The Golden Tower (Magisterium #5)(26)

“Too obviously,” said Colton. “Alex had already gotten what he wanted. I figure it was all staged to make it look like Call was fighting off the Devoured, when really he’s in league with him.”

“‘In league with him’?” echoed Jasper. “Who talks like that?”

“And you.” Colton turned on Jasper. “Didn’t your father join Master Joseph? You talk as though we have any reason to believe you’re loyal to the mages, but somehow when Call was broken out of prison, you and Tamara were there. Tamara, whose sister Kimiya is Alex’s girlfriend. Everyone knows you’re both as corrupt as he is.”

At the mention of his father, Jasper seemed to shrink.

Rage sprang up in Call. “Back off,” he said sharply. “No one is in league with Alex. Jasper doesn’t even like me that much, and we’re about to risk our lives again to save you, so unless you’d like to take my place fighting the Devoured, maybe you should leave us alone.”

“Celia’s right about you,” Colton says. “You’re not to be trusted, and anyone who can stand being around you can’t be trusted either.” With that, he walked off, his girlfriend and friends following.

Call and the others walked back to their rooms with heavy hearts. Gwenda, who hadn’t spoken to Colton and hadn’t been accused of being evil either, was probably weighing the potential benefits and drawbacks of being their friend. Call was pretty sure the math wasn’t on his side.





WHEN HE OPENED the door with a wave of his wristband, Call saw that the wall of stone was on fire. For a moment he just blinked at it, until he saw that the fire was spelling words.

MEET IN THE PLACE AT THE HOUR OF YOUR AGE.

The letters turned to ash and then vanished, leaving nothing behind.

“More weird stuff,” said Gwenda glumly.

“It’s a message from Ravan,” said Tamara. “She communicates with fire. It’s her language. And her handwriting.”

“Okay,” said Jasper. “But how are we supposed to know what she means?”

“‘The place’ is probably the place I met her last year,” Tamara said. “On the grounds of the Magisterium.”

“Outside?” asked Gwenda.

Tamara nodded. “But ‘the hour of your age’? Does she mean my birthday?”

“Or the time you were born?” Jasper put in. “How would you know that? Unless you call your mom or something.”

Sixteen-hundred hours, Aaron said. Military time.

Call opened his mouth to say that Aaron had figured it out when he remembered that would be a mistake. “Four in the afternoon,” he said instead. “Because she’s sixteen.”

“That only gives us twenty minutes!” said Gwenda, and they charged back out.

Call brought Havoc. Havoc might not be Chaos-ridden anymore, but you never knew when you might need a loyal wolf.

They raced through the corridors of the Magisterium, heading for the Mission Gate. As they left the Magisterium, Call couldn’t help thinking of Alex’s arrival with the dragon, especially because in the distance, his stupid tower was being built. Mages flew through the air, lifting blocks of stone with their magic, each resting on top of another as the edifice grew. It might be ridiculous, but it was being made and Call was running out of time.

“Here we are,” Tamara said as they arrived in a grove. She climbed up on a rock and sat down.

For a moment, they waited, drinking in the smell of pine needles. Somewhere in the distance a wolf howled and Havoc pricked up his ears.

Then, all at once, like a spark flying up from kindling, Ravan was there.

She looked as much like a girl as Call had ever seen her. She was surrounded by a nimbus of flames, and her left hand was all fire, like a burning Alkahest. Her eyes were full of fire, too, and her hair shot sparks. But she was still girl-shaped, and, unnervingly, Call could see her resemblance to Tamara. It made him uncomfortable for reasons he couldn’t articulate to himself.

Because the thought of something like that happening to Tamara freaks you out, said Aaron. Because you like her. You’re in like with her.

Do you MIND? Call thought. It’s none of your business.

It is as long as I’m stuck in here. Besides, I’m hoping you crazy kids make it work.

“Ravan.” Tamara had stood up, appearing to understand she was the unofficial spokesperson for the group. “Thanks for coming.”

“You’re my sister,” Ravan said, sparks flying from her mouth as she spoke. “You wanted me to come, so I came. What is it?”

Tamara reached up to fiddle with her necklace. “We need to know how to kill a Devoured.”

Ravan started to laugh, which sounded like fireworks going off. Jasper scuttled back a few feet, clearly nervous that sparks were going to land on his clothes. “Why would I tell you that?”

“Because otherwise Alex Strike will kill me, and Kimiya, too,” said Tamara.

Ravan stopped laughing. She hovered, burning, as Tamara explained what was going on: the building of the tower, Alex’s requests, Call’s inability to hurt him with chaos.

“We don’t want to hurt any other Devoured,” Tamara finished. “But we need to get rid of Alex, Ravan. He could kill a lot of people otherwise.”