POV: Luna
I wait until everyone else is asleep.
Or at least pretending to sleep.
Then I slip out of the Great Hall and head toward the library. It's the only place I can think of that might be empty this late.
I'm wrong.
Nova is already there, sitting at one of the tables near the back. And beside her is Marcus, the quiet boy from our combat class.
"I knew you'd try to leave," Nova says as soon as she sees me. "That's why I asked Marcus to help."
"Help with what?"
Marcus pushes a piece of paper across the table. It's covered in diagrams and notes. Ward patterns.
"I've been studying them," he says quietly. "It's kind of a nervous habit. I like understanding how things work."
I look closer at the paper. He's mapped out the entire Academy's protective wards, noting their strength at
