Page 91 of Mantle

Lights out.

17

~Kai~

I made my way down the corridor through the throngs of students rushing to their next classes.

Throughbeing the operative word, because I wasn’t weaving in and out of them. I was pushing forward without breaking stride, people forced to move aside. I couldn’t entertain that kind of aggravation while my mind was churning wildly.

I had a meeting with Cornelius at his home—specifically, his vault—later today.

He thought it was just a get-together. Unfortunately for him, it was anything but.

I’d uncovered something during my investigation into Sylas’s warning to Ariana. And it had taken some insanely deep, complicated spellwork to get there. The questions I had for Cornelius would fill in the final piece of the puzzle.

I would make fucking sure he answered them.

He had to.

The stakes were too high.

Because now I had proof: deathcouldtouch Ariana.

I managed to finish formulating my verbal attack plan just as I reached the classroom forArcane Combustion & Elemental Synergywith Professor Edris Caelum.

I spotted Vorzyr’s big, hulking body—all that delectable muscle barely contained beneath his jacket—in the back row, right where we liked it.

Justhim.

Ariana and Nyx weren’t present.

I slid onto the stool beside him as he was setting up his tablet for class.

“Hey,” he greeted me brightly.

“Hey,” I returned, and he bumped shoulders with me. “It’s unlike Ari not to be here ahead of time.”

“She was finishing up with Cassius the last I heard.”

“When was that?”

“I got a text from her about twenty minutes ago.”

“Okay, good. She should be here any second then.” I’d been in research mode so I’d been disconnected from the goings on with the three of them for a few hours. It was why I then had to ask as well, “And Nyx?”

“He mind-linked me, said he was running a little late with finishing up some dreamwalking with Velra regarding Crossborn in a Ruminat hut. He likes doing it there so there are no possible interruptions when he’s holding that all up.”

I tensed. “What? No.”

“No?”

“He told me this morning that Velra is having a tour of Wraeven Academy. It’s an all-day thing with the way they do it there.”

“Then what is he doing in there?”

I scrubbed my hand over my face. “He’s trying to force his memories back using magical meditation.”

V’s eyes shot wide.

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