Page 44 of Revenge

“They don’t like me playing instruments in the dorm, but this is what I have so far.” She pulled out her smartphone and tapped a few buttons. A piano concerto rang out, reminding me of Sergei’s music.

I lowered myself onto the bed, feeling queasy. Why hadn’t I brought Rita down to London on any of the times I had met Sergei? She probably hadn’t asked because her enforced humility wouldn’t allow it, but I knew she was devoted to music, and I still hadn’t offered. Rita’s playing was like escaping into another world where people laughed and danced and didn’t play games with others’ lives. The piece ended abruptly, and my head snapped up.

“That’s all I have for now.” She gave me a tight smile.

“It’s wonderful!” I went to my closet mirror and fastened my long, woolen coat. “Can I show it to Sergei?”

Her face paled. “I-it isn’t ready!”

“Next time I see him, I’ll tell him about my roommate, who’s a genius on the piano.”

Her face scrunched up, but the little smile she gave me belied her true level of confidence. Anyone who got into a place like Mercia Academy on both a musical and an academic scholarship had to know they were good. That was the whole point of Edward’s bullying.

She threw her arms around me and whispered, “When you’ve finished your plan, don’t wait around to watch the damage. Run.”

I nodded. “What happened to me last term will never happen again.”

Rita stepped back and blew out a long breath. “Have a… productive evening.”

“I’ll try!” I stepped out of the door to find the triumvirate outside in the hallway. Henry stood in the middle, wearing a peacoat, hat and scarf, while Blake stood to his right still in his school uniform. Edward stood on Henry’s left, wearing a faint smile.

All the blood drained from my face. How long had they been standing outside, and what had they heard? Rita had whispered the most incriminating part of our conversation, but I was sure there was a part where I’d implied I didn’t care if I’d kept Henry waiting.

Blake stepped forward and whistled. “What are you wearing under the coat?”

“Chanel Number Five.”

His gaze flickered down my body. “Good choice.”

“What are the three of you doing up here?” I asked. “Shouldn’t you be working on your prep or something?”

Blake smirked. “After that little display in Latin class, we thought you might need a pair of chaperones.”

“Why?” I placed my hands on my hips.

Blake stepped forward, hooked his arms through mine, and wrapped them around my waist. “A girl walking alone in the dark with that beast might find herself set upon in the bushes.”

I glanced up at Henry, who shook his head and smiled. I returned his smile with a smirk. These guys were a lot of fun when they weren’t stabbing a girl in the back. Placing my hand over Blake’s heart, I said, “It’s tempting, but I’ll take my chances with beastie boy.”

With a theatrical sigh, Blake stepped back and grinned at Edward. “It was worth a try, eh, Woodie?”

I clapped my hand over my mouth. “I’ve never heard you use that nickname.”

“And you never will.” Edward wrapped an arm around Blake’s neck and marched him down the hallway. “Do pop in and say goodnight on your way back.”

“Sure.”

Henry crooked an arm and flashed me a grin. “Shall we?”

Ignoring my aching heart, I stepped forward and took his arm. We walked down the stairs, past a livid Charlotte and her two remaining doppelgängers, through the entrance hall with its crackling, pine-scented fire, and out into the cold evening.

The entire campus was blanketed in white from a sudden bout of snow. I inhaled a breath of cold air and blew it out through my mouth, creating a cloud of condensation.

“What made you choose a walk when we could have liqueur coffee at Edward’s study?” asked Henry.

I glanced down at the layer of snow staining my boots. “There’s something about the three of you together. You’re all bad influences on each other. Ten minutes, and you’ll have me losing control.”

“Perhaps you’re the bad influence on us,” he replied.