Snow looked at Tessa and raised her fingers on the wheel expectantly.
“What now?”
“I’m going into the school. I want you to go stand by those windows,” Tessa pointed to a bank of windows perhaps fifty yards away under a large tree. “In about five minutes I’m going to drop this bag out that window, and I want you to take it to your apartment for safe keeping.”
“Ugh,” Snow rolled her eyes. “It’s going to be heavy, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Yes, the bag will be heavy,” Tessa said, annoyed. Snow motioned around the car dramatically.
“You know Scion, has it occurred to you that I don’t actually have any minions here? This is minions work. Why don’t you get yours to—”
“No. We’re leaving them out of this. Besides, neither of them have cars, or at least I can’t imagine they do,” Tessa said opening the door.
“Fine, Scion, but if I break a nail—”
“—If you break a nail, what? You’ll just have to magic it back together?”
“Well, yes , ” Snow said, pouting her lip out.
Tessa rolled her eyes. “Oh, the horror!” she said, her face wrenched in mock terror. “Get over it,” she added, yanking the duffel out and slamming the door. Tessa leaned down through the window. “And pick me up at 2:55 this afternoon out front. I need your help with something else.” Snow scowled and then did a half-decent impression of what Tessa thought a real minion probably did sound like.
“Yesssss my lieeeegeeeee.”
Tessa rolled her eyes again and ran toward the school. Snow sat in her car for five full minutes without moving. She thought about leaving for every second of those five minutes and then sighed, opened her door in a huff, and hiked through the damp grass over to the windows Tessa had indicated.
Tessa had timed the visit just right, likely thanks to Snow’s insane driving. As it was, it was late enough that the doors were open and early enough that there were only a few crazy over-achieving souls present. Tessa ran down the hall to the administrative office and, after a quick peek assuring her it was still quiet and dark, she walked through the open space, past the massive front desk, and to a small cluster of offices to search for Bishop’s office. It was the first one, with his name on a plaque beside the door and two chairs, Tessa assumed for misbehaving students, in the hallway beside it.
Tessa pushed on the handle but the door was locked. She then pushed harder, a whole lot harder, and it snapped open. Tessa edged the door open and strode inside. It felt wrong to be there, but ever since The Stranger had appeared Tessa hadn’t been able to shake the idea that there might be something here that could help her, even if she wasn’t ready or willing to have a new Advocate. Looking at the small office, she discovered she had been really, really right. So right that she should have brought another bag, or five. The whole wall was bookshelves and they were filled beyond capacity, mostly with books that looked like they had nothing to do with being a high school counselor and everything to do with Scions and Stories.
Tessa flung the massive duffel onto the desk and opened the mouth widely. She surveyed the wall of books and tried to decide what to take, where to start. She began yanking the largest books off the shelves, as well as the ones that looked the oldest and most worn. In moments, the bag was filled to bursting. She zipped it up just as she heard people in the hallway. Tessa had intended to toss the bag out the window by the front desk, but Bishop’s office had a window and so she used that instead, hoping Snow wouldn’t be thrown by the small change, if she was even still out there. Tessa opened the window and tossed the bag, with all the gentleness she could muster, onto the damp grass below. Tessa thought of going through the window herself, but there was no time as the voices were now upon her. Instead, Tessa let the window fall shut behind her and
“What now?”
“I’m going into the school. I want you to go stand by those windows,” Tessa pointed to a bank of windows perhaps fifty yards away under a large tree. “In about five minutes I’m going to drop this bag out that window, and I want you to take it to your apartment for safe keeping.”
“Ugh,” Snow rolled her eyes. “It’s going to be heavy, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Yes, the bag will be heavy,” Tessa said, annoyed. Snow motioned around the car dramatically.
“You know Scion, has it occurred to you that I don’t actually have any minions here? This is minions work. Why don’t you get yours to—”
“No. We’re leaving them out of this. Besides, neither of them have cars, or at least I can’t imagine they do,” Tessa said opening the door.
“Fine, Scion, but if I break a nail—”
“—If you break a nail, what? You’ll just have to magic it back together?”
“Well, yes , ” Snow said, pouting her lip out.
Tessa rolled her eyes. “Oh, the horror!” she said, her face wrenched in mock terror. “Get over it,” she added, yanking the duffel out and slamming the door. Tessa leaned down through the window. “And pick me up at 2:55 this afternoon out front. I need your help with something else.” Snow scowled and then did a half-decent impression of what Tessa thought a real minion probably did sound like.
“Yesssss my lieeeegeeeee.”
Tessa rolled her eyes again and ran toward the school. Snow sat in her car for five full minutes without moving. She thought about leaving for every second of those five minutes and then sighed, opened her door in a huff, and hiked through the damp grass over to the windows Tessa had indicated.
Tessa had timed the visit just right, likely thanks to Snow’s insane driving. As it was, it was late enough that the doors were open and early enough that there were only a few crazy over-achieving souls present. Tessa ran down the hall to the administrative office and, after a quick peek assuring her it was still quiet and dark, she walked through the open space, past the massive front desk, and to a small cluster of offices to search for Bishop’s office. It was the first one, with his name on a plaque beside the door and two chairs, Tessa assumed for misbehaving students, in the hallway beside it.
Tessa pushed on the handle but the door was locked. She then pushed harder, a whole lot harder, and it snapped open. Tessa edged the door open and strode inside. It felt wrong to be there, but ever since The Stranger had appeared Tessa hadn’t been able to shake the idea that there might be something here that could help her, even if she wasn’t ready or willing to have a new Advocate. Looking at the small office, she discovered she had been really, really right. So right that she should have brought another bag, or five. The whole wall was bookshelves and they were filled beyond capacity, mostly with books that looked like they had nothing to do with being a high school counselor and everything to do with Scions and Stories.
Tessa flung the massive duffel onto the desk and opened the mouth widely. She surveyed the wall of books and tried to decide what to take, where to start. She began yanking the largest books off the shelves, as well as the ones that looked the oldest and most worn. In moments, the bag was filled to bursting. She zipped it up just as she heard people in the hallway. Tessa had intended to toss the bag out the window by the front desk, but Bishop’s office had a window and so she used that instead, hoping Snow wouldn’t be thrown by the small change, if she was even still out there. Tessa opened the window and tossed the bag, with all the gentleness she could muster, onto the damp grass below. Tessa thought of going through the window herself, but there was no time as the voices were now upon her. Instead, Tessa let the window fall shut behind her and
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