The Legend of the Eight: The Wicked (Book 2)

8: The Armory

EIGHT: THE ARMORY
MARCH 18
PHOEBE DOMINGO

"WHAT IF EVA'S STILL ALIVE?" Phoebe suggested as she scratched her freckly nose. She was with the others in the Athletic Hall late on Friday night as they traded off their training with hypothesis about the Eight, the Armory, Bernadette Chamberlain, and everything in between.

"Eva?" Nicole asked and then dodged a jinx from Drew's wand. "Eva the Alchemist?"

"No Eva the werewolf," Phoebe quipped sarcastically, weaving magical strands of light between her fingers like lace. "Yes Eva the Alchemist. I just mean, she's an Alchemist. That has to make her harder to kill than a normal wizard, right?"

Kate offered a bony shrug. "Alchemists aren't invincible."

Phoebe pushed her sweaty bangs out of her face and rubbed her arms—as she did, she felt the ache of her muscles, sore from all the training over the last few days. There was a line of bruises dotted along her hips, twisting their way into her tattoo there. The bruises came from being tossed around the gym like a dog with a chew toy. Without Salubrius, she was positive she'd have a few broken bones as well.

"What about that dagger we found?" Drew called and his voice echoed across the gym. "I was doing some research—"

Phoebe stopped moving to stare at him, a combination of surprised and impressed.

"—And it might have been cursed. That's why it burned to the touch. Which begs the question, why would your mom keep it?"

"She probably wanted to make sure it didn't fall into the wrong hands," said Kate as she stepped away from the fighting to get a drink on the sidelines.

"As in Bartemius's?" Liam guessed and Kate nodded again.

"Where do you think he is?" Phoebe asked because if she didn't, the not knowing would drive her crazy.

Nicole shrugged. "Well, we know where he's definitely not. The World of Magic. And maybe I'm just being optimistic but I'm having a hard time picturing Bartemius Thawne roughing it in the Mortal World. I don't even know how my parents do it."

Suddenly, her blue eyes brightened and held a curious look in them.

"My parents," she said again, that time with more conviction. "Of course! Kate, let me see that picture again?"

Kate grabbed her phone and brought it over to Nicole, tapping and scrolling for a bit before showing the screen to her. On it was a high-resolution image she'd snapped of a plaque they'd found in the office earlier.

As Nicole studied the snapshot, her eyes flickered with recognition. Phoebe watched her closely.

"The Armory," Nicole said when she could finally speak again. "I've heard of it before. My parents used to whisper about it."

"What? Like they've been there before?" Phoebe asked and Nicole shook her head.

"I think they work there."

DREW ESCORTED PHOEBE BACK TO her dorm when their training session was over and as she fumbled with the lock on the door, he leaned against the wall and watched her.

"Is this a thing now?" Phoebe asked when the handle clicked. "You walking me to my dorm every night and dropping me off? What's next? A goodnight kiss?"