Before she could make her way to the end of the line, she felt a tugging on her arm. Whirling around, her fist ready to punch her attacker, she barely managed to stop herself in time.

“Whoa, don’t hit me! It’s me—Ren!”

“Why’d you sneak up on me?” Sarala sneered, dropping her fist.

“I didn’t sneak up on you. Didn’t you hear me calling your name?” Ren asked, her hands held up in front of her to protect herself.

“No,” Sarala said bluntly. “What do you want?”

“I was just asking you where you were. We didn’t see you when we came in,” Ren pointed out, lowering her arms.

“I didn’t realize I had to tell you my every movement,” Sarala uttered, glaring at the girl.

Ren bit her bottom lip, looking worried.

“I was just in the garden,” Sarala went on. 

“But why’d you come late to dinner? Didn’t you hear the bell?” Zyn asked, walking over from the table she had been sitting at paces away.

Sarala glared at her. “Obviously.”

“Then why are you late?” Zyn pressed.

I can’t tell them what I saw…they’ll think I’m crazy! But then again…who—or what—would just show up and drop a mirror shard? Maybe I should tell them… What if this is some sort of security issue?

“Sarala?” 

She snapped her gaze to Ren, then looked around the Eating Hall. There were too many people nearby. She grabbed Ren’s arm and pulled her outside, where they were less likely to be overheard. Zyn trailed after them curiously.

“What is it?” Ren asked, once the door to the Eating Hall closed behind them.

“I saw something in the garden,” Sarala told her in a low voice. “Well, I didn’t see anything, but it felt like I was being watched. I went to look, but whatever it was left.”

“Oh, that’s probably one of Dad’s frogoyles,” Zyn said, chuckling. “They usually just stay still and sit on the walls high up, or stay in certain areas like Counseling. They only ‘turn on’ if they detect movement—like when you showed up, and it alerted Dad, since there’s some outside the school too.”

Sarala frowned, remembering how the statue’s eyes lit up violet when she had approached the school. “Those things are creepy…”

Zyn shrugged in response.

“Do you think it was a frogoyle you saw?” Ren asked Sarala.

She thought about that for a long moment, then shook her head. “It…didn’t move like stone? I thought it was a bird, since it was so fast. And it wasn’t low to the ground, but in the air.”

“That doesn’t sound like a frogoyle,” Ren commented.

“It could be if it was jumping,” Zyn objected. 

“Well, would a frogoyle drop this?” Sarala asked, pulling out the mirror shard.

The sisters stared at it blankly, then Ren queried, “How do you know it dropped this?”

“What else would drop it in the garden?” Sarala grumbled. “A student?”

“If they broke their mirror by mistake, then yes,” Zyn said.

Sarala sighed. “Should I tell your dad?” she grunted.

Zyn shrugged. “If you want to. But if something weird got in the school, the frogoyles would have told Dad already.”

“Where would he be?” Sarala asked.

“Having dinner, like the rest of us,” Ren said. “Come on!”

She led the way in the opposite direction from the Eating Hall, towards the northern wall. They went through the door next to the Kung Fu Studio, which was labeled as the Art Studio.

This room was long, and smelled of paper and paint. A few wooden desks sat in the front of the class and large canvas stands stood at the back. Ak-tu was currently standing in front of one, a plate of food on a table beside him as he painted on a canvas. He glanced up at them as they entered.

“What’re you three up to?” he inquired.

“Sarala has something to tell you,” Ren said.

Sarala quickly recounted her story. Ak-tu seemed a lot more concerned about it than Ren and Zyn, but did not interrupt. He took the mirror shard from her and inspected it closely. Finally, he spoke.

“Thank you for bringing this to my attention,” he said seriously. “I will check in with the frogoyles, and with Khurshid.”

“Do you know what might have dropped this, then?” Sarala asked curiously.

Ak-tu pursed his lips, then murmured mysteriously, “I have ideas.” He shook his head. “Make sure you get some dinner. If you see anything else, be sure to alert me. And if you come across any more objects, do not pick them up.”

Sarala frowned, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. What’s with that mirror shard? Am I not safe here, either?