Kal peeled off her sodden school jacket and changed into her old mining outfit of shirt and trousers. Then she tugged on the peacoat. It was too warm to wear inside and she started sweating instantly, but Lara couldn’t mess with her now.
She took a last glance around, whispered the word bye to no one, and flew back down the stairs. The grounds were deserted. Kal kept to the shadows, skirting the pools of light spilling from windows. She was almost at the wall when she heard the scuff of a shoe behind her. Before she could turn, a hand clamped over her mouth. She struggled wildly as her attacker pulled her into the shadows.
“It’s me,” a voice whispered in her ear. “Stop fighting.”
Levi. He let go and Kal spun to face him, nerves jangling. Rain plastered his dark hair to his forehead.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded. “We’re supposed to meet at the docks?—”
“Shhhh!” He raised a finger to his lips and pointed.
A group of three was moving along the path toward the dining hall. Kal recognized Lara Lenormand and the pair who had crashed Durian’s remembrance. She grabbed Levi’s hand and dragged him against the wall of the engineering building.
“Shit, that was too close,” she breathed. “I was just having dinner in there.”
She turned to Levi, hoping he wouldn’t question her about who they were, but he wasn’t watching them. He was watching her.
“The ferry won’t sail in this weather,” he whispered. “The departure was delayed until tomorrow. So I bought you a train ticket instead.”
“A train? To where?”
“Sardis. You can make a fresh start.” He handed her an envelope. Kal quickly checked the contents. As promised, he’d brought a legit-looking identity card . . . in the name of Kayla Jentzen.
“Like the car?” she said with a frown.
Everyone knew about Emil Jentzen, even in a backwater like Pota Pras. He was a famous inventor whose company manufactured several models of luxury automobiles.
Levi shrugged. “It’s a name, isn’t it?”
“Well, yeah. But it’s an unusual name. One that people might remember.”
His face fell. “I’m sorry, Kyra. I should have thought of that.”
“It’s okay.” She bit back her annoyance. “We can talk at the train station. But we need to get out of here before the dean comes back.” Not to mention the other two, who were probably worse.
Levi nodded and they jogged through the grounds, steering clear of the residence halls. The rain hammered down, turning bare patches in the grass to mud. They were almost to the deserted section of wall that she liked to climb over when a thought struck her.
Kal stopped abruptly. “How did you get through the wards?”
“What?” Levi turned.
“The wards.” She took a step back. “This place is wrapped in enough protective magic to stop an army. How did you get inside?”
His expression hardened. “We don’t have time for this, Kal.”
The name landed like a gut punch. Her hands went cold. “What did you just say?”
“I said, we don’t have time, Kyra!”
But she saw in his eyes that he knew. He’d messed up.
She drew the pistol from her pocket in one fluid motion, backing away. “Who are you?”
Levi stared at her in disbelief. “You’re seriously going to shoot me?”
Her finger tightened on the trigger. “How did you get through the wards? Don’t lie again!”
He raised his palms. “Do we have to do this now?”
