The Golden Tower (Magisterium #5)(47)

He also remembered the last time they’d seen Kimiya. She’d been throwing her arms around Alex while he gloated and Tamara looked as if she’d been kicked in the stomach, so Call wasn’t inclined to like her much.

Tamara swallowed hard. “Okay. I want to see her.”

They headed down the corridor after Master Rufus. Call’s optimistic mood was turning quickly into tension as they passed knots of staring, silent students. He was pretty sure most of them didn’t know what was going on, but they knew enough to understand that bad things were happening. After all, many of them had seen Alex attack, and they’d all seen the golden tower rising on the horizon like a knife pointing at the sky.

Call kept looking at things as they passed. The door to his old rooms, the ones he’d shared with Tamara and Aaron. The way to the Refectory. The twisting path to the library. The glowing patterns of stones in the walls. The stairs that led to the Gallery. He couldn’t stop wondering if it was the last time he’d ever see any of them again.

Suddenly there was a loud bark. Havoc had burst through the door of their rooms and was charging up the hallway. He almost careened into Call, jumping up to put his paws on Call’s chest and whining frantically.

“What’s going on?” Call patted Havoc’s head. “What’s wrong, boy?”

Nothing, Aaron said. He wants to go with you.

“He just wants to come,” said Tamara. “We shouldn’t leave him behind.”

“But he’s not a Chaos-ridden wolf anymore,” said Call. “It’s not fair to bring him.”

“Isn’t it better,” said Rufus, “that he wishes to go with you out of love and loyalty, and not because he is bound to you by chaos? He is your wolf, and I think he has earned his place at your side.”

So they headed out of the Mission Gate as a group of six: Master Rufus, Tamara, Gwenda, Jasper, and Call, with Havoc bringing up the rear.

Call saw Kimiya immediately. She was standing with Mr. and Mrs. Rajavi, who were huddled together in a tight family group. All of them were staring warily at Alastair, who hovered translucently near — but not too near — a number of Assembly members.

Given what had happened to Ravan, Call felt like he couldn’t blame the Rajavis for looking at Alastair like that. Devoured of any kind must horrify them. But he blamed them anyway.

Tamara immediately detached from their group and ran toward her family, while Call and the others headed toward Alastair and the mages. Havoc and Call greeted Alastair, who brushed an airy hand over Call’s hair, stirring the strands without quite touching him. Havoc nosed around Alastair and barked worriedly as he passed through Alastair’s legs.

Around them a few other members of the Assembly milled, consulting with some other mages Call didn’t know who were explaining about the tower. They had apparently really built the whole thing, with a TV room and a lot of bedrooms, but they’d used the same enchanted materials that they used on the Panopticon. It would be a lot harder for Alex to summon chaos creatures once he was inside — and they planned on sealing up the way in and out once Call and his people were inside.

It would also allow the mages to see through the materials, to watch what happened and come to Call’s aid if it was at all possible.

“Although that opens up the danger of Alex Strike being able to summon more elementals of chaos,” Graves said.

Tell him you won’t need help, Aaron said. People like to hear that kind of thing.

But what if we do need help? Call wanted to know.

Just say it, said Aaron. He’s no more or less likely to help no matter what you tell him. But he’ll think you’re brave and he’ll like you better.

Sometimes Aaron could be a little scary. No, a lot scary.

“I can handle Alex,” Call said. Graves did look relieved.

Before he’d have to promise anything else, Call headed toward where Tamara was greeting her family.

“I’ve been telling everyone how sorry I am,” Kimiya said. “I didn’t realize how angry Alex was. I thought it would be kind of fun to make our own organization, to have our own thing. Alex said that the Assembly had lied to everyone, that Constantine had been dead for a long time and they just wanted everyone to be afraid. And when I realized it was true — Constantine had been gone — I believed all the other stuff he said, too. I never thought he’d hurt Aaron. If I’d known that … everything would have been different.”

Tamara looked at her sister with suspicion. “He wanted to hurt people. He did hurt people.”

“I took a chance on someone I cared about,” Kimiya said with a pointed look at Call. Which was totally unfair. Well, it was a little unfair. “And I was wrong. But now I’m here to help take him down.”

Tamara looked at her sister without warmth or trust. Sometimes Call forgot how unflinchingly stubborn she could be.

“You’re not going to be restrained,” she told her sister. “You’re going to have to be the one who acts first. Once we’re inside, you’re going to have to make sure the Devoureds have what they need to manifest. Including Ravan.”

There was a soft explosion at the sound of Ravan’s name. Ravan appeared, a feathery plume of smoke and flame.

“Ravan,” Tamara said, and sighed in relief. “You’re here.”