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***
I wake up with the sound of bones crushing and smelling smoke and jasmine. The taste of tears coats my tongue in a salty sludge. My sheets are tangled around my legs. My clothes cling to my skin, damp with sweat. The aftermath of the nightmare has my stomach churning. Shoving off the sheets, I stumble from bed into the bathroom and vomit. The acid burns the back of my throat and my nose, drawing tears.
“Anora!” Mom calls and I scramble to my feet, shutting and locking the bathroom door.
“I’m up!” I call.
I should tell her I’m sick and skip school today, but after coming home so late, there’s no way she’ll let me. Not only had she already told me that I’d be going to school no matter how little sleep I get, but she also said I’m grounded for a month—that was after she took my phone.
Truth be told, I can’t afford to miss school. I have some questions for Thane—like why didn’t he tell me he was one of the last people to see Lily alive?
Standing under a scalding stream of water is cleansing and by the time I’m finished, my skin no longer feels clammy. The bites on my arms from Lily’s bugs have faded from a bright red to a dull pink. My hand still aches. When I start to trust the Order, I’ll remember the claw and think twice.
I wipe the mirror free of fog. I miss my necklace, miss the weight of its chain around my neck, the press of the coin against my skin. I miss the comfort it brings. Roth took that from me. He touched me—unclasped the chain, let it slide along my collarbone until it was free of me and in his possession.
I squeeze my fist tight. The thread reacts to my anger, pushing at the surface of my palm. I wonder what it means to be the Eurydice with Roth at my back, hanging my poppa’s coin over my head. What plan does he have for me? Shivering, I shove that question from my head. For now, I have to focus on finding the coin and Lily’s killer.
As a reminder, the television is on when I come downstairs for breakfast, screaming a report on Jake’s death. Hearing his name and seeing his pictures on local news makes my stomach ache and I let my cereal turn soggy in the milk. They manage to blame it on a bobcat attack. The anchor describes Queen's Ransom as a decade-long tradition between rivals, Rayon High School and private school Nacoma Knight Academy, an event that was cancelled by school official’s after Lily’s death. The students who chose to play did so of their own accord.
The screen cuts to Natalie's father, standing with Emerson Hall in the background. His hair blows like a wispy cloud.
“We are devastated by all this tragedy,” he says. “It is a horrible time for all of us.”
Then the anchor, “This is not the first death to haunt Headmaster Rivera or the students of Nacoma Knight Academy. Just last week the campus was shut down due to an apparent suicide outside the administration hall.”
The segment transitions into international news where anchors summarize the continued investigation into the London block fire and the Switzerland plane crash.
Mom shakes her head, unable to peel her eyes from the screen.
“All those poor people,” she says. “It sort of feels like something bad is happening every day, doesn’t it?”
Ever since the night Sean attacked Gage, all I see is Influence’s hold over the world, and since learning I’m the Eurydice, I have a hard time not blaming myself. At least when I start training with the Valryn, I’ll have some control over its strength. I think that’s the only part of this job I’ll actually like. It means I’m doing something good.
Mom drops me off at school early, and it’s the first time I’m able to stroll across campus at a leisurely pace. I notice things I didn’t before, like the leaves changing to red and orange and yellow. The wind is crisp and kisses my cheeks, the air smells like decay—the earthy kind, not the dead kind.
I make it all the way to Walcourt when I bump into Mr. Val in the hallway outside his classroom. He has keys in hand and is locking the door to his room.
“Miss Silby,” he turns to me. I fight the urge to run away. Yesterday, Mr. Val was my least favorite teacher at Nacoma Knight Academy. Today, he is supposed to train me in all things death.
“Is...something wrong, Mr. Val?”
“There is an assembly this morning. Headmaster Rivera thinks it wise to review rules after the events of the last two weeks. You would know that if you arrived to school on time.”
“I was on time!” I defend as the first bell rings.
“Let’s not argue, Miss Silby. Shall I escort you to the auditorium?”
Uh, no. I’m perfectly capable of making it there on my own.
“I wouldn’t want you to go out of your way.” I say.
“I’m heading there anyway.”
Great.
I set out with the intention of staying one step ahead of Mr. Val the entire time, but he has longer legs and keeps stride. While I prefer not to hear his condescending tone anymore today, there’s a question burning on the tip of my tongue, and before we reach the auditorium, I ask, “Why agree to train me?”
Mr. Val gives me a hard look, and I think he won’t answer, but he says, “I’d hate to lose another student, Miss Silby.”
