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I can’t believe I haven’t put two and two together. The Radiants convince a mortal to take a charm, then out here, when a House member notices they’re wearing it, they direct the mortal to speak with the gentry or whoever uses that type of gemstone.
My stomach turns to jelly when I realize anyone wearing that red charm has likely suffered Milford’s violating attention, only to be forced to forget it and have another so-called favor thrust upon them out here. Knowing that Cait must be complicit in this knowledge makes me feel sick.
You think you know moral depravity, pet. You haven’t even touched its sides.
Fox knew, too. They all must.
Fuck, I hate this place. Rushing the others behind the House of Embers Tower, I quickly explain. “Take the charm off, Geraldine. It’s making you a target.”
She stiffens and covers the stone with her hand. “What?”
A glance over my shoulder, then at Peggy’s charm as she arrives. “You should take yours off as well, just to be safe. I stole them both, and I’m worried that it might cause trouble for you. I’ll find more.”
They all look at me with suspicion. We don’t have time for this.
“That statue,” I whisper, “was the person who killed Bob. Sylvanar must have caught him fleeing the commons, and I don’t know, maybe Ryder was worried they’d punish him despite Radiants encouraging Shadows to cull Nothings on the sly. So he kept running. Maybe that was enough for Sylvanar to turn the Baleful Hunt on him.”
Geraldine’s expression darkens. “How did you know Ryder was the assassin?”
“I bumped into him as he ran out. I?—”
“Right,” she says, sarcasm dripping off her tongue. “You justhappenedto bump into him. Like you justhappenedto bump into your red-haired Shadow buddy there on day one.”
“What?” The word barely leaves my lips. “I told you, he’s not my friend anymore. I?—”
“Are we a part of your cruel game?” Peggy snaps, crowding me with her body. She’s a little frightening when she looks down at me. “Pretend to befriend us so you can build up our hopes and tear them down. You almost had us fooled.”
“You think I had something to do with Bob’s death?”
“I don’t know.” Max’s eyes are no longer kind. “Did you? Because I’m starting to wonder where you were on the weekend... how come yournot-friend over there warnedyou about Burn After Reading? Everyone knows that’s where Chasers earn their Lucky Charms.”
My jaw drops at his insinuation. They heard everything, including Alfie’s praise, insinuating I used the gemstone to hurt Geraldine.
“What’s the matter?” she sneers. “We weren’t good enough for an invite too?”
I have no answer. I can see how this looks to them. Why trust me when I’ve walked in, claiming to be a mortal outsider who also looks fae? Someone who gives them hope about another land where they won’t be ostracized for how they look. Someone who snags the coveted spot of Shadow in a powerful military house.
“Let’s go,” Peggy says to Geraldine. “No use wasting our time here.”
I block her. “Hate me, fine. But for your own safety, throw away those charms. Please.”
“Fuck off. Come near us again, and I’ll gut you myself.” She shoves me.
I stumble. The woman has more power in that arm than I expected. More moxie behind her smile, too.
Geraldine cuts me a glare as she passes. “If you try to attack us like your friends, I’ll be waiting.”
It’s no surprise she’s one of the three Nothings left standing. I’m almost proud of their resilience. But then Max leans toward me and whispers, “Don’t expect me to save you a seat this time.”
My heart breaks. If that’s the worst insult he can come up with, he’s truly the kindest person I know. They don’t deserve this.
I’m powerless to stop them from leaving. They’ve lost their friend. This entire week has left them in a constant state of traumatic stress. At least my mom had my dad when she woke in this time. She had the Order of the Well, a safe place to recoverand catch her bearings after realizing her entire world had been obliterated. Now, they work to help other Well-blessed humans to assimilate. That’s how it should be here, not throwing them into the deep end, expecting them to swim with smiling sharks.
I refuse to sit near Alfie when the Marquess starts his combat class. I also ignore his attempts to talk to me on the way to Tactical Warfare at the House of Stone Tower. I’m saved from explaining myself when Robin Goodfellow flags down his Shadow for a conversation.
The eyebrowless, auburn-haired Radiant swings a distrustful look my way, lifting the hairs on the back of my neck. But then his gaze drops to Fox’s coat around my body, and he turns his sneer back to Alfie.
“Tell me what you know.” Goodfellow’s voice recedes as I continue inside the building.
