"Which means the threat is real," Wilder said. "Maybe not the threat we expected, but still real."
"Fuck!" Torian snarled, turning away in frustration.
Aspen just grabbed my arm, forcing me to look at her. "What do we do, Rain?"
"I don't know."
"She does not go anywhere alone!" Torian snapped, spinning back just to point at Aspen. "I don't care what we have to do to make that happen. We all know who they're really after, and it isn't me."
"Ok," I said, rubbing Aspen's upper arms. "We can go talk to Ms. Rhodes. I have first period with her, and - "
"No." Aspen pulled in a breath and stood a little straighter. "We're not hiding anymore, right?"
"This isn't the same," Torian said.
"Kinda is," Wilder countered. "Hiding is exactly what they want."
"So I can't hide!" Aspen told him. "I can't, Tor. I also can't have you following me around like a shadow. That does nothing but make me look weak."
"And," Hawke said, sounding like he didn't really want to, "if she looks weak, that makes her a more appealing target."
I groaned, reaching up to rub at my brow. "We shouldn't even know this shit!"
"We have access to the internet," Hawke reminded me. "The nightly news teaches us this. Unfortunately, you're right. It also teaches them - whoever they are."
"And," Wilder said, gesturing to the door I'd seen marked with red, "that room is used by a teacher who has Winter magic."
"The black," Keir said, "is a known Winter sympathizer. I have Fundamentals of Metallurgy in there, and my teacher is enamored of the Winter Court. I'm pretty sure he's descended from both seasons."
"Ok, but none of this helps us protect Aspen," Torian grumped.
"Jack!" my bird said.
Aspen looked over at him. "What, Jack?"
"Jack-court!" he said. "Jack-shadow. Jack-Rain. Jack, court, Rain." He slung his beak up and down. "Court-bitch?" And he shook it from side to side.
"Any clue what that means?" Keir asked.
"I think," Hawke said, moving a little closer, "that Jack's saying he and Rain's shadow can help?"
That made Jack chatter enthusiastically. "Jack-court! Jack, Jack. Court!" And then he fluttered over to land on Aspen's shoulder. "Jack!" Then he nibbled at Aspen's short silver hair. "Court!"
"He's going to stick with Aspen!" I realized.
"Doesn't help, Jack," Torian said. "No offense, but you gave your magic away."
"Shadow!" Jack said.
That made me look at my feet where my own shadow was waving back. "Are you going to help somehow?" I asked.
My shadow pointed at Aspen and Jack, then to itself.
"Wait," Hawke begged as he gestured for everyone to step back and give my shadow room. "Shadow, if something happens, can Jack tell you?"
My shadow nodded. The gesture was big and overly emphatic, but that was necessary with a dark silhouette on the ground. It had to gesture too much so we could make out what it meant.
"And you can tell Rain?" Hawke continued.
