and I winced. One more thing I’d forgotten about—the rune reading. Professor Ambrosia was big on teaching us all forms of ancient divination.
She cleared her throat. “The wishbone crossed with the gnarly one means…” She looked down at the textbook. “Clarity?”
“Good enough. Is it my turn?”
Jett shoved the book away. “Forget this poppy-cock. I’ve got actual spirits whispering in my ear, Thorny. Let me give you a real reading.”
“No, thanks.” I rolled my eyes. The last thing I wanted was for her to use the same magic she traded my life for to give me a reading.
“Your grandmother appeared to me last night.”
I blinked, stunned, but I didn’t let it show. “That’s nice.”
“She said when you were young, she used to braid flowers into your hair and call you her little sunshine.”
I sucked in a sharp breath. I didn’t have many memories of my grandmother, but I vividly remember her calling me that, and I have pictures of me in braids with flowers.
“A few more of your ancestors were with her, most of whom you don’t know. They say you’re important to Mythos.”
I shrugged her words off, struggling to look unaffected. “Awesome.”
“More important than you give yourself credit for,” she added, raising her brows as if she were impressed. “In fact, they say the separation ends with you.”
“Separation?” I tried to sound uninterested, but even I could detect the piqued curiosity in my voice.
“Of magic.”
Now that got my attention.
I was afraid to ask any more questions, but I couldn’t help it at this point. “What does that mean?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know exactly…just that you mark the beginning of blended magic. Because of you, other mages will make the shift.”
I swallowed. Blended magic? That didn’t sound like a bad thing, but in Mythos, it wasn’t really done. This, like everything else Jett had ever said, proved that she was full of smoke and mirrors.
I picked up the pile of bones, gathering them back into the bowl. I handed it to her. “Good to know. Your turn to throw.”
Jett let out a long sigh. “Don’t you care, Thorny?”
“Sure I care—about getting a good grade on this lab. Now throw.”
She frowned but let the subject of my ancestors and blended magic drop for the time being. She took the bowl in her hands, swished it around, then tossed its insides out onto the mat.
I read vague descriptions aloud from the book about what each bone represented. Other than that, we didn’t speak again.
But it didn’t stop me from thinking about what she said. I thought of my grandmother, remembering the way she used to kiss the top of my head. My little sunshine, she’d say. You are so special. So full of light.
My eyes grew watery. I was only five or six at the time of her death, and I don’t know why it bothered me now.
I shook away the feeling and told myself to let it go. This was just Jett, trying to get to me by playing on my emotions. I refused to let her this time.
18
When Xander didn’t show up to any of our usual places, I began to feel a little more worried about the night before. I thought I’d find him in Weaponry, and that everything would be fine, but he wasn’t there either. With each passing hour, I became more nervous.
I could feel it in my bones—something shifted in him last night.
In my Flight Equestrianism class, the professor made us clean stable stalls and brush the horses down. I didn’t mind though. Just being around them had a calming effect. I threw myself into the labor in an attempt to forget everything else.
I was brushing down Leis, a mare with a velvety brown coat that gleamed like chocolate, when I heard footsteps approach. The stall door opened and closed, and Riley stepped inside.
I flinched at her sudden presence. “You’re not in this class.”
“Nor would I ever be. Just the idea of flying horses…” She shivered. She had always been afraid of heights.
“Then why are you here?”
“To talk.”
I was immediately suspicious. If there was one thing I’d learned about this new Riley, it was that she wasn’t the talking sort. The conniving sort, yes, but not talkative. “About what?”
“Persephone’s Cure.”
“You certainly didn’t have much to say about it last night.” My words bit with resentment as I remembered how hard I fought to get Dad and Grandpa to consider it while Riley sat there in silence.
“Never reveal all of your cards, Sheridan. That’s my number