AFTER BREAKFAST AND CYRUS’S PROPHECY about what was to come later that day (if that was what it really was), Fort found himself in a surprisingly normal situation: math class.
Before he and the rest of the healers went to Dr. Ambrose’s medical training, they had two classes of regular school, taught by a very nervous-looking soldier. That probably shouldn’t have surprised Fort as much as it did; there was no way even a secret government agency would let kids get away with skipping school.
Fort quickly figured out where the class was in their lessons and felt confident he could keep up without worrying too much about it. And that was good, because he found it pretty impossible to pay attention, considering everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, not to mention that his test to remain at the school was tomorrow, and if he failed that, he was getting his memories wiped before being sent home.
The regular school classes were small, and the students from both magic disciplines were mixed in together. Cyrus and Jia weren’t in Fort’s class, nor were Bryce, Trey, or Chad. Sebastian and Rachel were, though neither seemed to be paying much attention to him, which was probably for the best. He didn’t need another case of the flu, or someone protecting him like he was a little kid, either.
Though between the two, at least Rachel didn’t involve aches and chills.
When it came time for Dr. Ambrose’s class, Fort prepared himself to confront Jia, ready to demand answers about Sierra and the other two boys he’d seen in his dream. But when he arrived with the rest of the healers, Jia was nowhere to be found.
Instead, Fort got thrown into what turned out to be the most graphically disgusting lesson he’d ever seen as Dr. Ambrose walked her students through the workings of an arm muscle, showing on a screen exactly how various injuries looked, and how they could be fixed.
“Now this is a torn muscle,” she said, flipping to a new picture of an actual muscle with an actual tear in it, making someone next to Fort dry heave. “See how the muscle strands are all literally ripped? Someone didn’t stretch before working out, am I right? So which spell would you use on this? Mason?”
“Would it be . . . Heal Heavy Wounds?” Mason asked.
Dr. Ambrose sighed. “If you think this is a heavy wound, wait until we get to pictures from the ER. No, Mason. Please try to keep up, as I’m not actually teaching these classes for my benefit.”
Sebastian raised his hand, then started speaking before Dr. Ambrose even called on him. “The spell to use is Restore Body, the same as rebuilding bones,” he said.
“Right, as usual,” Dr. Ambrose said, shaking her head. “How is it that the only one of you who doesn’t need to study to stay in this school actually knows the answers?”
In spite of Dr. Ambrose wanting him to fail out of the school, Fort actually found himself fascinated by the lesson. It did help to know what sort of magic he’d need to use on various injuries, given how little his Heal Minor Wounds spell had worked on his flu symptoms. Besides, who knew what might help him with his first three spells?
The lessons continued, getting more and more disgusting, until even Fort ran out of the room after Dr. Ambrose showed a slide of severed toes, then demanded Mason answer whether that was a major wound. Fort wasn’t the only one to excuse himself either, and there ended up being a line for the restroom.
After the class finished, Dr. Ambrose stopped Fort on the way out. “Only one day after today until your test, Forsythe,” she said as the other kids left, looking various levels of nauseated. “Jia told me you don’t need her help anymore, which I think we both know is a lie. But given that Oppenheimer confirmed to me that she’s off the case, that tells me you did something to annoy her, or him.” She narrowed her eyes. “But while I’m glad to have Jia back, I’d like to know why.”
“Wait, what?” Fort said, his eyes widening. “No, I definitely still need her help. Where is she?”
“What am I, her daily schedule?” Dr. Ambrose said. “Clearly you know less about this than I do, so further conversation won’t help. Not that it ever does. Off you go.”
She shoved him out of the classroom, then slammed the door behind him as he stood in the hallway, shocked.
Jia wouldn’t help him anymore? And somehow she’d gotten Dr. Opps’s permission to stop? What could she know about Sierra that they wouldn’t let Fort find out? This was maddening!
“Argh!” he shouted, and slammed his fist into the door.
“Take your angst somewhere else, please!” Dr. Ambrose shouted from inside the classroom, and Fort blushed, then quickly headed for the elevator.
As he left the Training Hall, he caught sight of Dr. Opps walking toward the officers’ mess, presumably for lunch. Fort sprinted to catch up and stopped the headmaster before he could go in. “Dr. Opps! I need to talk to you.”
The doctor turned and visibly flinched when he saw it was Fort. That was never a good sign. “Forsythe, stop there.”
Fort did, several feet away. “But I have questions—”
“I have too much classified information in my mind for you to get anywhere near me again,” Dr. Opps said, shaking his head. “It’s for your own good. And there’s nothing I can tell you about what happened last night anyway. The TDA is running an investigation, and Colonel Charles isn’t in a sharing mood today.” He seemed annoyed at this, so maybe Fort wasn’t the only one getting left in the dark.
“It’s not about that, though I do have a lot of questions,” Fort said. “Like where is Sierra, and why is she—”
“All you need to know is that she’s no longer a student, and we will find a way to stop her using her power on you,” Dr. Opps said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m rather hungry. I spent all night using one of our mental items to hide the school from that thing, in case you have any more telepathic experiences out of nowhere. It won’t last more than a day or two, but we shouldn’t need it much longer anyway.” He gave Fort a long look.
“If you won’t tell me about Sierra, then why isn’t Jia tutoring me anymore? Dr. Ambrose’s test is tomorrow, and there’s no way I’m going to pass it without her.”
“I can’t imagine you will, no,” Dr. Opps said, no longer even hiding the fact he wanted Fort gone. “I’ve given her permission to get back to her studies, so if I find out that you’re keeping her from them in any way, I’ll have no choice but to send you home, Forsythe. Do you understand me?”
Fort’s eyes narrowed, but he nodded.
“Good day, then, Forsythe,” Dr. Opps said, and made his way into the officers’ mess. The doors closed behind him, and two soldiers guarding the entrance gave Fort a close look. Fort backed away with his hands up, then turned and made his way back to the Training Hall.
There was no way he was going home now, not before he found out what was actually happening at this school.
If only he didn’t have to master three spells by tomorrow in order to do that.