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"Their cousin joined the Shadow Association. They know more about it than we do. If you talk to them, they may be able to help."
"Oh."
"You don't have to if you don't want," she assures me. "I won't tell them anything if you don't want me to."
"You'd keep something like this from your boyfriend?" It's impossible to keep the surprise out of my voice.
"It's not my secret to reveal," she points out. "I'm not about to betray your trust in favour of someone else."
"Thank you, I appreciate it."
"But if you want their help, I know they'll give it. We can take it to the headmistress too if we need to. I'm not sure what she'll do, but she should be able to protect you."
"I think that's too far for now," I admit. "But it might be nice to talk to people who understand more about this than me."
"I can call them and ask them to come?"
"All right. I'd like that." I'm not sure if it's the right thing to do, but if I want to stand a chance at avoiding taking the Shadow Oath, then I need to do something. This is a chance to make that into reality. Even if it means sharing my past with people I've only known for a week.
Chapter Twelve
The common room is completely abandoned at this time, which isn't surprising. Most people are either in bed, or otherwise preoccupied with one activity or another. Which is a good thing. I don't want anyone to overhear what the four of us are going to talk about. This is already three people more than I ever intended to talk about my past with.
Juliet sets down a tray of hot drinks, all of them much better than the ones that come out of the vending machine.
"Where did you get those?" I ask.
"I bought myself a magical coffee machine when I earned enough bounty points. I got fed up of the nasty stuff the vending machine provides."
"It's not that bad."
"You're only saying that because you haven't tried the coffee my machine makes." She pushes one of the mugs towards me.
Footsteps sound behind me. I tense before realising it'll just be Mathias making his way into the common room.
"Hey." He drops down into one of the seats and grabs a mug without Juliet having to tell him which is his."Tobias is bringing snacks."
"I've trained him well," Juliet says with a satisfied sigh.
Mathias takes a sip of his coffee and leans back in his chair. His hair is mussed as if he's just been lying down, but he doesn't look sleepy. A horrible feeling sets into my gut. Was he with a girl?
I push the thought aside. Juliet said he didn't sleep around, and even if he does, it's none of my business.
He smiles when he notices me watching him. A blush rises to my cheeks, but I remind myself there's nothing to be embarrassed about and return it.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, there was a queue at the shop," Tobias says as he pushes through the outside door and enters the common room with a grocery bag over his arm.
"Do a lot of people go pick up groceries at eleven?" I ask. I've never been out that late thanks to the Association's curfews. I wonder if they insist on one for the adult members too? Probably.
"I swear people see the closing time as a challenge," he responds. "The drunk people are the worst."
Juliet shrugs. "We've all been there. The munchies are very real."
"I've never had a drink," I admit.
All three of them turn to face me with surprised expressions.
"There aren't many chances when you grow up in a cult," I mutter.
