The Shadowsong Conspiracy

Chapter 20

"What?" Sawyer felt his eyes pop out. "Juniper?"

"Yes. Now that we got that out of the way, let's go." Juniper put the balaclava in her pocket and sprinted after the rest of the party.

"Wait a second!" Sawyer ran after her. "How can you be in the Scouts? And how on earth can you be an expert de-Wraither? You're the same age as me! You attend Miss Pettipenny's super-sober boarding school for girls!"

"You're not the only talented one, Sawyer," Juniper said as they followed Caspar to the Entrance Hall. "Ever since I learned about the Force ruining my Grandpa, I've been practising ripping Shadowsong and all the other hoopla. I was a full-versed ripper by the age of thirteen. Of course, you were too busy basking in everybody's admiration to notice."

"Hey, you're a girl," Piper said as he turned to look back on the second floor.

"Yes, look at that," Sawyer said sarcastically. "She happens to be my childhood friend, the daughter of my old nanny."

"More like an acquaintance," Juniper said coolly.

Piper raised his eyebrows, but Sawyer was too busy glaring at Juniper to reply. They hadn't met in nearly two years, and back then, Juniper had been a sweet little girl with rosettes in her hair. There was no way Nanners knew about her daughter's death-tempting hobby; she already got heart palpitations when Sawyer walked outdoors with an unbuttoned coat.

They reached the fifth floor, which was again buzzing with people. Christian and the two Resistance members stood in a corner opposite Maddox's room, and after a brief round of introductions, they all grouped around the door.

"Maddox is not going to let us in," Sawyer said, pushing Juniper determinedly out of his mind. "He already chanted me when I tried."

"Not a surprise," Seán said. "But we can open the lock even if he has chanted it with Shadowsong. The challenge is to pin him down and get into our positions without the whole school gathering to watch. Maybe we could get someone to make a false announcement to clear the hallways on this floor and the floors above and below?"

"I'll do it," Christian said. "I've done a few Debate Club announcements, so I know where the mic is. Piper, you can come and keep watch for me. George and John, you stay here and guard the door when the others are in, but be sure not to awake suspicion."

George and John moved further away, and Christian hurried down the stairs, Piper in his tail.

"As soon as everyone is gone, I'll blast the lock," Seán said. "Sawyer and Caspar, you move in and start ripping. Try to stand in front of him so that we can position ourselves on the sides. That way we can work more freely because he'll be concentrated on you."

Everybody nodded, and tenseness fell over the group as they waited for Christian to act. A few people eyed them curiously, but luckily, nobody came over to talk.

Then a faint pop sounded from the speakers, as though someone was tapping the mic.

"Attention all students! There is an emergency in the Aristomagi students' dormitory. Everybody on floors four, five, and six must proceed to their rooms immediately. I repeat, all students on floors four, five, and six must proceed to their rooms immediately."

Sawyer grinned at the voice. It was much deeper than Christian's; he had apparently put a cloth on the mic. People started hustling all around them, and Sawyer pretended to move toward his room. Two fourth-year boys wondered loudly what the fuss was about, but went to their rooms anyway. When it was quiet, Seán peeked quickly upstairs and downstairs.