Thirtyx clenched his fists, but it was an empty threat. Veriths were incredibly stealthy and excellent lie detectors, and they could survive without solid food. But unlike all the other peoples of Lamiakk, they couldn't do magic.

Just one of the myriad reasons Thirtyx hung out with two of the most powerful adolescent sorcerers on the planet. But now, they weren't here to help.

"You have nothing to say, Venmy?" The purple sparks swirled in Vix's eyes, and Thirtyx levitated a few inches off the ground. From what Thirtyx knew of Vix’s magic acumen, he wasn't sure the Devil could get him all the way to the top of a tree, but he could certainly get him high enough to give Thirtyx an unpleasant evening.

"Okay, yeah, I've lost track of them, but they were here earlier!" Thirtyx snapped. It wasn't easy to devise creative ways to talk around the truth while dangling at the whims of a magical bully, but it was a survival skill for Veriths, a learned defense against the handicap of forced honesty. Earlier, in this case, meant he’d walked them down this very path at the end of last term. "They could be back any minute!" he chanced, also technically true.

But the persistent problem with vague phrasing was that anyone looking to undermine Thirtyx knew he'd be more specific if he could. Vix stepped forward with a smirk. Thirtyx rose higher.

In a last-ditch effort, Thirtyx stared over Vix’s onyx horns at a fixed point down the path. "Headmistress!"

Thirtyx fell flat on his rear, but he was ready to roll to his feet. He had about two fracs' head start before Vix realized the headmistress was nowhere near them, and he intended to use them to their fullest. He'd widened the gap by a good thirty feet when Vix roared, "VENMAGALION!"

At least he'd gotten Vix to use his full name.

Devils certainly had the advantage of strength and magic, but Thirtyx had that scrawny Verith speed and a penchant for hiding. He threw himself into the trees lining the path as soon as he was able. Surely enough, he quickly located a thick enough trunk to conceal himself behind.

Vix made no attempts at stealth, crashing through the leafy underbrush, muttering obscenities to himself. Thirtyx remained perfectly still until he heard Vix's retreat, at which point he chanced a look up into the tree's branches.

It wasn't safe to run yet, but he could probably get away with climbing.

It took a few failed efforts before he managed to snag the lowermost branch and hoist himself onto it. From there, a few other branches were accessible—it was just a matter of picking ones that would hold his weight. He pulled himself high enough that even Vix, with his tall Devil stature, likely wouldn't spot him when he circled back by.

It didn't take long. They weren't far from the gate, and Vix probably realized Thirtyx had snuck off or he thought he got lost in the crowd. The Devil stomped back down the path like a toddler throwing a fit, and Thirtyx breathed a small sigh of relief. 

A handful of other students trickled toward the dorms, chatting animatedly with friends, lugging or levitating trunks and suitcases. The bitter envy threatened to overwhelm Thirtyx. He usually didn't care about his lack of a real home or the fact that he’d been stuck starving at Wydewood while his classmates had a relaxing break. But without Benn and Rhea around to soften the blow…

He turned his eyes upward again—if he’d exerted the effort to climb a tree this far, he might as well get something out of it. He clambered higher, although he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted the answer he sought. What if he didn't see them?

What if the royal carriage truly wasn't coming?

His thoughts returned to Vix. Would he survive the term if it wasn’t?

Thirtyx forced his head above the tree line.

The line of caravans stretched toward the grey horizon, seemingly endless carriages propelled by magic or beasts. He scanned the throng for a pair of carriages he knew well. They'd be larger than the rest—shinier and newer and better guarded.

He scanned again, and then again, and then again. At one point, he thought he spied a carriage that could have been theirs, but he knew the hope was only desperation. No royal carriage waited in the line.

And when class started tomorrow, Thirtyx Venmagalion would be entirely alone.