Something about her tone causes me to bristle. I sit up straight, my defensive walls rising. We’ve not spoken much since the day in the Apollodorus basement, and it’s clear there’s been tension from the moment I arrived in Fury Hill, but the blatant digs feel more serious than before.
“What’s your problem, Q?”
“I don’t have one. I’m just making conversation.” A long pause ensues, and she sighs. “How’re classes?”
“Fine.”
“Good.” She taps her fingers together. “Have you thought about joining any clubs or organizations? The Daughters ofPersephonehas an opening, if you’re interested.”
Disgust pulls my mouth taut. “I don’t think campus beautification is something I’d be very passionate about as a long-term goal.”
“Then whatisyour goal? I thought you wanted to come here to be closer to me, or Asher, or even Lucy, but now I’m not so sure.” She purses her lips. “Why Avernia of all places?”
“Why does everyone keep asking me that?”
“Most people would see death and curses and run the other way. Yet you ran toward.”
“I guess I’m not most people.”
“No, you’re not. I used to like that about you—how free and unrestrained you were, especially with your time and emotions. You loved acting, but it wasn’t something that translated to real life. You used to be honest to a fault, yet I just watched you flat out lie to our parents.”
“Youadmitted you’ve been lying to them about the degree of danger around here. Did you want me to tell them the truth?”
“There are responsibilities—” She blinks, cutting herself off and snapping her mouth shut. A few students near the desktop computers at the far end of the lobby glance over, disturbed by the raised volume of her voice. “Not everything is as cut-and-dried as you believe, Noelle. Some of us can’t afford to be truthful.”
Hurt clouds my chest. “What’s going on with you? This place… You’re different.”
She scoffs. “You mean I’ve changed in the ten years since I left home? Shocking stuff, truly. And you’re one to talk. After seven years of you hardly ever visiting and rarely speaking to us unless we called first, you just gave up on your dreams completely? I find it suspicious. What happened to you in California?”
“Nothing.” Irritation flexes in my fingers, making them rigid. As if she didn’t make me participate in the torching of the dean’s house before the start of the semester, showing that I’m not the only one of us who’s changed. “It’s none of your business.”
“Did nothing happen, or is it none of my business? Can’t have it both ways.”
No, and apparently I can’t have itmyway either when my big sister is a know-it-all who can’t let shit go.
“There used to be this light in your eyes…” she says, cocking her head to one side as she studies me, like I’m some plant she’s trying to determine the life cycle of. A specimen with quality issues she needs to inspect and fix. An ancient text she can’t quite translate.
“Everything is fine, Q. Pinkie swear.” I hold my hand up in offering.
She gives me a long look but eventually exhales and leans forward, hooking her finger around mine. For the briefest moment, we’re little kids again, promising to keep each other’s secrets.
As I discreetly unlink my middle and index fingers on my free hand, I note that I used to keep them crossed back then too.
“Hey, Elle!” Lexington shouts from the back of the Obeliskos. He waves, and out pop Percy and Meg from behind him. “Do you want to run lines forOthelloauditions with us?”
Shoving my books into my backpack, I sling the strap over my shoulder and stand up. Quincy stares straight ahead as if I’m still sitting.
“What were you doing in Professor Dupont’s office that one day?”
She glances up at me, narrowing her eyes. “Why do you care?”
“Do you like him?”
“Again—why do you care?” She stares for several beats, then clears her throat. “You know you can’t sleep with him.”
“Who said I wanted to?”
“Noelle.”
