Chapter 61

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The bag on Jesse’s shoulder was heavy. Heavier than it should have been, since it only contained the hurlbat and the journal. He hadn’t wanted to take the hurlbat out of the protection of the house, but he knew that Black John couldn’t help them unless he had access to the weapon itself. He also knew that John had absolutely no right to view the weapon, to hold it, to study it and try to copy its properties. But no matter how many times he tried to convince himself of that simple fact, he only needed to remind himself that Gideon needed the protection. He simply couldn’t make Gideon vulnerable to attacks from himself or the three Guardians. He couldn’t do it, and he wouldn’t.

That meant he had to trust John with sensitive information that the mage could easily use to his own advantage. That meant taking another risk that would not endear him to Foster or any of the other Guardians.

With a deep breath, he shifted the bag on his shoulder and knocked on John’s familiar door