“I’ll do my best,” Ivy said in an apologetic tone. “I’m sure he’ll be willing to help, once I’m finally able to establish contact. He owes me a favor or two.”
I sure hoped so, because he was the only one whocouldhelp us.
A couple of weeks passed by in slow boredom. It was early June, and we were nearing the end of the semester. Once classes ended, all of us would be sent to work at our prison jobs full-time over the summer, and I wasn’t looking forward to it, as it would definitely impede our search for the keys. Hemlock had written up some bullshit to get me out of work, so I could continue our search with her under the ruse that I was continuing my anthropology internship, but I couldn’t do it by myself. If we were going to get anywhere, my friends needed time to look for the keys alongside me, and the Warden was keeping such a close eye on us it was difficult to search in secret.
To try and get everyone cheered up, Oberi had suggested we have a game night in the Villain’s Den. When we arrived, Chancey was already setting up the board, while Ivy placed tiny plastic pieces out on the table. There were about a dozen other inmates in here, hanging out and holding conversation.
“This is gonna be fun and all, but don’t you guys want to increase the stakes?” Chancey asked as Charlie and I came in. “I got a deck—”
“No cards,” Ivy said sharply, giving him a harsh look.
“Yeah, yeah, no cards,” Chancey grumbled.
Kallie lounged on the couch with her legs thrown over an armrest. She was alone.
“Where’s Marcus?” I asked as I wheeled up to the table. Oberi rushed to grab a ball in one of the baskets by the television and started kicking it around with his paws.
“He’s not coming,” Kallie said, a little downhearted. She didn’t offer an explanation why.
Marcus hadn’t been around much since Thaddeus had died. I knew he was trying to contact Thaddeus’ ghost, but none of Marcus’ séance s were working. That meant his soul had crossed over, so Marcus was trying to find a way to speak with him from the Ancestral Lands, which was difficult, because it wasn’t a normal séance situation. Unlike ghosts trapped here on Earth, it was far more difficult to speak to a spirit that had passed. Marcus should be able to pull it off, but a spirit had to be willing to communicate, so it was obvious Thad didn’t want to talk.
We were about to get started before a tinkling laugh pissed on my evening. I refused to look at her, but Esther came around to the table anyway, planting herself at my side. “Oh, what a lovely game! Can I join?”
“Go away, Esther. Everyone here fucking hates you,” I spat as I continued setting up the game. If anything, I blamed Esther for what happened to Thad the most. Below us, Oberi let out a warning growl.
“You’re such a mean girl, Ava. Don’t you know it’s not nice to put other women down?” Esther asked, leaning against the table.
“I don’t like to hang out with murderers,” I growled.
“That’s pretty hypocritical, seeing as how your two best friends and your husband fit the bill. Hypocrisy is a sin, you know—”
“Fuck. Off.” My fists clenched.
“Esther, I’m warning you, leave us alone,” Charlie said coldly.
“Or what?” Esther gave another laugh, but instead of the fake cheer that usually infected it, the sound was chilling and cruel. “You know, Charlie, I find it so cute you still stick up for your wife.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Charlie asked. His body stiffened, trying to hold himself back from erupting on the spot.
“I’m only saying that most husbands wouldn’t be able to put up with her,” Esther stated. “She’s such a handful, and she’s got so manyneedssince she’s in a wheelchair. A lot of men wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure of being their wife’s caretaker, day in and day out. It’s honorable you haven’t left yet—”
The table shook, and pieces of the board game flew off as Kallie stood up and punched Esther across the face. Esther went flying, and she slammed into the wall.
Chancey laughed, but no one else did. Esther shakily pushed herself upward, although the movement faltered, as if it was difficult to do.
She flung her blonde curls out of her face. “You’re going to pay for that, filthy mutt,” Esther snarled.
“Go ahead and tell the Warden. I don’t give a fuck anymore!” Kallie yelled as Esther got to her feet. The two girls faced off, ready to go to war.
Esther’s chest heaved. Her arms shook, like she was seconds away from retaliating.
Then she noticed all the faces in the Villain's Den staring at her. The other students, most of them members of The Mission, waited to see what she would do.
She took a deep breath, then smoothed down her curls and put a smile on her face.
“I was only giving Charlie a compliment,” Esther said calmly. “There’s no need to resort to violence. I can see I’m not welcome here. I’ll leave you alone.”
Esther turned and walked out. Quite a few Mission members followed her. The inmates that didn’t glanced at us, whispering under our breath. A couple of students who’d been near our table got up to move away to the other side of the room.
