Page 51
Braxton straightens up, his smile gone. “Do you understand what you’d be turning down?”
“A robe and a mask?”
“Sure. Make jokes.” He scratches his chin. “You’ll graduate, and then what? You’ll send out applications like everyone else and hope someone will bother to read yours. Members don’t have to do that. Someone would make a call, and you’d be in, and you’d never find out how many people got moved out of your way so you could get there.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Think about what happens after you graduate. The job you actually want that you wouldn’t even get an interview for... You’d just have it because of the society. People answer whenever you need something. Problems get handled before anyone brings them to you. And your kids end up in places their grades would never get them into.”
“I don’t have kids.”
“You know what I mean.” He huffs. “People spend their whole lives trying to get what you’re being offered for free.”
“It doesn’t sound free.”
“Nothing is.” His gaze meets mine. “But without us, you’d be doing all of it the hard way, and most people who try that get nowhere.”
He’s good at this. I’ll give him that much, and I bet he’s given this speech to plenty of other people who signed up on the spot and thanked him afterward. Maybe he even believes it. He probably does, since he’s still here running errands for a man who won’t give him a moment of his time. Unless, of course, the whole thing was a lie, because he doesn’t want me to think he’s that close with Supreme.
As I get up, Braxton squints up at me against the sun.
“I’d rather send applications,” I say. “And I’d rather have a job I got by myself, even a terrible one. So thanks, but no.”
“You’re making a mistake.”
“Maybe. I’ve made a few of those, so one more won’t kill me.”
“Veronica!” He gets to his feet too. “You don’t know what happens wh—”
“See you around,” I say, and stride away before he can finish.
Please let my plan work, because if Supreme doesn’t take the bait, I won’t get anywhere near him, and I’ll be left guessing why all of this started. And I doubt they’re going to leave me alone no matter what.
Maybe they don’t really need me that badly after all. Jayden’s theory only holds up if they’re desperate for me, but then Supreme wouldn’t have had Braxton say no to me. So either Jayden got it wrong, or the great Supreme is playing games with me again, and I have no idea which one it is.
Although, I still don’t get why they’d want me for any of it in the first place. My grandma’s sister led the society decades ago, and every person who knew her is long gone from Blackerville. Dinah has nothing to do with me either.
Actually, it looks like they want me because of who I’m related to and not for anything I’ve done. It’s a little insulting when I think about it.
MY LAST CLASS OF THE day ends and I let the crowd get well ahead of me, so the hallway is almost empty when I finally get through the door. Braxton is easy to spot against the opposite wall, his arms crossed as he watches me as if we’d arranged another meeting or something. But he’s clearly waiting here for me.
“How long have you been out here?” I ask.
“A while.” His gaze lifts to mine. “Supreme agreed to see you.”
I blink at him. “What?”
“He changed his mind, I guess.”
Yes! I bite the inside of my cheek, because I refuse to look thrilled in front of Braxton about something I supposedly don’t care about.
Although, maybe thrilled is the wrong word. Getting what I asked for will probably drag me into something worse than whatever mess I’m in now. But Supreme agreed to talk to me, so I might finally get an answer out of him. Or at least I can try. Maybe he can clarify his policy about leaving people alone once they refuse to become members.
“Right,” I say. “And what changed?”
“No idea, and I wouldn’t ask.” Braxton pushes himself off the wall. “Tonight.”
“Where?”
