Persie Merlin and the Door to Nowhere by Bella Forrest Page 0,49

my fingers—about six inches, head to toe. “I think you were right about them being scared. I mean, I saw two yesterday, after the great escape. But today, it’s like they’ve… gone.” I avoided highlighting which part of the day, since she didn’t know about my early-morning exploits. “Which is obviously impossible, since the Institute is protected against potential runaways. They’re definitely here, but they aren’t taking any chances with their freedom.”

Genie peered out from behind the chimera’s rump. “Does that mean we should be relieved? Maybe they’re planning to go about their lives without causing any fuss at all. You know, like roosting bats or pigeons.”

I shot her a dubious look. “I think it’s more likely to blow up in our faces at some point. They’re quiet now, sure, but these aren’t wilting wallflowers we’re talking about. They thrive on mischief.”

“Damn it. That’s what I was thinking, but with cruder words.” Genie puffed a sigh. “Well, we’ll have to carry on the search later. Don’t want to be late for our first training session with Hosseini. He might look like a gentle giant, but I saw his stern streak last night. I don’t want to be on the receiving end of it.”

Please, don’t step out of line, pixies… My time this morning had run out, and it would be hours before I had another opportunity to look for them. Hours filled with crippling anxiety that someone would see them and report the news to Victoria. I wondered if anyone had been expelled on their first day? Maybe, I’d be the first.

Unless… A sudden resignation dawned. I’d made a promise to Nathan last night. I had to come clean to Victoria. I’d tried to fix it alone and I’d failed. Maybe she’d give me some credit for attempting to stand on my own two feet and solve my own problems. Maybe not. Either way, this morning’s search had been the final nail in the coffin—I couldn’t do this alone. I owed Nathan for giving me the chance, but I couldn’t even do it with Genie at my side. I’d wanted to, but it wasn’t possible. As soon as my first classes were over and our lunch break came around, I’d go to the head huntswoman and tell her everything. And pray she understood my reasoning.

I nodded. “They’ll have to show themselves some time, even if it’s not me who coaxes them out.” I sounded calm, but my insides jittered like crazy. One mishap from these pixies, and it’d be front page news before I had a chance to get to Victoria myself. And that prospect came with additional fears. I wished I could believe the comforting things Nathan and Genie had said about Victoria not losing her mind over this, but O’Halloran’s reaction was stuck in my head like a barb. I hadn’t expected him to react the way he did, and I didn’t want to get into the habit of believing I’d get a free pass every time I messed up.

“And hope they don’t get any stupid ideas before then.” Genie stepped out from behind the chimera and, together, we headed for the training courts.

At Genie’s suggestion, we jogged the whole way to get ourselves warmed up—though, I mostly just wanted to wake myself up—and arrived five minutes early to a room full of awkward looks and shamefaced silence. After Hosseini’s talking-to last night, everyone had their tails tucked firmly between their legs. Hosseini himself crouched in the corner of the huge glass-and-stone space, sifting through a trunk full of unusual sea-green cubes. I couldn’t see them very well from my spot, but silver embellishments glinted as he turned the boxes over in his hands, assessing them. Hexwork of some kind, I supposed, as these were likely the famous puzzle boxes that Kes had told me about—Institute patented.

I could use about thirty to forty of those. I tried to keep up a calm façade, my eyes flitting toward every corner in the training studio for a glimmer of pixie. Stupid as it sounded, above all else, I didn’t want my classmates to see what I’d done. They were already wary of me.

Choosing a box, Hosseini straightened to his full height. He’d looked a lot smaller on the stage in the main assembly hall, but that was perspective for you. His dark curls were held back by an embroidered band of coral-red silk, which covered most of his forehead and tied in the back. The matching buttoned-up tunic was decorated