When Ivan returned, Laurie was advancing with a proud, chest-thumping stride.
Seeing the smile on his face, Ivan wondered if he would still be able to smile later.
With a nod to Justine, he really wasn't in the mood to say much more.
At dinner, all apprentices had a new pale blue curse mark on their arms. Nobody present was a fool—they connected it to the previous batch of apprentices, piercing through the nice illusions of the past and recognizing the harsh reality.
A shadow of death seemed to envelop them.
Even Laurie, who loved to show off, had turned into a frost-stricken eggplant.
Seven days passed in a blur.
During these days, the power of the curse marks quickly began to show. Justine's brown hair grew wildly, the newly grown hair a mix of half-green, half-brown.
Finkel, Glen, Charlene, and Feyen sprouted bluish stubble, and blue vertical stripes appeared on their nails.
