AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She digs into her bag and pulls out a pen and notepad. "Will you write down your contact information for me?" She offers them to me.
I hesitate for a moment, but my curiosity gets the better of me. "Why?" I take the pen and paper, jotting down my name and the address of the Shadow Association headquarters. It's potentially risky to give it to anyone, but there's no other way of contacting me. And I suspect calls to my phone are more monitored than someone turning up at the house or a letter.
"We'll have to include this in a report when we get back to the academy. It'll be easier to find you if we have your information."
I narrow my eyes. I don't know why they might need to get in contact with me, but I'm willing to take the risk. I do want to do something that gets me away from the Association and the expectations there. I'm not sure if this is it, but it has promise.
And if it gets me answers about who I am, then all the better.
Chapter Three
"You have mail," Annalise says, dropping an envelope onto my bed.
"Thanks." My pulse races with anticipation but I keep my eyes away from the letter. If I seem too excited about it, Annalise or one of the others will start asking too many questions and it won't be long until someone higher up gets a hold of the information and does something permanent about it.
"Hrumf." She disappears off in a huff when she realises I'm not about to open it right in front of her.
I still don't reach for the letter and try to focus on what I'm reading instead. My eyes skip over the words, not taking any of them in. I want to grab the letter and tear it open already.
Once I'm sure none of the others are paying any attention to me, I get up and grab the letter, forcing myself to walk out of the room slowly to not raise suspicions.
I head into the bathroom and lock myself in one of the stalls. This is the only place in the entire house I can guarantee having privacy. It's the only reason I've ever liked the stalls.
I tear the top off the envelope and pull out the single sheet of paper within.
Dear Syxe Weston,
I wish to cordially invite you to a meeting at Scythe Grove Academy on Tuesday at nine am. Directions are overleaf. Please pack an overnight bag.
Yours Sincerely,
Headmistress Shaw
I blink a few times as I wait for the meaning of the words to sink in. I turn the letter over, unsurprised to find instructions on the back. It only takes me a couple more moments for me to realise I'm going to go. Maybe whatever I'll find at this Scythe Grove Academy will be worse than what I could get here at the Association after taking the Shadow Oath, but I don't think so.
But there may be a potential issue in me leaving and staying somewhere overnight. I'm not sure how I even get away with spending most of my days outside as it is.
I fold up the letter and slip it into my pocket before leaving the stall. Nerves jitter around inside me as I slip back into the dorm room.
"So, what was the letter?" Annalise asks before I'm anywhere near the safety of my bed.
I fake a sigh. "Just junk mail. Nothing interesting."
"Shame. I was hoping for something more exciting," she muses.
"Like what? It isn't like Syxe will be getting any love letters or anything," Reed says, a smug grin on her face that suggests she's trying to be cruel.
I shrug. "No one would send that by post anyway." Or maybe they would. She isn't wrong about no one wanting to send me any. I haven't had any chances for romance, especially when I've never wanted to bring anyone back to the house.
The more I think about it, the more it becomes clear I've never really been comfortable here. Maybe a chance to get away and try something different is just what I need.
I turn away from the other girls and pull the curtains around my bed so I can put as many of my belongings as possible in my bag without the others noticing. I don't know what they'll do if they work out my plan, but it's probably best if I don't give them a chance to figure it out.
Not that there's much to worry about. All of my clothes are still only about a week's worth. Add in a couple of books and some stationary and my belongings are pretty much all accounted for. The only thing I can't pack is my indoor shoes, but I don't think that'll be a problem.
I change into my sleeping clothes and slip under the covers. I should have brushed my teeth while I was in the bathroom, but my mind was on other things.
Thoughts of all the ghosts I've seen in my life swim through my head as I try to recall all the things they've said to me over the years. Not all of them have talked, but maybe that's because I didn't move to engage with them.
