Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Unfortunately, the first couple hadn't seen Mason around today. When they asked why I wanted<br />
to know, I gave vague answers and hurried off. The third person on my list was a guy named<br />
Alan, a guardian who usually worked the Academy's lower campus. He was just coming in<br />
after skiing, taking his equipment off near the door. Recognizing me, he smiled as I<br />
approached.<br />
"Sure, I saw him," he said, bending down to his boots.<br />
Relief flooded over me. Until then, I hadn't realized how worried I'd been.<br />
"Do you know where he is?"<br />
"Nope. Let him and Eddie Castile…and, what's her name, the Rinaldi girl, out through the north<br />
gate and didn't see them after that."<br />
I stared. Alan continued unhooking his skis as though we were discussing slope conditions.<br />
"You let Mason and Eddie … and Mia out?"<br />
"Yup."<br />
"Um … why?"<br />
He finished and looked back up at me, a kind of happy and bemused look on his face. "Because<br />
they asked me."<br />
An icy feeling started creeping through me. I found out which guardian had watched the north<br />
gate with Alan and immediately sought him out. That guardian gave me the same response.<br />
He'd let Mason, Eddie, and Mia out, no questions asked. And, like Alan, he didn't seem to think<br />
there was anything wrong with that. He appeared almost dazed. It was a look I'd seen before …<br />
a look that came over people when Lissa used compulsion.<br />
In particular, I'd seen it happen when Lissa didn't want people to remember something very<br />
well. She could bury the memory in them, either erasing it all together or planting it for later.<br />
She was so good at compulsion, though, that she could just make people forget completely. For<br />
them to still have some memories meant someone who wasn't as good at compulsion had<br />
worked on them.
Change language