I exhale, letting my good sense flow from me. “Let’s do it, but just a little recon from the outside. And if I say it’s time to leave, we go.”
Raven gives me a grin that could rival the Cheshire Cat’s. “Deal. The game is afoot, Watson!”
“What about me?”
My roommate and I turn to look at June, who stares at us with raised brows. Raven is the first to recover.
“Do you fancy a little midnight stroll?”
June rolls her eyes. “Nothing like a little trespassing to get the school year going.”
“Is that a ‘yes?’” I ask.
“It’s a definite yes. If possible, I want to find out what Declan’s up to nowadays.”
“Hell hath no fury…” I mumble against my coffee cup.
“Right you are, my dear Watson.” Raven gets to her feet. “Would you look at the time? I must leave for my next class. Be at the dorm tonight a little after eight. Cheerio, darlings.”
I stand. “I have a class starting here shortly. I’ll walk with you.” I turn to June. “You coming?”
She shakes her head. “We’re going to do a lot of walking tonight, so I’ll just wait until then. Oh, and don’t forget to dress completely in black.” When I frown at the idea of my limited wardrobe, she says. “Just borrow from Raven. She has more black clothes than a grieving widow.”
My roommate scoffs. “What I grieve is your lack of appreciation for gothic attire, my fair lady.”
June’s tinkling laugh follows Raven and I from the coffee shop and into the brisk autumn afternoon. Other pedestrians walk by on their way to classes or jobs, each of them lost in their own agenda.
Raven links her arm through mine. “Don’t worry so much. This is going to be fun. I didn’t take you for a goody-two-shoes.”
“I’m not,” I say, thinking of how I stabbed two men in one night back when I was fifteen. “I just have a lot to lose now, and it makes me more cautious.”
My friend nods. “I wish I could say that I understand, but I don’t really. If I fuck up, my parents will bail me out, make a generous donation to the dean, and I’ll be back in class the next day.”
“That’s so far removed from my circumstances that I can’t even imagine having that much security.”
“I promise I won’t even let things escalate that high. Okay?”
“Sure, but what about June?” I giggle at the expression on her face when she spoke about her ex. “She sounds like she’s one espresso away from blowing up the whole place.”
Raven smirks. “All I know is this is going to be more fun than some stupid frat party.”
I make a noncommittal noise. “We’ll see. But first, Human Growth and Development starts in twenty minutes.”
“I know you’re a psych major, but when they say ‘human growth,’ could they be talking about the male anatomy by chance?”
I playfully shove Raven. “It’s too early for that subject.”
Chapter 16
DELILAH
I’ve lost my freaking mind.
I start up at the intricate wrought-iron gate stretched between two large brick posts with ivy crawling up their weathered sides. The posts are topped with ornate, black, iron lamps that pierce the shadows with their light. Behind the gate is the castle.
Large trees stand tall like sentries, their branches shielding parts of the building under a leafy canopy. The structure itself is a behemoth of brick and mortar. There are a number of windows lit up inside, signs of life within something so ancient.
In the gentle breeze, the gate emits a soft groan like a warning. I blow out a breath and fight the urge to glance over my shoulder for the millionth time since we started this “adventure.” When I shift my stance, the gravel underneath my shoes elicits a crunching noise that has Raven’s gaze zeroing in on me.
