the artifact’s purpose was. It may be a forerunner to the modern infernus.”
“I’m not familiar with summoning arrays.” She adjusted the strap of her satchel. “The first spell involves abjuration, but I couldn’t begin to guess its purpose—not with demonic runes incorporated into the primary node.”
“The first spell?”
“The second spell is trickier … certainly not abjuration. I think you’ll need a Demonica expert for that.” She tilted the paper. “This third spell …”
I stared at her. The amulet contained three spells?
“I can see why you thought it was abjuration, but it’s actually a more obscure Arcana branch with heavy overlap. This is a very unusual composition, though. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“What is it?”
“Arcana Fenestram,” she answered. “More commonly known as portal magic.”
A strange sensation rushed through my body: the feeling that I was floating and falling at the same time. Lienna was still talking, but I couldn’t hear her. My head was buzzing with one word: portal.
“Robin?”
I jolted. “Sorry?”
“I asked if I could have a copy of this.”
“Oh … I … I’d rather … not.”
Her delicate eyebrows scrunched together. “Are you okay?”
I had no idea.
Footsteps scuffed on the tiles, and as Lienna’s attention shifted past me, I pulled myself together. That must be Amalia returning. She could take over the conversation while I—
The newcomer stopped behind me, the solid, aggressive thud of boots too heavy to belong to Amalia.
“MPD,” a male voice growled. “Put your hands in the air!”
Terror shot through me. Oh god. I was done. I was doomed. Someone had figured out I was an illegal contractor and now I was caught. Tears sprang into my eyes as I raised my shaking hands.
A moment of silence as I waited for the figurative gavel to fall.
“Oh,” the voice remarked, surprise replacing his growl. “She actually did it.”
Lienna rolled her eyes. “Kit, stop tormenting civilians.”
With another scuffing footfall, a man stepped around me—my age or a little older, tall and fit, with brown hair and a stubbly jaw. He grinned, his baby-blue eyes laughing, and held up his empty hands.
“You do know MPD agents don’t carry guns, right?” He ducked his head to get on my eye level, grin widening. “Seriously, I was only kidding. You aren’t under arrest.”
He poked my palm and I realized I still had my hands in the air. I dropped them so fast I hit my elbow on a shelf. My face burned with humiliation.
“Though …” He squinted at my face. “Wow, you’re Robin Page, aren’t you?”
Lienna’s focus snapped to me. “Robin Page?”
Kit folded his arms. “Really, Lienna? We carried her photo around for, like, two weeks.”
“My photo?” I stammered.
He gave an exaggerated shrug. “Well, you know, you showed up out of nowhere, joined the Grand Grimoire, went all John Wick on an unbound demon a few days later, then switched guilds and disappeared. You didn’t think MagiPol might notice that, just a little bit?”
My panic rushed back. “Wait … you’re actually an MPD agent?”
He plucked an ID with a shiny silver badge from his pocket and flashed it. “Kit Morris. Nice to finally meet you.”
“Agent Morris,” Lienna corrected with another eye roll. She slid a badge from her pocket. “I’m Agent Shen.”
“You’re an agent too?” I squeaked.
“You didn’t know?”
I shook my head mutely. The librarian must not have mentioned that part while gushing about the abjuration prodigy.
Kit held a hand above my head as though measuring me. “You’re shorter than I expected.”
Lienna elbowed him. “What are you even doing in here? You were supposed to wait in the car.”
“So you want me to lose both legs to a double amputation after my joints fuse from—”
“Kit.”
“The captain called,” he said primly. “We’ve been summoned.”
“Oh.” Lienna handed the illustration to me. “Sorry, Robin. We need to leave.”
“S-sure.”
She marched past me, all business, and her partner strolled after her, flashing a grin on his way by.
“Don’t worry,” he called over his shoulder. “I’ll arrest you next time.”
“Kit!”
The door thudded, cutting off his laugh. I stared blankly. Was he serious? Was I on an MPD wanted list?
With a clatter, the door flew open again. Amalia strode in, scowling like a thundercloud. “The sorceress didn’t show. Can you believe—”
“They were here.” I stepped out of the aisle. “They just left.”
“She left? Wait, you don’t mean that couple I just passed—”
“MagiPol agents.”
“Huh?”
I threw my hands up in her favorite gesture. “Lienna and her partner are MPD agents! You set up a meeting with agents!”
Her face went white. “But—no way. The librarian never said anything about—”
“I guarantee you they