“I hope to the ancestors you’re right.” I sighed.
After a beat, Marcus asked, “Is something else on your mind?”
“Why would you say that?” My voice squeaked a little.
“You just seem… I don’t know. A little distracted?”
I drew a deep breath and stopped at the bottom of the stairs that led to Professor Jaymin’s office. “Ava told me she still loves me,” I admitted.
“Wow, that’s… wow,” Marcus said.
“I’m sure she didn’t mean it.”
I mostly said it to convince myself, but it didn’t matter. I didn’t believe it. Avahadmeant it. She still loved me. Maybe not inthatway— but in a way that said she’d still lay down her life for mine. And hell, I’d do the same for her a million times over.
I didn’t want to talk about it, though. Thinking about it—confirming it— was completely throwing me off.
Ava loved me. And I couldn’t keep lying to myself by insisting I didn’t feel the same way about her. So where did that leave us?
“Come on,” I said as I gestured Marcus forward. We climbed the tower to Professor Jaymin’s office.
I immediately froze when a sense of unease hit me. It was so strong I had to clutch the banister so I didn’t fall down the stairs.
“I don’t care what the punishment is,” Ava growled from up ahead. “Irefusethis treatment!”
Hell, it washerunease that had come through our bond. Something was up.
Charlie, get in here!Oberi barked in my mind.
I practically threw myself up the stairs, racing until I came to a stop inside Jaymin’s office. “What’s going on?”
“Miss Mitoh is refusing treatment,” Jaymin sneered.
“Ava doesn’t have to consent to this,” Kallie argued.
I calmed down, and Oberi came to my side to guide me further into the room.Ava’s in one of her moods, isn’t she?I asked him.
She’s upset, he replied, without explaining.
“Pidge, you have to take your meds,” I said gently. “You know that.”
“This isn’t about my medication,” Ava explained. “I take my meds religiously, day in and day out. This newtreatmentis a violation of student privacy. I’ve read the handbook! The Darke Institute is classified by the United Supernatural Union as a reform school. Under section twelve, paragraph three of the health code, a reform school under Union law is only legally allowed to provide treatment that has been approved by our parents in writing or prescribed by a licensed physician, of which Jaymin is neither. My parents may have agreed to send me to group therapy, but they will never sign off on this if I don’t want it!”
My brow furrowed the more she spoke. Ava sounded like she was about to go off on one of her social justice speeches, which meant she was pissed. I chose my words carefully. “What exactly is this new treatment?”
“A group of hypnotists are visiting the Institute this week to assist students in therapy,” Jaymin explained, though she sounded irritated. “Our hope is that by uncovering your trauma, you may all be healed.”
Jaymin’s words sounded innocent enough, but her tone of voice suggested something otherwise. It was clear she had an ulterior motive.
“This treatment has to be optional,” I pointed out. “Ava’s right. The school can’t require additional treatments without a doctor’s orders, especially not hypnosis.”
“Very well,” Jaymin said curtly.
Her chair squeaked as she sat. She scribbled something on her clipboard. I was stunned silent that she had caved to the argument so easily. It was so unlike her.
“Although,” she added, “I find it highly suspicious that Miss Mitoh— or any of you, for that matter— would reject such a highly respected form of therapy. Hypnosis has been scientifically proven to aid in the rehabilitation of mental illnesses.”
I didn’t know if that was true, but I didn’t think Jaymin cared about the facts.
