huh?” Thana managed, her body slowly returning to normal nowthat she knew they weren’t caught, though he’d spot the damaged door if helooked closely. She cleared her throat. If this teacher had something to share,maybe he’d settle for telling them, and they could slip away. “C…commotion?”
He brightened even more. “Come see!” He turned and led the wayinto the hall.
Sylph muttered, “He’s too trusting,” and followed. Thana stumbledon her heels, wanting to argue that this wasn’t the palace, that they were allfriends here, but in the current climate, maybe Sylph was right.
“It’s a new shipment of the crystal, just a small one,” theteacher said as he led the way. He winked and laid a finger against his nose.“But mum’s still the word and all that.”
Who exactly where they keeping mum from? But Thana couldn’t askthat. Still, her curiosity won out over her awkwardness. “Shipment from, um,the same place as before?”
“Yes, the mountains to the northeast. A safer source thanAllusia, as they say. I hope they have enough for everyone to try one now.”
Thana frowned and fought down a million questions. A new sourceof crystal? Why hadn’t she heard about this? The headmaster wasn’t supposed tobe scouting sources of crystal on his own. He should have at least told themonarch’s spirits-cursed pyradisté.
People were starting to filter into the halls and staircase, butthe teacher pushed through. “They say they’ll have a bigger shipment soon, oncethey get the route sorted out.”
Thana’s face was starting to ache from frowning. She hadn’t heardof any of this, and if Earnhilt or Gunnar had, they would have mentioned it.What in the spirits’ names was going on? This teacher obviously hadn’t taken agood look at her, or he would have noticed the purple piping on her cassock,the sign of her position. Even if he had, no doubt he’d assume she knew allthis. Maybe he was just happy someone
