They faced each other across the clearing. Veronica, slim and blond, and Nicu, tall and dark, both beautiful enough to be like fairy tale characters.

“You are . . . Veronica,” he said.

“I—yes. Who are you? And how did you know my name?”

“You can call me . . . Nicholas. I know your name because we’ve met before.”

“Before?” she repeated, and I could see the confusion in her expression . . . but also a glimmer of recognition. Maybe because of the blackout, the block on her memory seemed to be losing its power. She may not remember exactly how she knew Nicu, but I could see in her face that he seemed familiar.

“Before,” she repeated, this time a statement. “Do you go to school around here?”

“I do not,” he said. “I . . . work.”

“How did you get the note to me?”

“The note?” he asked, brow furrowed. But then he looked up and across the garden . . . and caught my eye.

He nodded at me and I nodded back, my debt cleared.

“I have friends,” he told her. “You look cold. Perhaps you should return to your school.”

“I think . . . I want to stay here with you.”

For a long, silent moment, they looked at each other with such emotion I nearly got teary eyed. How could they have that kind of bond so quickly? How was that even possible?

Possible or not, there was no point in denying it. ’Cause here they were, in the middle of a park in the middle of the night, staring like they could save each other.

“You should go,” Nicu said, then picked up Veronica’s hand and lifted it to his lips. He pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist, and then held her hand against his cheek. His lashes fell, and for a moment he just stood there.

“How will I—” Veronica began, but he opened his eyes again and shook his head.

“This is only the beginning,” he said. “I will find you.”

If this was only the beginning, my life was about to get a lot more complicated.

And then, like he’d been only a figment of her imagination, Nicu disappeared into the thorns again.

Veronica stood there for a moment, and, like nothing had happened, walked back into the building and rejoined the brat pack in study hall. Amie, her head in a book, seemed uninterested in the fact that Veronica had been gone. M.K., on the other hand, looked plenty curious. I wondered what Veronica would tell them later. That she’d snuck outside to meet a guy who left a secret note in her suite?

Scout leaned over the table when I took a seat. “What happened?”

“They met.”

“And then what?”

“I’m not entirely sure. But it looks like love to me. And good luck to them.”

With Marlena angry at Nicu, and M.K. ready to sabotage Veronica’s relationship at a moment’s notice, they were going to need it.

13

When study hall was over, we dumped our books, changed into jeans, and headed out to the Enclave. Tonight, there was no Detroit, but we were joined by Katie and Smith. They both looked unhappy to be there. Actually, they both also looked like they were wearing the same skinny jeans. Not a fashion statement I was fond of.

Everyone was seated around the table when we walked in. Michael smiled when Scout sat down beside him, and Jason smiled a little at me, but he looked distracted, like he had other things on his mind. Maybe his family was giving him more trouble than he’d let on.

“We’re here,” Daniel began, “because we need to talk about the blackout.”

Scout and I exchanged a glance. Did he already know about Fayden Campbell—that we suspected she might be involved? Did he already know I’d been talking to Sebastian?

“An Adept from Enclave Four, apparently frustrated by the loss of her magic, attacked two of her fellow Adepts last night.”

“She attacked them?” Michael quietly asked.

“I understand that Enclave had been on edge since the blackout began, and the lack of magic hit them harder than some of the others. This particular girl was taking the loss of magic very poorly. She was nervous. Excitable. Angry. An argument at the Enclave escalated, and . . .”

“Are they okay?” Scout asked.

“One was released from First Immanuel Hospital this morning. The other is still in serious condition. She hasn’t woken up since the attack.”

The Enclave went silent.

“Not having magic is difficult for all of us,” he said. “But that is an explanation. It is not an excuse.”

“What if that happens to us?” Jill asked. “It could happen to us. We could lose it just like she did.”

“You’re not going to lose it,” Daniel said. “But that doesn’t mean we don’t stay vigilant. We are all experiencing something we thought we had years to prepare for. Instead, we went cold turkey. Not everyone handles that transition well. I didn’t tell you this to scare you,” he added. “I told you this because you need to understand the risks. You have a right to understand the risks.”

He let that sink in for a minute, and then put his hands on the table. “All right. Let’s get to business. Scout, you had news?”

“Um, well, Reapers broke into St. Sophia’s today,” Scout said. “Two girls tried to steal my Grimoire. We’re assuming that’s part of Jeremiah’s plan to steal it because he thinks I had something to do with the blackout. Which, obvs, I did not.”