I place a hand on my head as I realize that I left the safety gem in Price’s hands. I should have taken it in case that man is really not Price or Price is one of the bad guys. Shaking my head of this thought, I enter the library and head to the front desk to ask where the books on the magi language are, but the librarian isn’t there. I head to the second floor of the library and enter a study room. After casting two spells to confirm no eavesdroppers, I activate my bracelet.

My mother’s voice comes through. “Hello? Nova?” Upon hearing her voice, my heartbeat, which I didn’t realize had sped up, calms down.

“Hi Mama. Is Papa there?”

“I’m here. What’s up? How are you?”

I involuntarily smile. “School seems to be a breeze. If Teacher Broffenberg didn’t tell me to continue my research in this school, I would have tried to skip grades or get a diploma through some sort of test.”

His laughter fills the room. “It’s not easy graduating from the SRA. Of half of my acquaintances back in the day, about a tenth of them received their diplomas safely.”

I chuckle.

“But Nova, I know you will miss Papa and Mama, but you aren’t one to call home so quickly. Did something happen?”

My smile slowly drops. “Where are you right now?”

“In the Sapphire Room.” He stops talking for a second before saying, “Only your mother is here.”

Taking a deep breath, I say, “I wanted to know, who did you show the memory gem to?”

“I showed it to Mage Manilla. He told Mage Broffenberg about you after it, back then. Besides him, no one else knows about it. Everyone else only saw a picture that I sketched.”

“Then he knows that I created it?”

“He should. Why?”

My gut clenches. “I saw him earlier. He didn’t seem to know that I created a memory gem, or that you have it, but he knows a lot of sensitive information.”

“Then we should assume the person who kidnapped you knows that that spell failed. Who do you suspect this Price is?”

“Do you know about the group of people studying demons?”

“Yes. We dubbed them the demon faction.” He pauses, and I can mentally see him exchanging looks with my mother. “You don’t mean to say he’s from them?”

“I believe he thinks that I’m naive enough to be fooled, but to be safe, we should expect that they know that I called you and his cover may be blown. I doubt others will believe it if we tell them. Price Manilla is, after all, the second best mage around.”

“Right. For now, continue with your research. I will let you know what I find.”

“No one else should know, Papa. I believe something happened to Teacher Broffenberg as well, since the fake lured me in with that information.”

“Are you going to figure out if that information is true?”

“Yea. If the fake Price believes I was fooled, I have to put on a false front. I’m going to pretend I’m researching a way to find her while I actually do.”

“My baby Nova is the smartest.”

“That I am.” My heart warms.

“Is there anything else?”

“Besides the fact that I’m already being chased by boys at the tender age of ten? Nope.”

“You’re being chased?” My mother’s voice cuts into our conversation. “You should know that none of them deserve you.”

“Of course, Mama. Instead, I joined Geniva’s sister’s friend group after two girls unsuccessfully tried to splash me and my stuff with liquid.” Well one of them did succeed, but I undid her success.

“How dare they!” There’s a moment of silence, and then she says, “Geniva’s sister? You don’t mean Lovina?”

“Do you know her?”

“Not well. I heard her intelligence is extraordinary and she turned down the invitation to the Royal Academy. Her parents are some of the most upright people I have met.”

“Then unless that’s a facade, there’s no way they will turn to the demon faction, right?”

My father gives a noise of consent. “That is correct. If she is a part of the demon faction, I doubt she would settle for being on the lower ladder.”

“So either way, it would be beneficial to befriend her.”

“Yes.”

There is a knock on the door. “I have to hang up now, Mama, Papa.”

“Ok. We love you, Nova. Hugs!” I imagine back to when I left for school and my mother almost refused to let go of me.

“Love you too. Bye.” I quickly end the call and then open the door. That president, Selina Bartron, and a few other girls stand crowded around the door with their arms crossed.