Page 73 of Divine Oaths

Elated, Luke pulled out a metallic marker and scribbled his answer on the feather before handing it to me. I wrote my response quickly, not letting my hand touch either item longer than I had to.

“You have to return it to one of their chapter heads directly,” Luke said. “They probably left the dining hall already, but we have three weeks until rush officially starts. Invitees get to rush first separately.”

Vivian shook her head. “You’re both making a terrible mistake.”

“I know,” I said. But I’d already decided. I’d given Kasem my word.

I’d made my pledge.

CHAPTER THIRTY

We band of brothers

I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE a humanities class next, my last of the day. But I spotted Alaster exiting the dining hall not long after Vivian, Luke, and I had split up for our separate classes. Moments later, Jojo joined him, and they entered a classroom, the lock clicking behind them with a resounding ping.

When Alaster and Jojo left, I flagged down an upperclassman who might have access to the room, pretending I’d left my phone inside it.

It took a few tries to find someone with clearance, but when I did and they unlocked the door, I waited for them to leave before starting my investigation.

Looking for traces of Alaster and Jojo in a classroom that had been used throughout the day was an exercise in torture. I brushed my fingers along some of the desks, traced the frame of the seats, and channeled my powers, even as pain wrung through my mind and my nerves. One of the desks had been moved awkwardly to the front.

The moment I touched it, my powers reeled me into a vision of past Alaster and Jojo in a heated argument.

“Enough is enough!” Jojo shouted. “You said things were changing at Westfield. Yet you’re letting Sigma and Theta run wild without any restrictions.”

“The president is monitoring them closely. Both societies have powerful alumni on the Board and among our donors. He can’t just strip them of their status on campus.”

“So we’re just going to wait until another student tries to jump out of a window? Or for more accidents to happen across campus?”

Alaster laughed.

“I recognize you’re upset seeing your brother and that girl like that, but compose yourself, Ojore. This is the long game. We can’t help each other if we can’t trust that we’re able to control our emotions, even when things don’t go our way. Besides, this is a concern for faculty. Not researchers here on school grants.”

The dig in Alaster’s words was clear. Jojo was an outsider now, one with no claim to the Saint James name or authority in how the institution handled its goings. And like all hired hands, he needed to stay in line.

“This has nothing to do with my emotions,” Jojo said, but his voice wavered. I didn’t let myself linger on the unspoken meaning beneath his words. He took a breath, continuing. “I took this research job to help the students at Westfield. All of them. If that’s not what we’re doing, then I have no reason to stay.”

“We both know that’s a lie,” Alaster said. He tilted his head, curiosity glinting in his eyes. “Or perhaps you may think it’s the truth. But whether it’s the remnants of your inheritance, the girl your brother’s with, or, as you say, for the good of Westfield’s students, I’m sure we can find a reason to keep you at Westfield.” He patted Jojo on the shoulder. “The Board and I look forward to the findings of your research,” he said. And then he left. But Jojo remained, seething from the encounter.

Jojo pulled away from the table, and the memory faded into flashes of other students and faculty touching its surface earlier in the day.

When I returned to the present, a streak of crimson seeped from my nose. I wiped it away, making sure to use the back of my palm in case my powers went hyperactive again, just as the classroom door opened and Kasem emerged.

“You should really learn how to control your powers. Don’t go all Tetsuo on me.”

It took a moment for me to register his words, and when I did, I pursed my lips to keep from smiling.

“An Akira reference? Really?”

“Should I have gone with The Exorcist?”

“Hilarious.”

“She says without even a chuckle.”

He’d been teasing, but concern was etched in his expression.

“I’m fine,” I said. “Really, I am.” The pain was already beginning to subside.