Page 43 of Spellbound
“You will need to wait three years when you fail,” he explained.
“If I fail,” Viktor said, correcting him. “I’ll be formally putting my name forward.”
My mouth parted. That liar. He’d told me he wouldn’t. He was trying to steal my spot, and he knew how much I had riding on it.
A lump formed in my throat as Maddox wrote Viktor’s name on the official parchment. He looked at me. “I assume you will be too.”
“Yes.” I managed to say, my voice croaking. I cleared my throat. Naomi wouldn’t even look at me, and Craig looked sheepishly at the ground.
Naomi and Craig put their names forward, and the two others were told they’d become apprentices from students if Naomi and Craig passed.
“We’ll be off then.” Felix hovered around Maddox for an extra moment.
Maddox gave him a smile, then turned and left. He was known for being cold the morning after. Why did I think Felix would be any different?
“See you,” Maddox said.
“Nai,” I called as she reached the back door.
She looked back over her shoulder, tears in her eyes. “Don’t speak to me again.”
I watched after her, slack-jawed. It was a good thing Craig left when he had, because I wanted to punch him for doing this. How could she seriously think I had anything to do with Craig’s move on me? I’d never shown interest in him, although he seemed to think different.
Once they were out of the magic barrier, I closed the back door.
Maddox chewed on his bottom lip. “You both have four days to prepare for the test.”
“Four days?” I gasped, wide-eyed. “Edmund isn’t even back and—”
“Edmund has given me permission to hold the test. Alma trusts me, and we need another keeper with everything going on. I wouldn’t worry, Elle.” His gaze wandered to Viktor. “You don’t have any competition. Viktor is too inexperienced. Sorry, I’m just being real with you. Elle’s got this.”
“I disagree,” Viktor drawled. “Under your guidance, Maddox, I think I can achieve anything.”
Maddox couldn’t help but smile, and I hated Viktor for it.
I picked the lock to Edmund’s office, breathing relief when it clicked open. I’d found a handy trick in one of the normal books in this place. With the door clicked shut behind me, I breathed in the musky air. I needed the Joker’s Ball.
It was wrong to cheat, but I’d been left with no choice. As much as I wanted to believe Maddox, that Viktor was too inexperienced, his ability to learn quickly and soak in information, plus his ability with curses, left me questioning if he would beat me. I already struggled with the advanced curses, and I had barely touched the history books. My Lor was a little rusty. I hadn’t kept on top of it like I should’ve.
This was all Viktor’s fault. I’d told him something I hadn’t told anyone, about my sister and why I wanted to be a keeper so badly. He took my vulnerability and discarded it like it were nothing. This, and Naomi hating me, was too much. My tears threatened to break through again, but I kept myself in check. I had a way out of this. The Joker’s Ball. If I could just find it. Please, please, please tell me he didn’t lock it away. Then, once Naomi had time to calm down, I’d force Craig to tell her what had really happened, and I’d have my best friend back. Until then, no one could get in or out of the mansion, so I needed to focus on the test. Four days was nothing. It went against my favor, as it was too short a time for me to master everything, let alone Viktor.
I searched through the clutter in the drawers of Edmund’s fancy mahogany dresser, then moved to the cabinets. Nothing there either. I bet he’d locked it in one of the rooms with wall safes. Speaking of, he had a safe in here, if I remembered rightly. Ah. Behind the painting of the river and ducks was the code-locked safe. I’d bet my skal it was in there.
Footsteps sounded outside, and I held my breath. Once the footsteps faded into the distance, I left the room. I’d come back when it was night.
***
Benji curled up nextto me as I read through a history book. I had taken it into the living room and lit the fire into dancing flames, then had plopped myself onto the sofa.
Just in case the Joker’s Ball failed, it wouldn’t hurt to study. I dragged my gaze along the thin pages. I swear whoever wrote this was tasked with fitting as many words on a page in tiny text as possible. At least they’d modernized the wording. Still, I was going to be there forever.
Benji meowed.
“Sorry I forgot to feed you this morning.”
He gave me an accusatory look.
“Hey, I put extra in your bowl for dinner.”
