Ghost remained unhelpful for the rest of the iteration, and without Skystrall’s book to distract her, Juniper had been forced to study the one thing she’d been putting off for the past few months.

Her Path, that was.

She was pretty sure she was going with Gravitation. All the excuses she’d used previously were null and void. She had everything she needed to become a successful practitioner–she just needed to finally put a ring on it, officially.

Except Juniper remained fraught with indecision. It was a big commitment to make, and Juniper loathed tying herself to anything. Her obligations towards the House of Ravens rankled the most, but she hadn’t really had a choice on that one.

She hadn’t had much of a choice most of her life, really. Mostly, things just happened to her.

Choosing a Path was, Juniper realized, the first real choice she’d ever had to make on her own.

Which was why she kept putting it off.

To the point where it was getting actually stupid. She knew what she wanted, and she knew how to make it happen. If the event hadn’t happened and the loop didn’t exist, she’d have been at the point in the school year where the Academy began to urge you to hurry up.

She could have already chosen her Path a month before–and she’d never have lost to Drae and her posse if she had, even if they were better at fighting. It was a huge qualitative leap.

It was time.

But… next time. She’d do it next time. She’d go see what the Ravens wanted from her, do their little mission, and then she’d do it. No more excuses. No more delaying.

Probably.

***

Juniper went for an evening nap on Sunday, and when she woke up, she was once again back in Thermodynamics.

It’s almost like those nightmares where you’re in class and you’re not wearing any pants.

Juniper looked down, just in case. Pants–check.

Still looping–also check.

She corrected her mistake and turned in the paper. A quick trip to her room to retrieve the Ravens’ letter, and then she was away.

Sycamore Square was one of those places in Ebonfell Juniper knew the best. It was located in the central area, bordering the Ducal Palace on one side. Popular belief held that the first Braccus Duke had wanted to be close to the lives of the common folk, which was why the Ducal Palace wasn’t hidden away in one of the nobles’ quarters.

Juniper thought the Duke just wanted somewhere where he could look down on the plebians to his heart’s content.

Juniper entered the florist’s shop that served as the front for the haven in Sycamore Square. Pleasantries were exchanged, code phrases were verified, and soon Juniper was sauntering down the hall into the nicest-smelling haven in all of Ebonfell.

Truly, having a florist as a front was a marked improvement over the butchery.

Juniper walked up to the bar. “Hey, I’m here about a job,” she said, waving about the letter.

The barkeep grunted, pointing with his thumb over his shoulder. There was a single door in that general direction, so she took it and found herself in a long hallway.

There were doors on each side, and a single open door at the other end. Figuring that was where she was meant to go, Juniper poked her head in, rapping her fingers against the frame.

Juniper instantly recognized the man inside. Pale enough to be called sickly and thin as a reed, Paolo was one of the big names in the House of Ravens. She wasn’t sure how big–the inner workings of the House were a convoluted mess, as criminal empires were wont to be, but still, he was a notable figure.

“Ah, Juniper,” he said as he looked up, startling her. Juniper didn’t expect he’d remember her by sight. “I was hoping you’d come by. Have a seat.”

After she was seated, he continued. “Here about the invitation, right?”

What else? she thought, biting her tongue before she could say that out loud. Instead, she put on her most polite voice. “It has me intrigued, yes.”

Something glinted in his eye. “I thought it would.”

“Though,” she continued, “I must admit I’m confused as to what the House thinks I can bring to the table. I’m still only a student.” She gave him a tight smile.

“I’m well aware of your status, Juniper,” he said, clasping his hands. “You were frank with me, so I’ll do the same–I would rather have had a full practitioner for this mission, but none can be spared at the moment.” Paolo scowled. “But as it stands, any practitioner is better than no practitioner, which is where you come in.”

Juniper bit her lip. It wasn’t surprising they couldn’t get the help of a practitioner on short notice–as far as she knew, the House only had four, not including her, and they lived busy lives.

“Those are big boots to fill,” Juniper ventured. She was greatly limited in what she could do. Unless, maybe, she Inscribed her Path before the mission began…

“You won’t be required to cast anything too complex. Mainly, the thing you are needed for is the ability to sense magic.”

Understanding dawned on Juniper. There were many artifacts that could be used in place of a mage, but using artifacts to detect magic never worked well. They could, at most, give a signal when close to something imbued with magic, but they also picked up their own magical signature more often than not. They were also nowhere near as flexible as a practitioner’s own eyes.

The loot must have been mind boggling if they were willing to forgive half of her debt just to have her serve as a magic detector.

“Traps and security systems?” Juniper guessed.

Paolo’s lips quirked into the barest hint of a smile. “Exactly. So, do you think you can handle it?”

For half of her debt and a share of the spoils? She’d do it in a heartbeat. And even with only the spoils on the table, Juniper was still well motivated. “I’m in.”

“I thought you would be,” Paolo said with a grin. “Now, let’s introduce you to your team leader.”

***

If Juniper thought Paolo was kind of grave, the team leader, Slick, was downright gloomy.

Slick wasn’t even his real name, though Juniper got the distinct impression that asking was a Bad Idea.

As soon as she’d followed Paolo into Slick’s planning room, the team leader had taken one good look at her, then nodded to Paolo, saying, “She’ll have to do.”

Way to make someone feel wanted, Juniper thought.

“I’ll let you two get better acquainted,” Paolo said, leaving the room with a dip of his head.

Juniper stood there awkwardly, as Slick’s gaze bore into her. Was this a test? Was she supposed to do something?

The seconds stretched into a minute, and Juniper finally snapped. She wasn’t a child anymore, to be scolded–she was a practitioner, one of the select few who could manipulate reality like putty. She wasn’t going to stand for some macho posturing.

“Are we going to have a problem?” she asked, crossing her arms and glaring back at Slick.

Slick raised his brow, letting out a laugh as he broke into a grin. “I was wondering how long it’d take you. Not great, but not too shabby, either.” The severe persona seemed to melt away, a jovial man appearing in its place. The transformation was so sudden as to be uncanny.

“Wait, so it was a test?” Juniper spurted.

He rolled his eyes. “We don’t test people, greenie. We just check to see what they’re made of.”

That… “That sounds like a test to me, not gonna lie,” Juniper said.

“Suit yourself.” Slick shrugged. “Anyway, you passed. You actually have a spine–good for you.”

Juniper blinked. “That’s a good thing?”

It obviously was, in the world at large. But she figured the Ravens would prefer obedient minions.

“Greenies who can’t think for themselves are dead weight at best, and a liability at worst,” Slick explained. “I get a lot of those, and believe me, it takes a while to build them back the right way. But enough about that. We’re not here about that.”

“The mission,” Juniper said.

“Exactly that. Did Paolo tell you anything about it?”

Juniper shook her head. “Just that you needed someone to sense magical traps and the like.”

“Stingy with the details,” Slick hummed. “We’ll remedy that. To start with, you should know that the mission is a heist.”

Juniper nodded–she’d expected something like this. There wasn’t a great variety of mission the Ravens would take, and with the mention of loot, didn’t think sabotage and assassination fit the bill.

Still, a feeling of unease crept up her back, spurred by the pattern-recognizing part of the brain. Surely, it was a coincidence…

“What’s the target?” Juniper asked.

Slick exaggerated a wince. “That, I’m afraid I can’t tell you. The fewer people who know in advance, the better. And, no offense, but you’re unproven yet.”

Juniper failed to suppress a scowl. “So you’ll have me go in blind?”

Slick raised an eyebrow. “Of course not,” he said. “We’ll have a pre-mission planning session in a few days, where you’ll learn all the details. It’s only until then that I have to keep you in the dark. Operational security, you know.”

“I guess,” Juniper said under her breath.

“Do you have any prior commitments this week?”

She thought for a moment. “I have exams early on Wednesday and Friday, but I can skip them if I have to.” Was there even any point sitting them again, if the time loop was going to go on regardless?

“That should be fine–you can take your exams as usual. The pre-mission planning meeting will be in this room, on Thursday at eight. That leaves us another day for the final preparations, with the mission itself taking place on Saturday.”

Juniper mulled on that. The timing was convenient–if everything went alright, then she might even get another shot at the field trip.

You promised you’d Inscribe your Path after the mission, her subconscious seemed to say. Stop looking for new excuses.

“Sounds good to me,” Juniper said. “Is there anything else?”

“Nothing I can tell you today,” Slick said, giving her a small smile. “I’ll see you on Thursday.”

***

Juniper was feeling antsy when she stepped into the Sycamore Square haven on Thursday Evening. Something didn’t feel right about it–she’d almost chickened out entirely, but a note from Ghost had convinced her to ‘Just get it over with.’

She’d arrived a quarter of an hour earlier, hoping to grab something to drink and calm her nerves a bit. The bar area was much busier than the last time she’d been here–and much busier than the haven in the Factory District, as well. It wasn’t surprising to see so many people crowding the room.

Each and every one of them an outlaw of some kind. Not much different than her, Juniper supposed.

What she hadn’t expected was to find a familiar face already sitting at the bar–two familiar faces, actually.

Juniper’s stomach dropped when she saw Adar and Hester chatting animatedly with the barkeep. Surely them being here was just a coincidence–surely they weren’t here for the same purpose. Right?

Hester was the first to spot her. “June!” she exclaimed. “Wow, I didn’t expect to see you here. Come on, drink’s on me.” She motioned to the barkeep.

Juniper took the seat next to Hester, feeling somewhat numb. She hadn’t even tried to warn them the last time around–she’d just tried to put them out of her mind completely after they’d died the second time. Now, seeing them again in the flesh… she felt a surge of guilt.

It doesn’t matter, anyway, Juniper’s voice of reason said. It’s not like you killed them yourself.

“Hess, Adar,” Juniper greeted, forcing herself to smile. “It’s been too long.” Longer for them than for her, but still.

“It really has,” Hester said.

“What brings you to these parts?” Adar asked, leaning over the bar. “I didn’t think you’d come by willingly.”

Juniper blinked. “I don’t think I’m supposed to say…” A drink had appeared in front of her, so Juniper picked it up and took a sip–it was slightly alcoholic, with a fruity aftertaste.

Suddenly, Hester slapped her forehead. “Of course! I should have figured it out earlier. You’re meeting with Slick, right?” Hester must have taken the deer-in-the-headlights look as a yes, because she barreled on without waiting for Juniper to answer. “You totally are. Duh.”

“Hess… watch your words,” Adar warned.

“It’s alright,” Hester said, turning to her brother and patting him on the arm. “She has to be the mage Slick told us about. There really isn’t anyone else, you know?”

Adar lifted an eyebrow. “I’m not dumb–I understood as much,” he said, as if talking to a child. “But we’re in the middle of a crowded bar.”

Hester gaped, her eyes swiveling left and right as if she only now realized this. “Oops. Right, I’ll be quiet.” Then, she leaned over to Juniper, whispering in her ear. “But you’re totally meeting with Slick, right?”

Juniper gave her a small nod.

“Knew it,” she said, doing a fist pump. “You’re not worried, right?” She took one good look at Juniper, who didn’t even try to interject. There was no point doing so when Hester was on a roll. ‘You are worried. That’s not good! It’s gonna be alright, you’ll see.”

Juniper drowned the rest of the drink. If this was the heist that kept killing Adar and Hester, then this whole iteration just got so much more complicated.

Juniper, Hester, and Adar left for the meeting a few minutes later. Slick was already in the room, standing above an empty table. Another woman sat in a corner, and Juniper had to force herself not to stare. The woman was wearing an eyepatch, and her face and arms were covered in scars.

“Ah, I see you three have found each other,” Slick said, giving Juniper, Adar and Hester a warm smile.

“Hey Boss,” Hester said. “Why didn’t you tell me it was June?”

Slick looked at her askance. “I didn’t realize you knew each other.”

Adar snorted. “Yeah, right.”

“The shy little mouse in the corner is Drava. She’s our demolitions specialist,” Slick said to Juniper. Drava’s face fell, and she scowled at Slick. “Drava, Juniper.” Drava gave Juniper a nod.

“You all know each other?” Juniper whispered in Hester’s ear.

“We’ve worked together before, yeah.”

So, Juniper was the only newcomer. Great.

“What do you two do?” Juniper asked, trying to make conversation.

“Adar’s a lockpick and safe breaker,” Hester explained. “I’m just fast and slippery.”

Juniper raised an eyebrow. “That’s it?” She thought in a group like this, everyone had to bring more to the table.

“I’m really fast and slippery,” Hester said. “You’ll see.”

“Are we waiting for anyone else?” Adar asked after a few moments.

“Just Niman,” Slick said. “He might be running a bit late, though. Nothing we can do about it.”

Drava groaned. “Ugh, him? Please tell me you’re kidding.”

“Afraid not,” Slick said with a frown. “Though I hope you can at least be civil.”

“No promises.”

A few minutes later, the door blasted inward, and Juniper was almost about to strike back before she realized they weren’t under attack. Niman was here.

Whatever Juniper might have expected a thief to look like, Niman was nothing like it. He was a portly man in his middle age, with a balding head and a twirly mustache. He was wearing a butler’s frock, white gloves, and walked with a slight limp, assisted by a cane.

He clapped twice as he entered. “Chop chop, let’s get this started already,” he said, throwing the cane on the table. “I have places to be, and soon.”

“How long do you have?” Slick asked as he picked up the cane.

“An hour, at most. Preferably less. More than that and the servants will realize something is amiss.”

Slick nodded, and unscrewed the top of the cane. Then, he reached inside, removing a long tube of rolled-up paper.

He unrolled the sheet, placing it down on the table. Juniper realized she was looking at a multi-level map.

“There you have it,” Niman said. “The Ducal Palace, in as much detail as I could make it. The rest is up to you.”

Juniper froze. The Ducal Palace…? Surely not?

“Great job,” Slick said with a grin, patting the large man on the back. “I knew I could count on you.”

“Thank me when the job’s done,” Niman grumbled. “If this was for nothing, I swear…”

“It won’t be for nothing, friend,” Slick said. “It’ll be the heist of the century.”

“I’m sorry,” Juniper found herself interjecting. “Are we seriously going to be robbing the Ducal Palace?”

“Of course not, Juniper,” Slick said, and Juniper felt some of the tension go away. “We’re going to burglarize it. Robbery would mean having to fight someone–which would be terribly unwise.”

Juniper choked on her spit.

“And that is…? Niman asked, glancing at Juniper.

“Niman, Juniper; Juniper, Niman,” Hester did the introductions. “June’s a mageling, Niman’s our mole.”

“I am not a mole,” Niman interjected. “I am an inside man.”

“Potato, potato, and you know it.”

“Quiet, now,” Slick chided, and the room immediately fell quiet. “There’s no time to waste. Now I’ll go over the plan.” He retrieved another, smaller map from a drawer, putting it next to the one of the Palace.

“First, so that everyone is on the same page–our quarry is a storage room full of artifacts located in the basement of the Ducal Palace. The mission is time-sensitive–the artifacts do not belong to House Braccus, but to a contingent of Cassian diplomats.” Juniper involuntarily gasped. Artifacts from Cassia… no wonder the House of Ravens had gone all hands on deck. “The diplomats will be leaving on Sunday morning, and according to Niman’s intel, the best time to strike is the night before.”

“Why?” Drava asked.

“There will be a grand celebration on Saturday evening,” Niman explained. “The Duke will have pulled most of his guards to the areas surrounding the ballroom, leaving only a token force in the basement.”

“Moving on,” Slick continued. “We’ll be bypassing most of the Palace itself. As you can see here,” he said, pointing to both of the maps, “there are places in the old sewers that are connected to the Braccus crypts through a single brick wall.”

Drava scoffed. “Easy-peasy.”

“We’ll enter the crypts through the south, then climb through the crypts’ three levels until we reach the Palace’s basement.”

“That can’t be as straightforward as it sounds,” Hester said.

“The lower crypts are, in all likelihood, trapped, warded and otherwise well protected. That’s what Juniper’s here for.”

“And let me guess, Niman will leave the door to the crypt open for us?” Adar asked.

Slick shook his head. “The basement proper is well guarded. If you look at the map, though, you’ll see that the storage room shares two walls with the crypts.”

“And that’s where I come in?” Drava asked.

“If we want to bring the whole Palace down on ourselves, sure,” Adar muttered.

“We’ll carefully–silently,” he amended, giving Drava a pointed look,”tear a hole through the wall. No explosives–with a bit of luck, Niman will have incapacitated the guards outside. Then we’ll clear out the storage room, including any locked chests and safes, and then we’ll go back the way we came, with hopefully nobody any wiser.” He paused for a few moments. “Any questions?”

There was a beat of silence as everyone parsed Slick’s words. Then the room erupted into noise.