I watched Seth leave with Benjamin and John.

Who knew me pretending to be a meatloaf was such an effective disguise.

I had been in a room with a guy who had previously considered snapping my neck. I figured my best bet was being unthreatening and in plain sight. If he never needed to wonder where I was or what I was up to, he wouldn't think of me at all.

It worked.

The problem was, Benjamin's plan worked too, and I didn't have the vocabulary to warn Seth.

It wasn't bad or wrong for the kid to trust someone he viewed as an ally. Someone who'd helped and supported him before. Someone who'd stepped into the parent role for an orphan.

But that guy had Seth dancing in his palm.

If you get warned about a guy who is swiping magic powers, you don't make a plan to tell that guy about all the best and most powerful powers in school. Or give him a source for getting that info himself.

Oh, his pretense was sound. It really sounded believable. But I wasn't falling for it.

Just as Benjamin and Seth were persons of interest to Arnold, Benjamin was a person of interest to me. I had no more charitable thoughts for the guy.

I pointed my ears at where Benjamin and John were talking. But they weren't saying anything interesting, just that he'd be back late and not to wait up. Make sure Seth heads back to school at a reasonable hour.

On the way to the kitchen Seth scooped me up as we followed John. The soup pot was hanging in the fire, the same as the last time I was here.

At least John didn't try to feed me on the fucking floor.

Once he'd wandered off to do whatever it was that he did, I turned to Seth. 'Dangerous,' was the best sign I could think of. I didn't have signs for liar, trick, or don't trust that guy.

"What is?" Seth looked suspiciously at the soup.

I pointed a paw at Benjamin's office.

"John?" Seth whispered.

No, no, no. I shook my head. Dammit. Maybe it would be best to just get the kid out of here and work on communication later. I was tempted to take a look around, but John was a little too aware of us. Not to mention that my ability to read was still a work in progress. I likely wouldn't recognize what I needed when I saw it. I'd need Seth to do it.

Could I get the kid to search Benjamin's office?

Seth was the loyal type. He wouldn't without really overwhelming evidence. And if I had that evidence I didn't really need to search his office.

Maybe I should start elsewhere. Selendrith had a list of three names. Benjamin was one. The other was Lord Thurstan. I'd not seen or heard of him since. There was a third name, but no one had said it so I didn't know it.

I wonder if I could get Seth to ask John about this Lord Thurstan. I focused on the familiar link and tried to think 'Thurstan' really loud.

I spaced out too long and for nothing. I was only half done with dinner when John came back and cleared our bowls. He then ushered Seth and I out into the night.

"You're really tense," Seth said as he scratched my head.

Well, yeah. I was annoyed by all the shit going on, but Seth was unbothered. Because he was a sweet and innocent imbecile.

"If you have that much energy, you can walk yourself," Seth said when I tried to pace back and forth on his shoulders.

We hadn't gone a full block before I noticed the guy waiting in the alley. Seth didn't see him though, and Seth was too absorbed in his own thoughts to notice me meowing in warning.

"Hey kid," the guy said. "Wanna buy a magic ring?"

Well, fuck. This guy was familiar.

"I'm good," Seth said and tried to skirt around the guy.

He had a knife to Seth's throat faster than I thought possible. And damn if the street wasn't just deserted enough for no one to notice.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"Make a sound kid, and it'll be your last." The guy guided Seth into the shadows of the alley. I debated the speed and distance of my leap. I could kill this guy, but I might not be fast enough to prevent him from killing Seth first.

"You and your buddies stole something from us, and we want it back," the guy said and I suddenly knew where he was familiar from. This guy was one of the Skull Gang members Seth had run into outside the crafting shop. One of the guys who owned the ring I was still wearing. He didn't have his bandana on, and instead of being dressed like a lordling he was wearing street laborer clothes.

Seth apparently had the same realization. "I didn't take anything from you. The town guard took it."

"Call your cat off. That thing makes a move at me and you'll be breathing out your throat." The guy pressed the knife into Seth's neck, just below his ear.

"Mau, sit." Seth commanded. The kid didn't sound scared, more frustrated and angry.

I growled. I could see the blood dripping from where the guy was cutting Seth. I also wasn't a fucking dog. But still, I sat. And tried really hard to conceal how I was arranging my backside for a leap. No cat wiggle butt here. Nope. My pounce would be sudden and unexpected.

"Ah, but your buddy took it from us first. And he needs to return it. Do you understand? I want you to deliver a message to him. He needs to find and return that ring or things will go badly for him."

"That ring is in the hands of the Palace by now," Seth said. "I don't know why you're so worried about it. Those only last a few days right?"

"Some are more valuable than others. We want that one back. I'll tell you what. You're just going to be a messenger here. Since your buddy's been hiding behind the school walls we've had some trouble making contact. So you tell him to come talk to us and we can come to an arrangement. He has a debt to pay and we'll be collecting. One way or another."

"And if I don't tell him?" Seth asked.

"Then your friend gets a nasty surprise the next time he leaves school."

"All right. I'll tell him."

"Good kid." The Skull Gang member moved the knife away from Seth's throat.

I leapt. I was going to shred that asshole.

Seth also moved. He threw an elbow at the guy's solar plexus and tried to shove away.

First, I bounced off solid air. Or rather, magic. Second, the guy shifted faster than Seth moved, and Seth missed the solar plexus. The guy grunted and brought the knife down.

I couldn't move fast enough to stop the knife from connecting with Seth's gut. But the guy didn't use the blade, instead he punched Seth with the handle. Seth dropped and the guy ran. I leapt again, but the barrier was still there.

The guy hadn't cast a spell. Either that was an effect he put up ahead of time, or he had an item that did that effect. I didn't chase him.

Seth was coughing, but already getting back up. I looked him over.

He'd been cut on his neck, and his hand. He must've grabbed for the knife when he'd been punched. He was very lucky the asshole hadn't intended to kill him.

"Dammit," Seth gasped out. "I am so sick of getting jumped." He sighed and looked at his hand. "This is going to make a mess." He glanced back at Benjamin's house only half a block away. "Come on Mau."

John was surprised when Seth knocked on the door and asked permission to clean up. To his credit, John fetched bandages and hot water quickly. He did insist on a full explanation though. It was fine, I thought. John and Benjamin knowing about gang members on their street would likely make things difficult for the gang. I was down for that.

When John left the room to dispose of the bloody bandages Seth activated his amulet.

"This thing is never going to fully recharge," Seth muttered. "At least I won't have dried blood everywhere."

"If you wait, I can arrange an escort for you," John offered when Seth met him in the foyer.

"No, it's fine," Seth said. "I'll be more careful." He paused at the door before turning back to John. "Do you know a Lord Thurstan? I've heard the name before, but I don't think I've ever met him." Whoa, did my message send work?

I was not impressed by John's poker face. Dude was thinking of lying. I was impressed with my telepathy. I was pretty sure I was deluding myself though and Seth thought of the question on his own. Time will tell.

"I do. He is a business associate of Master Benjamin's," John answered.

Seth hesitated like he was going to ask more but decided against it. "Thank you, John."

This time when we left, I stayed on Seth's shoulder. The walk back to school was uneventful.

"Booth is in trouble," Seth said to me during the walk. "If they want that ring back, I don't see how he can do that."

I could solve that. I wasn't going to, but I could.

Was there a circumstance where I would give up the ring? Probably. Not anything that came to mind though. I didn't steal it from Booth, so I didn't feel any need to return the thing I stole to someone else who also stole it.

"Who should I focus on Mau? It feels like there are too many mysteries here."

I didn't think so. These were different pieces of the same mystery. We just needed to dig deeper.

As Seth walked across the tower courtyard he stopped and stared at the Circle Tower for a few moments.

"I bet all the evidence that Arnold has on me and Benjamin is in there somewhere," Seth said very quietly. "Professor Marjorie also made copies of what everyone's trees looked like that day."

Oh, good point. That Ollie guy wasn't the only one that would have records of those results.

"I wish they'd let me help."

Seth, you should just bust in and read whatever you want from in there.

"I wonder," Seth mused aloud.

Yes! I know what you're thinking. You totally could do it. Especially if I helped with the planning and not Duvessa. Not only that, we had class there tomorrow, so doing recon should be a breeze.

Yeah. I'm totally going to plan a robbery of the tower that uses death magic in its defenses. And my crew will be a student that's studied magic for less than a month. This will be a challenge.