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Anya’s eyes widened, making her look almost Bambi-like.
“Well, you’ll soon learn that we have a mission,” Cori said. “It’s a long Latin poem, but it basically adds up to protecting the library.”
“Is the local library in some sort of trouble?” I asked, wondering how far away the library even was. This wooded mountaintop didn’t exactly seem like the ideal place for government services. In my experience, most library problems were solved with things like bake sales. Maybe that explained the cookies.
“The library here at the school,” Anya said. “It’s full of magic texts and artifacts.”
“It’s almost more of a museum,” Cori added. “Anyway, we gain the library’s knowledge and in turn we protect it.”
I nodded, wondering how literalprotect itwas supposed to be. Eve had said she taught combat…
“And the Lord Protectors protect the castle,” Anya said.
“Who are they?” I asked.
Cori and Anya exchanged a quick look.
“Are you talking about the stupid ceremony?” Kendall asked, striding back into the room. “These are good, Cori, I’m having another one.”
Cori watched, looking very frustrated, as Kendall took another cookie.
Kendall closed her eyes and moaned over the bite she took, then sat down beside me on the bed.
“Did they tell you what it actually is?” Kendall asked.
I shook my head slowly. “Not yet.”
“It’s atribute,” Kendall said meaningfully.
That didn’t help at all.
“What do you mean?” I asked when I realized she wasn’t planning to explain any more.
“I mean, every single girl at this school isoffered upto the Lord Protector,” Kendall said. “If he comes, that is.”
“He never comes,” Cori said dismissively. “And don’t you have somewhere to be, Kendall?”
“Fuck, I guess I’ve got to get back to my room for prep,” Kendall said, jumping up. “See you.”
As soon as she was gone, Cori breathed a sigh of relief and got up to hide the cookies.
“The ceremony is no big deal, Bella,” Anya said. “It’s more of a formality. But we’ll be standing around the courtyard in the howling wind for an hour, so it’s good to have a snack after. Maybe we’ll make hot chocolate.”
I swallowed down my anxiety as best I could and nodded to her.
I didn’t belong in this place. I had known that much from the first sight of the sprawling estate. Hell, the carpet on the stairs had more class than I did.
But it didn’t mean I wasn’t going to try.
