“Call,” Alastair’s voice said. “I’m sorry. But this is the only way I could help you.”

“We could have found someone else,” Call pleaded.

“There wasn’t time,” Alastair told him.

“But you hate magic!” Call shouted, angry now. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that Alastair had to sacrifice himself. None of this was fair, none of it had ever been fair, but Alastair shouldn’t have had to give up everything. “How are you going to go to garage sales now? How are you going to tinker with cars? How are you going to even drive cars? What is going to happen to all your antiques?” He choked. “What about our life together? What about our life?”

“I needed to help you, Call,” said Alastair. “There’s no life for me if anything happens to you. You’re my son.”

“And you’re his father!” Tamara said. “You shouldn’t have done this! Call needs you.”

“This wasn’t what I wanted either,” Alastair said. “I will miss going to movies, working on cars together, walking Havoc, being father and son. Being part of his life as he gets older and marries, bouncing a grandchild on my knee.”

Tamara looked stricken.

“Maybe this is the price I have to pay for not having told Call the truth about magic for all those years,” said Alastair. “For every time I didn’t trust him. We have to trust the people we love.”

“Now it’s even more important that the Assembly change its rules on the Devoured,” said Jasper somberly. “So Alastair can be with Call sometimes, and Tamara, so you can see Ravan.”

“Ravan.” She gave a little gasp. “We have to summon her and the others. Aren’t we supposed to be at Alex’s tower at dawn?”

“Alastair.” Master Rufus spoke in a rumbling voice. “It is a noble thing you have done. Noble and painful. Even if the Magisterium does not, I will do all I can to help you after this.”

“Thank you, old teacher,” said Alastair. “I will be waiting for you all outside the Mission Gate at dawn.”

He dissolved into the air and vanished. Call slumped down at the table. He didn’t care about Alex right then. He didn’t care about anything but his father. He couldn’t think about anything but Alastair and how Alastair was both fine and totally not at all never again going to be fine. He felt numb all over. Numb and strange.

“Tamara, Gwenda, Jasper,” said Rufus. “Go and get yourself ready for tomorrow. New uniforms have been laid out for you. They have spells that repel dark magic woven into the fabric.”

I didn’t know you could do that, Aaron marveled.

“Callum, stay here a moment,” said Rufus. “I want a word with you.”

The others left, Tamara reluctantly; Call could tell she wanted to stay with him. He’d have to get ready, too. They were supposed to leave first thing in the morning. But he felt as if he couldn’t drag himself to his feet. Somehow what Alastair had done had been the last straw.

“Call,” said Master Rufus, “I need you to know something.”

Call looked up.

“I have had many students over the years,” Master Rufus continued. “Some of the best who have ever come out of the Magisterium. And some of the worst.”

Call stared dully. He waited for Master Rufus to tell him what a disappointment he was.

“I know I have not always been there when you needed me. I felt you above all others needed to find your own way. It was often painful not to reach out a hand. But even when you were given the choice to run rather than face a Devoured of chaos, you did not take it.” Master Rufus inclined his head. “I think of all my students, I have been the proudest of you.”

Hmph, said Aaron.

“I will be there for you tomorrow,” Rufus went on. “Whatever happens, I will be by your side and Tamara’s. I could ask for no greater honor.”

Call cleared his throat. “Thanks, Rufus.”

Rufus nodded and departed the way he always did, without ceremony. Call headed to his room, bone-weary. Havoc, who had been closed in there, leaped all over him in excitement. Call fell on to the bed and tried to sleep.

He didn’t think he would, but, exhausted and overwhelmed, he did.

When Call woke, he felt better about the world. He still felt scared about his dad, but he was starting to see that being a Devoured of air might not be the worst thing. At least his dad wasn’t going to get old and die like other people’s fathers. Alastair would outlive Call. And maybe Alastair couldn’t make him dinner and take care of him exactly the way he had before, but Alastair wasn’t the greatest cook anyway and Call was probably headed to the Collegium. If he didn’t die.

That positive attitude didn’t last very long, Aaron said.

“You know me,” Call said. “It’s not easy to be roommates, especially in the same head, but I’m glad you’ve been with me. I am glad it was you in my head. Whatever happens, you’re the best best friend ever.”

Not a lot of people would have been okay with me being in here, said Aaron. And almost no one would have risked what you did to bring me back to life. You always act like you should be grateful to me for being your friend, just because I’m nice and polite and can make people like me. But I am the one who should be grateful, Call. And I am.

Call grinned. He felt a little bit embarrassed, but overall surprisingly calm as he put on the stuff the Magisterium had given them to wear. He tied up his boots, slid Miri through his belt, and walked out into the common room, only to see Gwenda and Jasper making out on the couch, which was a bit like walking into a field of daisies on a nice spring morning only to be run over by a truck.

Gack! said Aaron.

“My eyes!” Call yelled, slapping a hand over them.

Tamara walked out of her room just in time to see Jasper and Gwenda spring apart.

“What’s going on?” she asked, frowning. “I heard shouting.”

Jasper’s neck was a little flushed. “We were, uh, just resolving some issues between us.” Gwenda was looking shyly at the ground. A small smile curved her mouth.

“I did not see that coming,” Call said, a bit dazed.

“Are you kidding?” Tamara elbowed him in the side. “It’s been coming for forever! What did you think all that flirting in the car was about?!”

“Flirting?” Jasper said.

Now he was annoyed. But Gwenda and Tamara shared a smile.

“Come on,” Tamara said. “We’re going to eat breakfast and then we’re going to battle the Evil Overlord. The real Evil Overlord.”

They ate quickly. Gwenda and Jasper held hands the whole time and Call kept wondering if he should have pulled Tamara into a kiss or held her hand or done something. It wasn’t fair that Jasper seemed ridiculous a lot, but then turned out to know more than Call about relationships and girls and sometimes even magic.

Tamara likes you, Aaron said. Remember — today, we’re optimists.

“You’re always an optimist,” Call muttered under his breath.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door and no more time for discussion. Master Rufus was there with Master Milagros and Assemblyman Graves. They had brought magical rope with them.