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“Don’t you think we would’ve told you if something was off,” Denver scoffs, and I internally scold myself for not taking that approach. But we have to at least play into her hand to find out if she knows anything.
“I don’t know, would you?” Graves snaps, eyeing him suspiciously.
Okay good thing I didn’t go that route then.
“What’s going on, Headmistress?” Landon asks, directing her attention over to him. “Is there something we should know?”
“No,” she snaps. “Just tell your students to keep an eye out in that area.”
She stomps off towards the door, but Landon’s voice makes her pause as she reaches for the knob.
“That’s their assigned spot for classes so we should all know if there’s anything to be on the lookout for,” Landon says, his eyes tinged with concern. “They won’t know what to look for if you don’t tell us, and we also shouldn’t be sending students out into an area that might be dangerous.”
“Fine, but only because of the positions you hold,” she grinds out, and stiffly turns back to us. “No one else is to hear about this, not even your seconds and thirds. Is that clear?”
“Of course,” I murmur. Lie—but she doesn’t have to know that.
“My lips are sealed,” Denver drawls, miming locking his mouth and throwing away the key. I do have to admit I like his smart-ass mouth when it isn’t being directed at me.
“We found signs of monster activity near the lake last night,” she murmurs, her jaw tensing like we’re the absolute last people she wants to be telling this to. “We checked the barriers this morning and there seems to be a crack in them.”
“How could that happen?” Landon asks with a bit too much shock in his tone. A crease forms between my brows as I keep my gaze trained on Graves, making sure she hasn’t sensed the over-acting there.
“That’s enough questions,” she snaps, her gaze sweeping over the three of us. “I only told you so you can keep an eye out and report back to me if you find anything.”
“But shouldn’t we—” I say, almost asking about the barriers around the school and the town but she cuts me off.
“No, we shouldn’t do anything.” Graves scowls back at me, her chest puffing out as she clearly reminds herself of her importance. “I’m the headmistress and I’m taking care of this. You’re just a student here so you keep your nose out of it.”
With that she turns on her heel and whips the door open with so much force her robe billows out around her.
“I’ll see you in a few days, Aria.” She doesn’t even bother to look back at me before she stomps through the doorway.
Denver’s lips part, but I shoot him a pointed look to stay quiet until we’re sure she’s far enough away.
“Shouldn’t have told those nosy brats anything,” Graves mutters in the distance as she strides out into the hall, her heels clomping angrily with each step she takes.
“We can hear you, you know,” Denver shouts behind her and judging from the screech of frustration that echoes back to us, she definitely heard him.
Landon walks over to the door and closes it again. He murmurs the silencing spell before turning back to us, something I’m grateful for since there definitely has to be a conversation after that.
“I’m guessing this is part of the stuff you still have to tell me?” Denver cocks a brow in question as he looks back at me with a look of amusement. “This is going to be fun.”
I chew on the corner of my lip and turn to Denver readying to tell him what happened yesterday in the woods. My nervous energy spikes even higher at this new blow.
Had Graves been telling the truth when she said that they only had traces, or did someone get to Kai too?
Chapter Twenty-One
Aria
Mysneakerstaplightlyagainst the stairs as I casually descend them in the early morning hours. Not many people are up already. A few students wait in front of the cafeteria doors, but by the time I reach the bottom they’re opening them up for the start of breakfast.
The still-rising sun gleams through the stained glass windows, casting an orange hue onto the familiar colors. I idly realize with everything that has happened I haven’t had time to truly admire their beauty, and this morning isn’t the time to start. I glance back up the staircase, making sure no one is following me down before I stroll towards the cafeteria. I work to make my movement look as casual as possible, like I’m just getting an early start to my day and eating breakfast at the ass-crack of dawn. But when I near the cafeteria doors, I turn to the left, keeping that same pace until I reach the narrow hallway.
I rub the phantom sleep out of my eyes for probably the millionth time this morning as I stride down the hallway, glancing over my shoulder every now and then to make sure I’m not being followed. I barely got a few hours of sleep after tossing and turning most of the night. Not one but two of my mates are in danger right now, and there’s nothing I can do. For all the power I have both magically and politically, I should be able to help them or do something other than waiting for an answer that may not come. We’re searching in the dark, hoping that we might be able to find some shred of information that will lead us to Damon, but what if it never comes?
Thankfully there’s one thing I can do, and that’s go to the lake and check for any signs of Kai. Indecision wars within me as I both hope I find him there and hope he’s long gone. If Graves was telling us the truth and they only found traces of a monster being there, then he might’ve been able to get away. There’s no way to know right now, and either I keep tossing and turning in bed, or I do the one thing I can do, even if it is pointless. But if he’s still there, if he has some way to hide from their searching magic then I have to tell him to get out of here before they’re able to search more thoroughly.
