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I would’ve agreed to anything, just to get one step closer to the lunch line. Now that I was inside, I was practically weak with hunger. Snagging a tray, I filled my lungs with the rich smell of curry and chips, and my stomach grumbled with joy.
But then I heard a deeper call and made a beeline to the fridge first. I’d skipped last night’s dose of the blood and was feeling as jittery as an addict with D. T. ’s. It was unnerving. I’d become more dependent on the stuff than I’d realized, and I tried not to think what it might mean for me if I ever did find my way free from this rock.
Balancing a full tray, I rejoined the others. As I approached, I spied as Ronan slipped Amanda something under the table. A chill prickled up the back of my neck. Surely a relationship on this isle was forbidden. I willed them to be careful—I might have been green with envy, but it didn’t mean they weren’t my friends. I wanted them to be safe.
I pushed the prickly feeling away, donning temper as my armor, and cast a beady eye at Ronan’s wet suit as I plopped down. “Don’t tell me. We’re swimming later. And me having such a banner week already. ”
He held back a smile. “Aye, I’ve heard it’s been a difficult couple days. ”
“That’s one way to describe having Initiates out to get us,” I said, catching Emma’s eye.
She gave me a nod, looking her usual stoic self, though I knew she’d be feeling as nervous and vulnerable as I’d been back in the dining hall.
Amanda tossed her dreads over her shoulder. There was such calm self-possession in her movements, it added a shade of despondency to the jealousy I’d been feeling. “Don’
t forget you’ll soon have a mission to survive,” she said. “These birdies are a walk in the park compared to that. ”
I gave her a flat look. That was so not the point. “Getting whipped at lunchtime hardly qualifies as a walk in the park. ”
“Forget the other girls. Focus. ” My Proctor scooted her chair closer, and it made a big scraping sound on the floor. “The only thing you should be thinking about is your little field trip off-island. ”
“I’m trying, Amanda. ” I pushed big lumps of curried chicken around on my plate. “It’s not that simple. ”
“Trinity hates me,” Emma said matter-of-factly.
I added, “Masha’s had it out for me since day one. ” I debated cutting a chunk of meat in half, then just speared the whole thing on my fork and shoved it into my mouth. I chewed and swallowed too quickly, eager to add the snarky comment that’d just occurred to me. “You’d think she had a thing for Alcántara, and I was fronting on her territory. ”
Ronan and Amanda exchanged a look. It was a quick one, but something about it turned the chicken in my belly to a cold lump.
I leaned forward on my elbows. “I saw that. ”
“Saw what?” Ronan was the picture of innocence.
“That look. ” Though, considering their relationship, they probably gave each other looks all the time, and I just hadn’t noticed before. The notion put an edge to my voice. “You looked at each other. ”
This time they really did look at each other.
I put my fork down, my belly gone sour. “What did that mean?”
Amanda stacked the dishes on her tray in a neat pile, considering. “It means you should mind your words, dolly. ”
“And mind your own business,” Ronan added.
Emma wiped her mouth with her napkin and pushed away from the table.
I gave her a pleading look. “Where are you going? I just got here. ”
She glanced around as though there might even now be Initiates hiding under the tables waiting to get us. “I’m taking their advice. And…I don’t know, Drew. Maybe you should, too. ”
What was up with my friend? Brave Emma, who’d helped me survive a night in the wilderness, eating roadkill and killing the evil demon Draug? But then I watched as her gaze rested on Yasuo for a moment before skittering away again.
Maybe what was up with my friend was that she had a reason to keep a low profile. Maybe she was suddenly open to advice because of a certain Japanese American Trainee with baby fangs. I vowed to grill her the next chance I got.
My shoulders slumped; I was feeling just a little bit more alone than before. “I’ll be careful. See you back at the dorm. ”
The moment Emma left, I leaned in close, using my no-nonsense voice. “Now will you tell me?”
Ronan and Amanda were the picture of ignorance.
