Chapter 9

“Wow,” Eloise said, taking Alastair’s arm as they left Emberstone through the garden gate. “What a meeting, huh?”

He’d changed out of his official robes, hoping to go out for an incognito night in Watermere with the old gang. Sylvester Ozelius wouldn’t have been able to—he’d be instantly recognizable with his long white beard and braided hair. Out of uniform, Alastair just looked like any other young mage. Though he had chosen to wear a hat to cover his potentially recognizable fiery red hair.

“Terrible meeting,” he muttered, pulling the brim down lower. “What is wrong with these people?”

“That’s Emberstone,” Eloise said. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. At least Mayor Lamkin is on your side. The government thing is new—them being so vocal on the board. I have to admit we were all nervous when they joined, but they’ve been a positive influence overall. They certainly had your back today.”

“Can you believe the audacity of that man? Trying to get me ousted at the meeting in front of everyone!”

“That’s how they are,” Eloise confirmed. “I told you Sebastian wouldn’t go for it though. He’s not so bad, Ally.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“No, but you were thinking it. I remember how it was. The bullying and—everything.”

“Glad someone does,” Alastair said under his breath.

Eloise stopped him, looked him dead in the eye, and asked, “Have you changed?”

“Excuse me?”

“Have you changed since being here in school?”

“Of course I have,” Alastair said, puffing out his chest. Then, it popped like a balloon and his shoulders slumped. “Oh.”

“That’s right. And believe it or not, he’s changed too. Grown up a lot. He really cares about the school.”

“I’m sure he does,” Alastair said. Whether or not Eloise was right, he didn’t much feel like reliving his and Sebastian’s less-than-glorious past. “Anyway, where are we going tonight?”

Eloise smiled. “Horse and Hound. Maybe you’ve heard of it.”

Alastair let out a barking laugh. “Of course! I should’ve known.”

The grubby old pub had been their old hangout back in their student days. It only served two ales—light and dark—and the barkeeps didn’t look too closely at how old their customers were as long as they brought coppers to pay. His thoughts drifted back to late nights spent in the corner booths of the Hound, years ago, before he’d taken off for Glimmerglass and, well, stopped talking to anyone.

“Avi’s coming,” Eloise said, dragging him back to the present. “Works in Magical Law now. Binding and Non-Binding Contracts.”

“That tracks.”

They both had a laugh at that one. Avi had been the bookish type in school: wild curly hair, thick glasses, always in the library, and was a whiz with written spells.

“Brendan. Not sure where he’s at these days. He’s been bouncing around. Always seems happy.”

Young Brendan DuPointe: laddish, jolly, and obsessively into sports. He’d been an unexpected addition to their little group. Most of them hadn’t had many other friends—they’d been the strange outcasts of Emberstone, scruffy kids among the sleek-moneyed elite. But Brendan had been well-liked, even popular. They were all surprised and suspicious at first, except he’d come across happy enough to join them for pub trivia nights and late-night panicked study sessions alike. And he’d been brilliant with a hex. If there’d been a Dueling League at the time, he’d have stood at the top.

“And Juliana Fulton. She still plays the cello. Went pro. Total Non-Mag career.”

“A professional cellist?” Alastair couldn’t believe it.

Juliana had always loved music, and she’d spent hours practicing in her room, even in school. She’d played in the small-but-mighty Emberstone Chamber Society, the only one other than Brendan in their little band of outcasts to actually join any student groups. She’d also been a talented Elemental Mage, and he’d always expected her to follow that path.

“Yeah,” Eloise said. “I see her sometimes. She seems content. You know, this’ll be the first time the whole gang has gotten back together since graduation. I never see Avi and Brendan, really. So we’ll have a lot to catch up on! I invited Amaryllis Shadow, but she didn’t want to join. Scrying work, you know…”

Eloise chattered on as they made their way through the city streets toward the pub, and Alastair let it wash over him without feeling any obligation to respond.

The area directly around Emberstone hadn’t changed much, even if the rest of the city had. It was still full of mages bustling about, even this long after dark, preparing for the incoming rush of students.

Avi was already seated in their usual corner booth when they arrived. He, like all of them, was older, with a few lines around the eyes and a better haircut, but otherwise mostly unchanged. He smiled broadly when he saw them coming.

“Alastair Meade,” he said. “As I live and breathe. I ordered you the usual.”

Sure enough, there were three pints of light ale already sitting on the table.

Just like old times.

“I’ve missed you, Av,” Alastair said, and he realized he’d meant it.

He squeezed into the booth next to Eloise and took a long sip from his ale. It was cold, crisp, and refreshing. He felt like he was eighteen again, still at Emberstone, still worried about cramming for exams. Then, when he opened his eyes, it was decade-older Avi across the table from him, not a gawky, pimply-faced boy.

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“The others are coming,” Avi said. “They let me know they’re just running late. But I have to ask, Ally, where in the world have you been?”

He winced. “Eloise asked the same thing. Verbatim, I believe.”

“It’s a fair question,” Avi said.

“True enough. Look, I’m sorry, Av. Truth is, I just went home. Then I got offered a position teaching at Glimmerglass for a while. I’m the headmaster there now. This is just a one-year thing.”

“We all thought you were gonna take over the world,” Avi said. “Ozelius’ favorite—”

“I wasn’t Ozelius’ favorite.”

“Get real,” Avi said, drink stopping halfway to his lips. “Of course you were. He had you doing all this work for him even back in school, things he wouldn’t have trusted any other student with. He was always prattling on about how he’d set you up with this or that job. We thought you were going places.”

“I did,” Alastair snapped. “Glimmerglass is a place.”

“You know what I mean.”

“No,” he said, “I don’t.”

Eloise looked distressed, and luckily, Brendan and Juliana arrived at the same time. They rushed the table, giggling like school children.

“Ally!” Juliana shrieked. “What! What have you been doing? Who are you dating? How’s Emberstone? I want to hear all of it!”

She looked great. Tall, slender, with bright eyes, and hair the color of caramel.

“I’ll get drinks for you two,” Avi said, clearly using the opportunity to extricate himself from an uncomfortable conversation. “First round on me.”

He swiftly left the table, leaving Alastair with the others.

“I’ve been doing well,” Alastair said. “Not dating anyone. Emberstone’s, uh, great. You know, same as it ever was.”

“Interim headmaster?” she said. “So have you and Ozelius stayed in touch since we graduated, or…? You were up in the forest, right? Kept talking and he was waiting for you to be available for something?”

“Not exactly.” Alastair took a pull from his ale. When no one spoke, and he glanced around the table to see everyone staring at him with bated breath, he sighed. “This just… came out of the blue. We haven’t written at all. And, truly, I was as surprised as you are now.”

Juliana and Brendan exchanged a look. “Huh.”