Page 22 of First Ritual

My brows raised when he didn’t continue. “I appreciate the apology.” I also wasn’t going to spend any time alone with this guy for the foreseeable future. I’d felt his power, and a battle between us would look similar to the one I’d just witnessed. “Shall we go in?”

He swallowed hard and his exhale shook. “You go. I’ll be in soon.”

Keeping my movements slow, I opened the door and slipped through, not taking my eyes off the on-edge magus.

I shut the door and blew out a breath that told me just how scared I’d been. On top of that, I truly felt for Wild. I wouldn’t wish chaos on my worst enemy.

“Bronte.” Varden stood by a bookcase. Though calling the three-story-tall display of ancient tomes a bookcase was kind of like calling a unicorn a pointy-horse. His primary affinity had to be grimoire. I’d try not to dislike him for it.

“Sir. Pleasant morning so far?”

“It’s Thursday,” he answered. “But yes. Thus far.”

Thursday.

I rubbed my temples. “Someone needs to explain the significance of Thursdays here.”

“The fun is in the figuring,” he replied.

Why did grimoires always say that? I preferred to be told the answer. One, it was time efficient, and if a truth had been learned or explored by another, then why would I double down on that learning instead of furthering the collective knowledge on the subject?

I hummed and crossed to the leather seats by the empty fireplace. There were two of them and one was well-worn. “Funny thing happened just now. Two magus were trying to kill each other near the divination learning center.”

He paused halfway through slipping a book back on the shelf. “Wild was meant to give you a guided tour.”

I sat on the worn chair and pondered his reply. The unstated subtext seemed to be that Wild was meant to give you a guided tour to keep you away from the divination learning center. “Was Wild aware of this tour?”

That’s why no one turned up this morning. The creep had followed me instead. After breakfast, at least.

“Naturally.” Varden set the book in place, then ambled across the stone floor to join me. The chamber was huge and circled upward to a small point. The bedroom must be on another level because only lounge furniture and a desk occupied this floor. What was on the third level? Probably books.

The old man clasped his hands behind his back and paused beside his chair. Was he waiting for me to get to the inevitable question?

My pleasure. “Why were two men fighting just now? Why did no one come running? Why wasn’t Wild worried? And why did he get angry when I didn’t know what was happening?”

Varden flicked me a look, then glanced at the closed doors. “Curious.”

What part?

“Wild was angry on your behalf?” he clarified by asking.

“Unsure.” Could’ve been angry at the inconvenience of tour guide duty.

The esteemed took a seat and settled his thick, black robes. Seriously, how was he not sweltering? I was nearly too warm in my summer dress.

He cleared his throat. “Do you remember my words to you before the council voted on your acceptance into the coven?”

“You said the coven was in the process of picking another leader. That’s what the fight was about?”

He nodded, and I released a small exhale of relief. Mother be, I thought I’d gotten myself into something hairy for a moment there. “So what? Those two guys disagree on who should be leader?”

Varden watched me in silence.

Not a pleasant silence.

A telling kind of silence. The type that had my racing heart and blaring instincts return in full and then some. “There’s more.”

“There’s always more,” he answered, a wry smile upon his face. “It will help you to know two things. After you know those two things, there will inevitably be many follow-up questions. Full understanding won’t come until the doing. But we will make a start regardless. It’s good to have a little to go on.”

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