We couldn’t continue on as we had. Things had to change, big time.

I cleared my throat and re-read the letter, pausing when I came to a particular line that had bothered me the first time through. We will try to tell you sooner…

Had that been why Mom called me the day they died?

Mom said they wanted to talk…and asked me to meet them at the Curia Cloisters. Did they plan to explain everything to me then?

I scrunched my eyes shut and rubbed my forehead. There was a fresh pain in my heart—going through this had again ripped open the wound of my parents’ death, but there was some happiness as well. I finally had the answers I had wanted, and it was better than what I had feared.

I smoothed the multi-page letter out on my desk, pausing when I noticed an extra note on the final page—a tiny message scrawled at the bottom in the boxy letters of Mom’s handwriting.

PS: We gave the signet ring to someone for safekeeping.

“Huh?” I frowned at that one.

The signet ring was in Tutu’s—until I destroyed it. But the vault was hardly a “someone”.

They must have changed their minds and not bothered to update the letter.

Someone knocked at the door.

“Come in,” I called.

Felix opened the door and poked his head in, his niece, Ivy, hanging from his neck. “Do you have a minute?” he asked.

“Of course.” I smiled, then glanced at Ivy, who grinned bashfully at me. “What’s up?”

Felix held Ivy on his hip with one hand, and ran his other through his silky beautiful blond hair. “There appear to be some vampires watching the House.”

I kept my expression bland. “Where?”

“We’ve caught sight of them lingering at the street corners—always on the opposite side of the street from House Medeis.”

“How long?”

“Since the night you beat Mason.” He grimaced. “Sorry. None of us thought anything of it until we started mentioning seeing vampires to each other at breakfast this morning. We didn’t mean to withhold information.”

I smiled. “I know.” This was also a bigger reflection on how passive House Medeis had become. That they hadn’t even thought vampires strolling around a confirmed wizard neighborhood was unusual was a pretty good indicator of how clueless my House was.

You might be a sourpuss, but thanks for all the training, Killian! I will put it to good use.

“Were they all wearing suits?” I asked.

“The three Momoko and I saw were, but I didn’t think to ask the others. Do you want me to check?”

“Nah, I can ask at dinner. But I’m pretty certain it’s vampires from the Drake Family. Although I don’t know what they want.”

Felix frowned a little—making him look dazzlingly concerned. “Are you sure it’s not out of concern for you? I know you said things ended badly, but—”

“They’re not watching out of personal concern for me,” I said. “If anything, Killian is probably just shocked I successfully beat Mason, and is wondering if I’m on the verge of kicking the bucket. The Paragon probably blabbed about the whole thing the night I arrived—he’d love knowing something Killian doesn’t.”

I busied myself with gathering up my letter.

“If you say so,” Felix said doubtfully.

There were several really awkward moments of silence.

“Can I talk now?” Ivy asked in a whisper that was about as loud as a normal speaking voice.

“Go ahead, Ivy.” Felix—the ever-doting uncle—set Ivy down.

She skipped over to my side of the desk, brandishing her macaroni necklace. “I made this for you a long time ago.”

It was hard not to rub her head like she was a puppy—her enunciation of words had gotten so much better in the few short months I was gone! “All for me? Thank you!”

Ivy passed it over, and I recognized it as the macaroni necklace she’d worn to my parents’ funeral—the one with the metal loop that hung from the bottom to keep it weighted down.

I made a few humming noises of appreciation. “It’s so beautiful! I will treasure it.”

“The Adepts said I had to give it to you,” Ivy said.

Felix and I froze. “What did you say, Ivy?” Felix asked.

“The Adepts,” she repeated in her tiny voice. “They said I had to give it to you. You need it.”

No. It couldn’t be.

I took a closer look at the metal loop, my heart thundering in my chest.

The loop was actually a plain, unadorned silver ring…much like the one Mom wore.

But she had the consort ring, not the signet ring. This wasn’t…it couldn’t—

My chest squeezed as I untied the yarn and removed the ring. My mouth was dry, and I slipped the plain ring on.

Awareness bloomed at the back of my skull. I could feel every room in the House. Momoko’s footsteps as she marched across the front lawn tickled my fingers, and a warm tingly feeling on my palm was someone running hot water.

What was most shocking, though, was that I could finally feel the magic of House Medeis itself. I could feel the dormant magic that lined its timbers and bricks, and I tasted the wild magic that condensed from the air around the property.

The House itself stirred. Floorboards creaked, a few light fixtures shook.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

The House purred in my mind.

“Hazel?” Felix broke through the haze of my shock. “Is that…?”

“Yes.”

“Then the one Mason destroyed?”

I stared down at the silver ring. “It must have been the consort ring?”

“The consort ring is purely symbolic, isn’t it?” Felix asked.

“Yeah. It has some magic to give the consort a connection to the House, but it’s a more modern thing that uses a spell to piggyback off the signet ring’s power.” I confirmed.

“And this has the power of a signet ring?”

“It definitely does.”

Felix stared down at Ivy, his eyes almost popping out of his skull. “She’s worn that thing almost every day, flouncing around in front of Mason. If he had any idea…”

“The Adepts made me promise!” Ivy brightly said. “Shhh, secret!” She shushed us and then giggled.

I let air leak out of me as I stared at my finger. “We should go tell the others.”

Felix made a funny noise.

I finally raised my eyes so I could meet my friend’s gaze. “Because now, I can move up the Ascension date.”

“To when?”

“I’m thinking…tomorrow.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Hazel

Despite every objection and complaint, I got my way, and we moved up my Ascension date to the following day.

No one from House Medeis objected, of course. But the witnesses that were needed to be present from the Curia Cloisters whined pretty much constantly from the time they arrived.

A bunch of wizards from other Houses showed up for the occasion. None that had helped Mason, of course. But there were representatives from a few Houses that lived a few hours away, and a couple of more local Houses that hadn’t been involved with House Medeis before.

I made certain to send invitation emails to everyone on the Wizard Council. The Adept of House Luna made it, and so did the three Houses that had voted with her, but none of the others showed.

A few werewolves skulked around, as well as some wizards who weren’t sworn to a House.

Ascensions were pretty public, firstly because attendees technically weren’t allowed on property during it.

No one was except for the Adept. Everyone—including members of the House—had to camp outside on the sidewalks.

This is because Houses will change with each new Adept. Sometimes it might be something as unimportant as changing up the landscaping a bit, other times it might be as drastic as adding or removing a floor.

Regardless, it’s pretty dangerous to stand on the House’s lawn when it’s going through the change, which is why anyone who wanted to watch could. The street got blocked off anyway, so there was plenty of room.

I narrowed my eyes and carefully searched the crowd.

There—at the very edge of the gawkers I spotted a black suit and bright red hair…

“Are you ready, Adept?” Great Aunt Marraine asked.

She and the other House Medeis wizards were lined up on the sidewalk—as it was their House they were given the best view.

I smiled at her. “Yes.”

“You know the ceremony—you speak to the crowd for a moment before climbing the Beacon and presenting the House with the signet ring?” she asked.

“We went over this at least a dozen times last night, Great Aunt Marraine.”

The older woman flinched. “I know—and I know you know. But…I’ll feel better when you’ve Ascended and the House has officially bonded with you.” Her lower lip trembled before she gave me a brave smile.

I hugged her, and it only took a moment before the doughy woman hugged me back, giving me an extra ounce of encouragement.

She wiped away a tear or two from her eye. “You look very impressive today!”

I grinned—I was wearing white pants with a blue dress shirt, white heels, a white suitcoat with the House Medeis coat of arms, and a white sword belt for my katana. (And yes, I carried my sword despite all the squawks from the Curia Cloisters representatives.)

“Everyone is out of the House, Adept.” Momoko gave me a slight bow, all signs of humor gone. “You may begin the ceremony whenever you like.”

“Thanks, Momoko.”

“Of course. Come on, Great Aunt Marraine—we should join the others.” Momoko guided Great Aunt Marraine to the sidewalk where the rest of House Medeis stood, watching me with a mixture of hope and worry.

I was pretty sure at least a few Medeis wizards were convinced the House was going to punish me for declaring that they were more important than the House. I couldn’t blame them—the thought had occurred to me as well, given that House Medeis was touchy at the best of times.