With a whine, Havoc flopped down on the floor, clearly disappointed by all the talking. Havoc was a wolf of action.

A few minutes later, Aaron and Tamara emerged with bags of their own.

“Good thing we made those rocks to protect Aaron from scrying,” Tamara said, opening her hand and showing a small pile of them. “And good thing I like to practice.”

Call stood up with a heavy sigh. “You’re both sure about this?”

“We’re sure, Call,” Aaron said. Tamara nodded.

Havoc barked once, like he was sure, too.

The one gate of the Magisterium that stayed open all night was the Mission Gate, through which older students left and returned from missions and battles. Call and Aaron and Tamara sauntered along, trying to look as if they were on their way to the Gallery to eat candy or watch a movie. They passed Celia, Rafe, and Jasper deep in conversation, and some of the older students, laughing and chatting about their lessons.

The passageway forked, one path leading toward the Gallery, the other toward the Mission Gate. Aaron paused for a moment, looking around to make sure no one was watching, before ducking into the corridor that led outside. Tamara and Call hurried after him so fast there was a pileup, and they had to disentangle themselves from one another and Havoc. By the time they were done they were giggling, even Tamara and Call. Aaron looked pleased.

His pleased look didn’t last long, though. They tiptoed down the passage. The air slowly became warmer, and Call could smell sun-warmed rock, leaf mold, and fresh air. The passage sloped up and he could see the stars beyond the Mission Gate.

Suddenly, they were blotted out. A slender figure rose up in front of them, smirking.

“Fancy meeting you here,” Jasper said.

“That is such a tired villain line, Jasper, and you know it,” said Call.

“Why are you here?” Aaron demanded. “Were you following us?”

“Because I knew that Call would do something eventually,” Jasper said. “I knew he’d show his true colors. What did you expect me to do, nothing?”

“Yes, Jasper,” said Tamara with heavy sarcasm. “See, normal people, who aren’t psychopaths, don’t automatically assume the worst of everyone.”

Jasper crossed his arms. “Oh, really? Then tell me: Where are you going?”

“It’s none of your business,” said Call. “Go away, Jasper.”

“Is this about a certain someone’s dad who’s gone on the run?” Jasper quirked an eyebrow at Call. “The mages wouldn’t be happy at all if they knew you were going after him. Master Rufus —”

“Let’s kill him,” Call said. Havoc growled.

“Master Rufus?” Aaron looked alarmed.

“No, of course not Master Rufus! I meant Jasper,” Call said. “Bury his body under a pile of rock. Who’d know?”

“Call, stop being ridiculous,” said Tamara.

“Havoc could kill him,” Call suggested. Havoc turned at the sound of his name, looking interested by the prospect. Although the Chaos-ridden wolf had grown over the summer, Call wasn’t sure he could actually kill anyone, but he could sure take Jasper outside and chase him around the Magisterium a few times.

“And I’m supposed to be the psychopath?” Jasper grumbled.

Call wasn’t sure what it meant that he’d gone full Evil Overlord on Jasper yet still couldn’t manage to impress him.

Aaron raised his hand. For a moment Call thought that Aaron was going to settle them down, say that Call should quit threatening Jasper and they should all just go back to their rooms. Instead, black fire sparked between Aaron’s fingers, a web of darkness. “Don’t make me hurt you,” he said, looking right at Jasper, chaos burning in the palm of his hand. “Because I really could.”

Call was so astonished he couldn’t even react.

Jasper blanched, but before he could say anything, Tamara slapped Aaron none too gently on the shoulder. “Stop that,” she said. “You can’t just summon chaos whenever you feel like it.”

Aaron closed his hand into a fist and the darkness winked out, but he didn’t look any less terrifying.

Tamara pointed at Jasper. “We’re going to have to take him with us.”

“Take him with us? You’re kidding,” Call said. “He’ll wreck the whole thing!”

She put a hand on her hip. “It’s not a party, Call.”

“And I’m not going anywhere with you,” Jasper interrupted, starting to sidle along the cave wall. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I don’t even care anymore. You’ve lost your minds. I’ll forget I ever saw anything. I swear.”

“Oh, no you won’t,” Aaron said. “You’ll tell the mages on us the first chance you get.”

Jasper looked mutinous. “I won’t.”

“Sure, you will,” said Call.

Tamara took a stone out of her pocket and tucked it into Jasper’s uniform. “Let’s go.”

“Agreed,” said Aaron. He grabbed at the back of Jasper’s collar. Jasper yelped and windmilled his arms. Aaron’s expression was grim. “You’re coming with us,” he said. “Now march.”

TRAVELING AWAY FROM the Magisterium was no easy task. They had to navigate through the forest to the highway, Tamara using the map on her phone to help. On the way, there was the possibility of running into elementals and Chaos-ridden animals. Plus there was the possibility of getting lost.

Still, the weather was nice, and with the sound of cicadas and Jasper’s complaining ringing in his ears, Call didn’t mind the walk. At least not until his leg started to stiffen up and he realized that, once again, he was going to hold the rest of them back. Even on a quest to save his own father.

If it had just been Aaron and Tamara tromping on ahead, Tamara carrying a heavy stick and shoving it in the dirt to propel her along like she thought she was Gandalf, Aaron’s blond hair glowing in the moonlight, then Call might have complained. But the idea of Jasper having something else over him grated his last nerve. He gritted his teeth, hitched his backpack higher on his shoulders, and ignored the pain.

“Do you think they’re going to throw you out?” Jasper asked conversationally. “I mean, helping the Enemy. Or at least a henchperson of the Enemy.”

“My father is not a henchperson of the Enemy.”

Jasper went on, ignoring Call. “Kidnapping me. Endangering the Makar …”

“I’m right here, you know,” said Aaron. “I can make my own decisions.”

“I’m not sure the Assembly would agree with that,” said Jasper. They had passed out of the part of the forest where the trees were younger thanks to the fire and destruction wrought by Constantine Madden fifteen years ago. The trees here were towering and thickly branched. More moonlight spilled down through the leaves and danced along Havoc’s fur. “Call, maybe you’ll finally get your wish. You could actually get kicked out of the Magisterium. Too bad it’s too late to bind your magic.”

“Shut up, Jasper,” said Tamara.

“And, Tamara, well, your family has been disgraced before. At least they’re used to it.”