“She was attacked by three people,” he cuts me off.
My back hits the wall and I slide down it, landing on the floor with a thump. “How could this have happened?” I whisper.
Crouching in front of me, he rubs my arms soothingly. “Listen to me, you need to be smart and focused now, yes? Things are happening on campus that I can’t explain right now, but I need you to be safe. No more going through the tunnels, you don’t go anywhere alone.”
Comprehension dawns. “You’re not here just as an arms instructor, are you? My friends and I, we’ve talked about the rumors regarding the newcomers to the campus. This is part of it, isn’t it? Are you here…” I flailed for the right words. “Undercover?”
He just stares at me, infuriatingly blank. “I’m going to walk you back through the tunnel. From now on, you won’t go anywhere alone. Don’t try to come see me.”
“That’s it?” My voice is embarrassingly high and needy but I can’t stop. “You won’t explain anything to me? Are you kidding me right now?”
“Stay aware of everything around you. Everyone behaves suspiciously at the Ares Academy, but-” he sighs in frustration, “but if you see anything out of theusualrange of odd, you tell me. We’ll sort this out.”
“This is much bigger than just some questionable ‘accidental’ deaths over the summer, isn’t it?”
He cups my face with those big, warm hands and nods. “Aye.”
Chapter Fifteen
In which there are speeches, a bonfire and whiskey.
Mala…
The next few days are hell. Everyone is spooked by poor Lauren’s murder, and the easygoing formation of friend groups begins to fragment a bit, the ranks closing against the newcomers to the school this year.
In our little circle, we’d all talked about the alarming disappearance of some of the upper-classmen we knew who didn’t make it back to the Academy this year. The incoming freshmen from unfamiliar families and syndicates. Konstantin and Lucca in particular have been focused on tracking the deaths and accidents that thinned our ranks.
But now that I knew - whether he would admit it or not - that Cormac was here as a… what? A spy? An enforcer? For protection? Whatever it was, it was clear that Dean Christie knew there was a genuine and serious threat against us.
“Oy! Mala!”
Turning, I see Ronan Cox jogging toward me and Willow. She arches a brow at me meaningfully. I had told her my brother’sinstructions from my father that night when The Dick made his unwelcome visit here at the Academy.
“Hi Ronan,” I say, trying to balance appearing friendly with having no desire to speak to him.
“How are you two holding up?” he asks, politely including Willow. “Ah, never mind. I can see from those weak smiles.”
My chest loosens up a bit and I can laugh. “So much for our inscrutable spy training, eh?”
“So, I have a thought.” He joins us, walking slowly toward the Armory. “Things are bad now, spirits are low. I’m thinking we should have a memorial for Lauren.”
I stop right there on the path and hug him. “That’s genius. That is absolute genius and you are so right! None of us got a chance to say goodbye, and maybe this would help draw everyone back together!”
“Yeah, that’s actually some heartwarming shite, Cox,” approves Willow.
“Good!” Ronan beams, and for a second, I think that maybe being married to him wouldn’t be so bad. Then the realization that I would never see Cormac again is acutely painful.
What am I doing?
“...you know Kon and Lucca will take no suggestions from me,” he’s still talking. “But you two are campus queens, and I’m happy to have you take this over. I can help if you need me.”
Willow animatedly brings up some ideas and I try to focus again. I won’t think about Cormac and the end of us. I can’t.
“Okay, I’ll speak to Dean Christie right after weapons practice,” I volunteer. “But you should get all the credit for this, Ronan.”
He throws a careless arm over my shoulders as we keep walking, and the unfamiliar intimacy throws me off. Has his brother spoken to him about a possible alliance, too?
“Eh, I don’t care,” he says, “I’m just tired of all the gloomy shite.” He peels off as we head toward the Armory’s entrance and Cormac is there, staring at us coldly.
