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My ass is starting to ache from being squashed against the hard stone, but then a fourth schoolmate ambles up to Wendos. He casts a furtive glance around that sets my senses on the alert.
This guy looks like he might be up to something.
Unfortunately, he’s cautious with his voice as well as his surroundings. I can’t make out the words he murmurs to Wendos.
Julita’s former tormenter shakes his head, his voice also lowered, but more as if he’s appeasing his companion than like he really thinks he needs to hide it. I still catch his response.
“Believe me, I tried my best.”
The nervous guy rubs his mouth and mutters something else I can’t hear.
Wendos sighs. “It’s like with rootbeetles—you can point them in the right direction, but you can’t ensure they’ll act exactly the way you’d want. I conveyed the information as clearly as I could.”
He gives a rueful smile. “Speaking of rootbeetles, have you seen that specimen Rolf brought back to the club room? I’ve never come across one quite that color before.”
As they exchange a few more comments about various creepy-crawlies, Julita gives a little shudder.Ugh. Bug club. It figures he’d be interested in creatures that scuttle in the dirt.
I’m turning his early remarks over in my head. “Do you think he was talking about bugs the whole time?” I murmur. “What he said about conveying information—maybe he tried to tell the college staff or even the palace about whatever he thought Romild was up to. And they wouldn’t take action.”
My ghostly passenger snorts.I can hardly imagine that. He probably enjoyed the violence.
He hadn’t looked as if he was enjoying it when I saw him, but I’m not sure how to convince Julita of that when she wasn’t aware enough to see for herself.
“I could try talking to him myself,” I venture. “Feel him out, see what he might—”
No, Julita cuts in.I don’t want him paying any attention to you at all.
I grimace, holding back further argument. Shedoesknow the man better than I do, even if her knowledge is colored by long-held resentment.
It’s resentment that he totally earned, whether he’s realized that and is trying to make amends or not.
When I glance over again, Wendos is getting up from the grass with a stretch of his arms. He tucks his book against his side and strides off toward the Quadring’s main entrance.
I watch him go and then wriggle out of my hiding spot.
We’ve still got nearly an hour before we’re due for the meeting, but Alek will probably be in the archives already. I could always mention to him what I’ve overheard from Wendos and see what he makes of it.
As I pass through the inner courtyard, a chipper voice rings out. “Ivy! Where are you off to?”
Esmae trots over to join me, her expression so eager that guilt jabs through my gut. I made a point of finding her in the dining hall this morning to confirm that she made it through the ball unscathed, but she was just hustling off to a class, so we barely had time to talk.
Now I’m the one hustling… and I can’t even give her a real excuse.
“Good to see you again,” I say with a hasty smile, scrambling for a suitable pretext. “Ster. Stavros wanted me to attend a meeting with him, some important staff thing, and I’m nearly late.”
Esmae’s face falls a little, but she catches it with a renewed smile of her own. “Oh, well, you wouldn’t want to upsethim. I’m sure our paths will cross later.”
“I’ll look for you at dinner.”
I hurry on as if I really am risking Stavros’s wrath. Just inside the Domi’s door, I pass a soldier from the Crown’s Watch, whose gaze slides over me without remark.
The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as I veer down the hallway toward the library. Stavros did say that the palace was going to send extra guards to keep an eye on the college.
Which means they’re keeping an eye on me too.
I’ll just have to keep looking like a totally normal professor’s assistant. This is what I committed to last night when I decided to stay.
A couple of younger students are drifting down the hall hung with tapestries, commenting on the artwork. I make as if I’m simply appreciating the woven illustrations too until they walk around the corner and I can open up the secret passage.
