The students stepped out of the transport cannon as the lift dropped them off and Lee joined them in returning to their lodgings, having gotten stuck in an intense conversation with Todd over what breakfast foods were the best.

Noah was pretty sure Todd was fighting a losing battle, as Lee was insisting that pancakes were crunchy. He’d probably figure out that she was including the texture profiles of the plates and utensils as part of her meal at some point, but until then, it was hard to argue with something that you couldn’t even properly comprehend.

Interesting strategy, actually. If you can’t surprise them with your brilliance, baffle them with your bullshit.

“Is there a reason we’re standing around at the base of the transport cannon instead of heading back?” Moxie asked, breaking Noah’s thoughts.

“Huh? Oh, not really. I was just thinking about Lee’s argument strategies.”

Moxie followed his gaze and snickered. “She’s certainly unique. Todd has no chance.”

“Absolutely none,” Noah agreed. He looked over his shoulder at the transport cannon above him. A small line had formed to use it. Other professors, from the looks of it, taking their students to practice.

“It’s not all that long before the first of the exams. They’re getting ready,” Moxie said.

“The Retrieval Exam, right?” Noah asked. “I take it they’re not going to tell us what monster the kids have to hunt down?”

“Probably not. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Advanced Track makes sure they get assigned a more difficult monster,” Moxie said. “Speaking of, I do wonder when they’ll actually get around to doing anything. Has Ulya shown up to tell us when the next meeting is and I just missed it?”

“Not as far as I’m aware. We can ask Contessa and Karina if she came by my old room,” Noah said. “I’ve got to help Tim out as well. He’s still got a few Runes to get around fixing.”

“Did you want to do that now?” Moxie asked. “There’s a bit of a line.”

“Yeah. I’ll probably wait around until it dwindles away and then head up after he’s not swamped by people. I’ve got a Mind Meld potion on me.” Noah patted his bag, then looked over his shoulder again. “This is unrelated, but have you seen Brayden since he showed up to help you out?”

Moxie tilted her head to the side, brow furrowing in thought. She shook her head after her second. “No, I don’t believe I have. I thought he’d seek you out. Has he not?”

“Nope. Haven’t seen him at all,” Noah said. “You don’t think he’s avoiding me, do you?”

“That doesn’t really sound like him, but I can’t say anything for certain.” Moxie gave him a shrug. “He could also be busy. Father did send him here to help stop Wizen. Maybe he’s researching.”

Moxie didn’t seem too certain of her words. It definitely didn’t feel like Brayden was the kind of man to skirt around addressing his problems, so Noah was inclined to believe her – but he wasn’t sure if that was just his mind tricking him into optimism.

“Well, I’m sure I’ll find him soon enough,” Noah said. “Were you going to head back and keep reading on the artifacts and stuff?”

“Yeah. The most dangerous part of Wizen is that we don’t know what he wants or what motivates him. Nobody knows what his next move is. Once we figure that out, we can deal with him.”

“Agreed. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

Moxie laughed and bumped her shoulder into his. “Sure. I’ll be sure to send you into the library to leaf through books for the rest of the day.”

“Hey. I can read, you know. Just because there was a time when I was more focused on flinging myself from problem to problem without stopping to think about what I was actually doing doesn’t mean that’s my only state.”

“So you do want to hunt through the books in the library for all the records of all the artifacts that the Torrins have had?”

Noah gagged. “Absolutely not. I’d do it if you really needed me to, though.”

“I’ll spare you that fate, I think. I’ve got enough books to sort through already. I think it’s more a question of figuring out which one Wizen would actually want.” Moxie flashed him a grin as he let out a relieved sigh.

“Thank God. Well, don’t work too hard. Don’t forget we’re meeting Silvertide sometime tonight to talk to the Enforcers – and try to leave some space sometime tomorrow morning?”

“I remember the Enforcers, but what’s happening tomorrow morning?” Moxie asked, her nose scrunching in thought. “I don’t remember having anything planned for then.”Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Oh, we don’t. I was thinking we might get breakfast.”

Moxie squinted. “We get breakfast basically every single day.”

“Just the two of us.” Noah rubbed the back of his neck. “You know. A date. I know we’ve been together for a little, but we haven’t had all that much time to just do… normal things, I guess.”

Moxie blinked and her cheeks reddened. “I – oh. Yeah, I’ll make time. I can make time for that.”

“Thanks,” Noah said with a grin. “I’ll catch up with you tonight. Come find me if anything interesting happens, though. After Tim, I’m probably just going to go practice some Formations in the garden. The kids are catching up to me, you know.”

“Somehow, I’m not so sure about that. And I want to book a personal session for some pattern work as well. Think you can make time for that after breakfast?”

“I suppose something can be arranged, but we’ll have to see. I’ve got a busy schedule, you know.”

Moxie rolled her eyes and leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you tonight, idiot.”

She strode off, and Noah’s gaze followed her until she turned at a corner of the road and disappeared from sight. He shook his head, realizing a smile was still on his lips, and turned back to the transport cannon to wait for the line to die down a little.

***

The flow of professors slowed after an hour and a half. Noah knew – he spent the time counting the seconds, drumming his fingers on the grimoire he’d pulled off his back and leaned against his side.

He waited a second to see if anyone else would suddenly pop up, but when it became clear that everyone who’d been waiting for the transport cannon had finally gotten to use it, he headed up the stairs to the lift himself.

It rattled up, and Noah arrived in the room at the top of the cannon a few seconds later. To his surprise, it was empty. He glanced around, just to see if Tim was hiding somewhere, but the he was nowhere to be found.

Noah walked up to the older man’s desk, spotting a small metal placard sitting on top of it. The placard was facing the wrong way, so he couldn’t see what was written on it. He picked it up and turned it around.

Temporarily out for maintenance.

“Maintenance?” Noah muttered to himself, setting the placard back down with a frown. He looked around the room. This wasn’t the first time Tim had randomly gone missing. It wasn’t like something obligated him to be in the transport cannon literally every second of his life – but he definitely didn’t seem to like leaving it.

I didn’t see Tim actually head out either. That means he’s still in the transport cannon. The door would have to be somewhere up here, since I had view of the elevator and there were people heading up it just a few minutes ago.

It might have been a bit of a breach of privacy, but Noah had never prided himself on being particularly respectable. He walked around the room, kneeling by the corners and running his hands along the floor to see if he could find a trapdoor or some other way to get around the cannon other than the lift in its center.

He made his way around the entirety of the cannon’s top floor – it wasn’t like there was all that much ground to cover – and arrived back at Tim’s desk. There was nothing. It was like Tim had just vanished into thin air.

A thought struck Noah. He paused, then leaned forward to peer over the desk at the only spot in the room he hadn’t touched yet. Noah took care to avoid accidentally touching any of the Imbuements or levers on it. He had absolutely no idea what screwing with the transport cannon would do, and he had no desire to find out.

Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.

Resting on the ground was a large, cashmere rug. It was covered with colorful swirling designs that looked like they were meant to symbolize runes without actually drawing any of them.

“A rug?” Noah asked aloud. “Is there really not a better spot to hide something?”

Then again, it did take me like ten minutes of looking literally everywhere else. Maybe a rug is more than enough.

He hopped over the table and reached down, pulling the corner of the rug back to reveal a trapdoor. Noah repressed the urge to let out a heavy sigh.

Well, I found it. Now what?

A few seconds passed. It was one thing to snoop, but it was another to literally follow Tim down into – well, whatever he was doing. It wasn’t exactly polite. Then again, if Tim had a more private area where they could use the Mind Meld potion, there was no reason not to use it.

This is for his greater good, not because I’m curious to see what he’s doing.

Noah pulled the trapdoor back. It opened soundlessly to reveal a long, dark slide that ran at a steep angle. He could just barely see rungs running along its top. It didn’t look like climbing in – or out – would be particularly enjoyable.

He held his grimoire out, making sure the huge book actually fit into the confined space, then returned it to his back. Pulling the trapdoor up, he adjusted the rug so that it was draped over the top and stepped down into the hole, hanging from rungs of the ladder. It was at such an angle that he was nearly upside down.

Noah lowered the trapdoor and the light in the tunnel vanished. He looked down into the darkness, tempted to just drop and use wind magic to slow his fall. Instead, he started to climb down normally. There was far too high of a chance of him slamming ass-first into a turn or corner and having to hobble the rest of the way.

He continued into the darkness, clinging onto the ladder as it twisted and turned. It was impossible to see where he was actually going. The passage went a lot deeper than he’d thought it would. The tunnel eventually righted itself and let him return to climbing the ladder straight down like a normal human being.

Just about fifty feet below him was light, dim and yellow. His angle only let him make out a few muted spots of bronze pipe and purple smoke bathed within the light.

But the light wasn’t all he found. With it came voices. Noah froze in place. He hadn’t expected Tim to have company.

Maybe I should leave. I don’t want to intrude–

“Get out of my way. This is your last warning,” a woman’s voice said.

Noah’s eyes narrowed.

Never mind. Anyone causing Tim trouble should have chosen somewhere to do it where there were witnesses.

He released the rungs of the ladder. Wind swirled past his face as he plummeted through the darkness and rapidly approached the light.