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Being forced to take apprentices explained a lot about Master Lemuel

Call was more interested in Master Rockmaple’s second lecture about elementals Mostly, it turned out, they weren’t sentient creatures Some kept the saic to becoerous A few had even been known to absorb wizards Itthat What had he let loose in the Magisteriu his shoelaces?

Call learned ave hiic bound

Tauilty look, while, oddly, Aaron became more serious as the three of theisteriuer afraid of getting lost on his way to the Library, the classrooms, or even the Gallery Nor did he think it eird anymore to eat mushrooms and piles of lichen that tasted like delicious roasted chicken or spaghetti or lo mein

He and Jasper still kept their distance, but Celia stayed his friend, acting like nothing weird had happened that night

Call began to dread the end of the year, when his father would want hiood He had real friends for the first time in his life, friends who didn’t think he was too weird or ic He didn’t want to give any of it up, even though he’d vowed he would

It was hard to keep track of seasons passing underground Sometimes, Master Rufus and the other Masters would take them outside for various earth exercises It was always kind of cool to see what the other students were good at -- when Rufus showed therow, Kai Hale e that the next day, Master Rockmaple had to come out with an axe and chop it down Celia was able to suh not, to Call’s disappoint the ot lost

As the outside world started to catch fire in fall colors, the caves grew colder Bigthe air, and a blazing fire was always in the Gallery nohen they went there to watch etting tougher sorown at least an inch And he could walk farther, despite his leg, probably because Master Rufus was fond of taking the rocks aboveground

At night sometimes, Call would take out the wristband from the bedside table and read over both letters fros he was doing, but he never did

They ell into winter when Master Rufus announced that it was ti the caves on their oithout his assistance He’d already shown the earth ht up individual rocks and create a path back

"You want us to get lost on purpose?" Call asked

"So like that," said Rufus "Ideally, you will follow my instruction, find the roo lost at all But that part is up to you"

Tahtly devilish sether," Master Rufus told her "No running off and leaving those two stu around in the dark"

Her smile dimmed a little "Oh, okay"