Page 137 of The Tribes of Magic
“Sometimes I think about Asher,” Dutch said. “He’s kind of weird, but he’s my friend.”
I paused for a moment, debating. The need to know won out.
“Kylie and Asher aren’t the only missing Apprentices,” I told them.
“What?” Nevada gasped.
“Who else is missing?” Ansel asked.
“A few Apprentices here and there over the years. I want to find them. I want to bring them back. Have any of you heard anyone talking about them? Do you know anything that might help me find them?”
I hadn’t given them a truth potion, but I would be stupid not to seek answers while they were being honest.
“No,” Ansel said. The others all had the same answer.
“There are a lot of people I miss,” Nevada said quietly.
Silence descended on our table. No one looked the least bit hungry anymore.
“Well, keep your ears open, if you would. I have to go.”
I’d spotted Kato bringing away his lunch tray. I caught up with him as he was leaving the dining hall.
“We need to talk,” I whispered to him.
“All right.” He waited for me to say more.
I shook my head. “Not here. In private.”
“Follow me.” He led me up the tower to his room.
As soon as he’d shut the door behind us, I turned around. “We need to speak to Conner.”
I was about to summon him myself, but Kato was faster. He reached under his shirt and pulled out a coin attached to a gold chain. The craftsmanship didn’t look all that different from that of the necklace Conner had given me to contact him.
“I’m glad you two are friends again,” I told him. “Maybe you’ll be a good influence on Conner.”
Laughter poured out of the open balcony door, followed by Conner. “Kato a good influence on me?” He laughed again. “Small chance of that, Red. I’m incorrigible.”
I planted my hands on my hips. “You say that like it’s a good thing.”
His shrug was as unapologetic as his smile.
“How did you get here so fast?” I asked him.
“I’ve been keeping close to the Castle.”
“So you could sneak a truth potion into my friends’ drinks? I told you not to do that!”
“Actually, you told me not to give them a truth potion. I used a truthserum, which is way more potent than a truth potion. All it takes is a single drop of truth serum for them to spill all of their secrets.”
I glowered at him. “You’re not going to get off on a technicality, Conner.”
His expression went from playful to serious in an instant. “I did what had to be done, Red. There are lives at stake. I’m not going to apologize for giving your friends a potion that makes them tell the truth.”
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” My voice cracked.
“Yes, I’ve saved you from the guilt of giving them the truth serum yourself.”
