Sloan’s words—calling her an "obvious liability"—stung, and Zeda closed her eyes briefly and bit her lip. She had tried to defend her tutor and ended up putting herself back on the firing line.

Mr. Percival smiled warmly at her, however, before replying to Sloan. “Not anymore. Because from now on, she’s a vital asset to the team.”

“Wh—”

“Now, hush,” Mr. Percival interrupted Sloan’s retort before it could fully form. “Let’s watch it for ourselves.”

He ordered ...