Page 121 of Alchemy of Souls

“But just as I was leaving,” she continues, “the Chancellor stormed in. And what’s stranger is he was asking aboutme. Someone he’s never talked to. At first, I thought it was on account of Eloise, but I just had this gut feeling something wasn’t right. Especially with the way Eloise has been acting recently. So, I stayed invisible.”

“That might be the smartest thing you’ve ever done,” I say.

Maggie nods. “I followed him outside the hut and Adrien was waiting for him. The Chancellor told him to find me and restrain me inany way necessary. And the twat didn’t even blink.”

By her scent, she definitely wants to kick Adrien even though he’s unconscious.

“So, I stayed invisible, trying to learn what I could. I was actually on the lawn when I saw you speed past. Couldn’t catch ye, but I saw you two open the door with the Key.” She raises an eyebrow.

She was there when we opened the door and yet Akari didn’t sense Maggie, either? Now I’m jealous of her invisibility.

“Did you learn anything? Anything I need to know—” I ask, but I’m cut off by the sound of footsteps at the end of the hall.

We both turn just in time to see Akari headed straight for us.

Maggie winces, but she doesn’t go invisible. Probably can’t given how much magic she’s used tonight.

I lift my hand to cast, ready to grab Maggie and make a run for it, but Akari draws her throwing daggers.

“Cast that wind spell, Stone, and I’ll skewer you to the wall before you move an inch,” Akari says calmly. Akari notes Adrien, knocked out on the floor and tied up, eyeing us suspiciously.

Maggie and I make eye contact, and for a split second I know we’re both considering fighting Akari, however stupid that choice might be.

That is, until Akari sighs. “Explain and do it quickly,” she says.

For the second time tonight, I’m completely dumbfounded. Akari wants to know what happened? She’s not going to throw me in a hole somewhere until my uncle can deal with me?

Only before I can get a word out, the door to the Archive Room cracks open.

CHAPTER 57Eloise

It took me four tries to get the Chancellor into the chair after I tied him up with fabric from my sleeves. The man istall. But pushing the chair toward the door is no easy task, either. He has eighty pounds on me.

I pause by the door, hoping my plan works. Don’t you dare die, Grayson Stone. I’ll never forgive you.

Here goes nothing. I turn the handle, staying hidden behind the door as I crack it open so only the tied-up Chancellor is visible.

But I don’t get the door open by more than two inches before someone barrels into it.

For a second, it’s chaos.

I land on my butt. The Chancellor’s chair skids back a foot. And the room fills with the scent of magic and musk. Then all of a sudden, sapphire-blue eyes stare down at me in shock.

“Claws?” Grayson says, offering me a hand.

I take it, righting myself as his gaze flits to his chair-bound uncle.

Which is also when everything goes eerily quiet.

The door is wide open. And in the hallway Akari stares us down with her throwing daggers. Right behind her is Maggie, her eyes wide.

Then all at once we’re in motion. I’m saying Maggie’s name, she’s lunging toward me, and Grayson’s grabbing the door. But Akari’sfaster than all of us. She flings her arm out, stepping into the doorframe, blocking Maggie from entering and us from shutting her out.

“Now someone is going to tell me what’s going on and fast,” Akari commands.

Grayson’s mouth opens, but I beat him to it. “I’ll do better than tell you,” I say. “I’ll show you.”

I slide the Chancellor’s and Grayson’s phones out of my boot and hand them to Grayson.