Adaida’s face looked so disturbed, and it was such a sudden shift in emotion that Olivia didn’t hesitate to cast Elemental Form, taking on her earth-attuned aspect. With a soft, grinding rumble, her flesh hardened, and rocks lifted from the ground, erupting out of the soil to orbit her and Adaida, who she still held close. Just as she finished the spell, though, she felt pressure on her back and heard a clanging scratch as something slid over her hardened flesh.

Adaida screamed and fell back, blood spraying from one of her hands. She’d been holding onto Olivia with her hands just under her arms, wrapped around her sides, her fingers resting just under Olivia’s shoulder blades. Whatever had struck Olivia had sheared through Adaida’s fingers, and the girl stumbled back in pain, her face grimacing and her other hand squeezing her wounded digits.

Olivia’s eyes blazed with rage, and she whirled, holding out one stony arm and summoning a globe of plasma. A masked figure stood before her, holding a curved, sickle-like blade. His form seemed masculine to Olivia, though she couldn’t be sure. He was clad in black robes, not unlike the ones worn by the professors of the academy, and his mask completely obscured his face. It seemed to be made of wood, and was rectangular, painted to look like a leering reptile with green skin and bright yellow stripes.

Olivia hurled her plasma ball at the figure, and he danced back, holding up a hand to create a blazing blue shield that stopped the plasma, though it crackled and flared, and the man had to continue to retreat, clearly straining to maintain the shield as the plasma cooked upon it. Then, Olivia held out her hand and cast Pyrosteam Drill, driving a beam of superheated steam at the center of the killer’s shield.

He grunted and then backed up again, and his shield blazed with bright blue light, still refusing to break, despite Olivia’s onslaught. Olivia pressed the attack, driving more Energy into her drill and simultaneously motioning with her free hand, sending her orbiting rocks to streak through the air at the masked figure. Just as the first smashed into his shield, causing him to stumble and noticeably weakening his spell, he lifted his other hand and threw an object at the ground.

Bright blue flames erupted in a wall, completely obscuring Olivia’s view, and though she kept pressing with her Pyrosteam Drill and throwing rocks through the sheet of blue flames, she couldn’t see her target. A few seconds later, the flames flickered and died away, and the killer was nowhere to be seen.

Olivia started to turn back to Adaida, but she noticed two pale digits on the ground in front of her, and she stooped to pick them up. Then she hurried over and helped the ashen, teary girl to her feet. “Come on, let’s get you to the infirmary. Nurse Tyliste will fix this up; just you watch!”

“Was that . . .” Adaida started, but a sob cut her off. Olivia, still in her Elemental Form, hoisted Adaida into her arms and stomped out of the garden.

“Hush,” she said as she walked, “You’re fine. That worm ran away, and he better pray I don’t find him. I have a feel for him now, though, Adaida. I felt his Energy. I’m going to figure out a spell to scry him out. Then we’ll see who’s hunting whom.” Olivia had never felt rage like the hot, searing fury running through her at that moment.

When they’d cleared the garden, and her Elemental Form started to drop, she allowed it, and still, she carried Adaida, hardly noticing the lithe Ghelli’s weight. The sun had begun to set, and though the lights around campus were coming on, their magical sensors detecting the darkening sky, the campus was quiet and dark, and hardly a soul could be seen moving on the paths or over the commons.

Olivia hurried, not concerned, knowing their attacker was off licking his wounds, probably raging about how a student had sent him scurrying. When she reached one of the main doors, rather than set Adaida down to free up a hand, she kicked at the base of the door, staring through the glass at a passing student. He hurried over and opened it, and Olivia brushed past him with a quick, “Thanks.”

Adaida had turned into her, resting her cheek against her shoulder, her face, still moist with tears, pressed into Olivia’s neck. Olivia clutched her two severed fingers in the hand underneath Adaiada’s knees. The other held her tight against her chest as she strode through the academy, brushing past the light traffic in the hallway, ignoring the looks and questions. She had a mission: get to the infirmary. Get to nurse Tyliste.

When she walked into the infirmary, the dim light of sunset illuminating its high windows, she scanned the beds, occupied and not, looking for the nurse. She saw one of her aides giving medicine to a patient, and then her eyes fell on the sparkling wings of the advanced Ghelli. Olivia strode toward her, where she leaned over a bandaged male student, holding a light to his eyes and flicking it away.

“You’ll be fine, Sorl. I don’t see any signs of a concussion,” she was saying as Olivia strode up.

“Excuse me, nurse. We were attacked by the killer, and Adaida needs seeing to.” Olivia tried to keep her voice calm, but it came out strident with a hint of hysteria, and the nurse stood and spun to face her.

“Attacked? Where? Put her on the bed here,” she said, gesturing to the empty bed next to the bandaged student.

“In the Alchemy gardens, but I sent him running. I have no idea where he is now. Here,” Olivia gently laid Adaida in the bed, then held out her hand with the bloody, severed fingers.

“Roots! Poor thing! I can fix this, don’t you worry,” Tyliste said, resting a hand on Adaida’s forehead and smoothing her hair back. “Shh, time to sleep, sweet one.” Olivia felt a surge of Energy and saw a pulse of light under the nurse’s palm, and Adaida closed her eyes and began to breathe steadily. Nurse Tyliste nodded, took the digits Olivia had handed her, and lifted Adaida’s wounded hand. “At least they were clean cuts, and you got her here quickly, didn’t you?”

“As quickly as I could,” Olivia replied. She heard a commotion at the entrance to the infirmary but didn’t look away as she watched Nurse Tyliste work. The amazing, glowing-winged Ghelli was holding one of Adaida’s severed fingers to the stump on her hand and concentrating with her lips pressed into a firm line. Olivia saw a pulse of Energy around her fingers and felt a huge surge of it from the nurse herself. Then Tyliste smiled and laid Adaida’s hand down, picking up the other severed digit.

“That went very well. In just a few moments, I’ll have enough Energy to try this one.”

“Try?” Olivia asked, her voice strained with worry.

“Well, it’s not a sure thing, but I have a very good feeling.”

“Olivia?” Oylla-dak’s unmistakable voice cut across the infirmary, and Olivia spun to see the tall Shadeni professor walking toward her with storm clouds in her eyes. Inspector Carlu followed several paces behind her, like he didn’t want to get in Oylla’s way, a contrite look on his face.

Olivia turned back to Adaida, wanting to see if Tyliste would be successful with her second severed finger. The nurse, though, said, “I’ll need another couple of minutes to rest. Speak to your professor.” She kept her voice low, and Olivia wondered for a moment if the powerful Ghelli could read her mind.

“Olivia,” again Oylla said her name, now just a few feet away.

“Yes, Professor,” Olivia said. She took Adaida’s whole hand in hers, then turned to face Oylla and Carlu.

“Were you attacked? The academy is abuzz. Something about a magical battle in the Alchemy gardens? What’s happened to your cohort member?”

“Yes, the killer attacked us. He severed two of Adaida’s fingers before I could send him running.”

“You saw him?” Carlu asked from behind Oylla.

“You hush!” Oylla growled, spinning to face the inspector. “You’ve been here for days, and all you do is look at the crime scenes. How about doing something proactive?” She turned back to Olivia and the nurse and said, “Tyliste, will she be all right?”

“She’ll live, for sure. Give me a moment, and I’ll let you know about her finger. I’ve already reattached one of them.”

“Olivia, tell me what happened. In more detail, please,” Oylla said, reaching out a hand to gently squeeze Olivia’s shoulder.

“We were standing in the garden talking when he attacked from behind me. Adaida’s eyes widened in a look of horror, which alerted me. I used Elemental Form to avoid his blow, but he hit Adaida’s hand. Then I turned on him and went on the offensive. He had some kind of shield spell, though, and when I started to break it, he threw up a wall of blue flames and ran.” Olivia spoke while staring at Adaida, unwilling to look away from her injured friend.

“What did he look like?” Carlu asked, stepping around Oylla so that he could look directly at Olivia. Oylla glared at him but didn’t object to the question.

“He wore robes like a professor and had a wooden mask painted to look like a yellow-striped, green reptile.”

“Did he speak?”

“No. Oylla,” Olivia said, turning from Adaida to look at her mentor, “I felt his Energy. Can someone here teach me a scrying spell? I want to find him and put an end to this.”

“I would have to object . . .” Carlu started to say, but then Nurse Tyliste held up a hand.

“I’m going to attempt to fix this finger now. Please be silent.” She lifted Adaida’s wounded hand, and Olivia saw the forlorn, bloody stump of her ring finger, and she felt hot tears sting her eyes again. The nurse pressed the pale, bloodless finger that Olivia had recovered to the stump and then began concentrating. Again, Olivia felt the Energy around Tyliste’s hands and then the deep, powerful surge from the nurse’s Core. She let go, and Adaida’s finger remained where she’d placed it, though the nurse wore a frown.

“Something’s wrong?” Olivia asked.

“The flesh is rejoined, and she’ll keep the finger, but it may not be as functional as it was. She may have lost feeling in it. Well, nothing a few racial advancements won’t fix!” She smiled and, once again, smoothed Adaida’s hair. “She should rest now. No small amount of Energy for the healing is drawn from the patient. Do you all mind moving your talk of murderers to a different venue?” She turned and smiled crookedly at Oylla-dak.

“Yes, follow me back to my office, please, Olivia. You may come as well, Inspector.” She turned and began walking out of the infirmary. Olivia didn’t follow immediately. First, she leaned forward and kissed Adaida’s forehead, pleased that her skin was warm and that her eyes seemed untroubled. She knew firsthand that the nurse was good at making people relax. She turned to the nurse and smiled.

“Thank you, Nurse Tyliste. I knew you could help her.”

“You’re welcome, Olivia. Thank you for bringing her so quickly. If you go after the one who hurt her, please be careful. I can fix many things, but I cannot restore life to the dead.” The nurse’s face was impassive, as though she spoke about things like that all the time. Olivia nodded, attempting a reassuring smile.

“I’ll be careful, but there’s no way I’m going to sit around and wait for him to hurt another student. Something has to be done, and I have to help if I can, right?”

“Yes, I suppose I agree with that. If you can prevent another death or injury, you must help. Let me know if I can help, dear. Now you’d best hurry—Oylla’s not known for her patience.” She gently reached out and took Olivia’s shoulder, steering her away from the bed. Olivia nodded and started walking after the inspector, who was clearly dragging his feet to avoid being alone with Oylla.

“No, she certainly isn’t,” she said under her breath, lengthening her stride to catch up with Carlu.