I couldn’t exactly pinpoint why, but the mood was off. The teachers were quieter than usual and seemed distracted. None of the Novem heads—the ones who taught classes—were in attendance. Sebastian was nowhere to be found, again. And he hadn’t been at the house this morning, making me wonder if he’d even come home the night before. I spent each class growing more and more concerned, biding my time until I could meet with Michel and get back into the library. By the time my training session with Bran rolled around, I was itching to find out what was going on. Only he wasn’t there. There was a note taped to the door, canceling training. Something was definitely up. Hiking my pack over my shoulder, I climbed to the third-floor administration offices to see if Michel was in his office. But when I cleared the landing, a heavily armed guard stepped into my path. Beyond his wide shoulders, I saw a row of guards barricading the hallway leading to the Novem’s private study, where Anesidora’s Jar was kept.
