A shadow passes by an upstairs doorway, frantic. Searching, likely, for a way out.
Someone different might spring into action and assist him.
Not me though.
Dean Bauer’s a fraud, and given his affiliation with theCurators—the shady organization my brotherwaspresident of—I’m inclined to believe he had more to do with those students’ deaths than he lets on.
He probably has more to do with the unsavory things that happen at Avernia than he’ll ever admit.
Three figures walk in my direction, away from the scene as the fire rages on. Smoke fills the night air, casting a sickly buzz across the cobblestone pathways and surrounding buildings.
It’s clear they set the fire. Or at least one of them did. The Fury Hill Fire Department should be showing up soon and will have questions—even if they ultimately end up with little to report.
That’s how Avernia operates. Mystery and intrigue are the reason it remains open, and the board has first responders in its pocket.
My gut churns as the hooded group passes by, though I get a sudden whiff of something as they do—a sweet scent, just barely discernible in the night air.
Vanilla and honey.
I stumble to a stop. The shorter figure turns slightly, pausing as well, but it’s impossible to fully make out their identity because of the ski masks they have on.
There’s no way it’sher. The universe cannot be that cruel.
All I did was lend her a lighter. Surely the implications aren’tthatfar-reaching.
My mouth parts, but no words escape. I’m not sure what I’d say either way. I don’t exactly come off looking good here considering I wasn’t going to help the dean out.
Neither of us moves for the briefest moment, and then the figure carries on, scurrying away to catch up with the others. That vanilla and honey scent lingers, but the longer I stare at the space they were just occupying, the easier it becomes to convince myself that I’m imagining things.
I learned long ago not to believe in coincidence. If she were here for something as big asthis, I’d know.
Right?
Instead of pursuing the thought further, I continue on to my apartment without a word.
3
ELLE
“Doeseveryone feel better now that they’ve torched the dean’s house?”
Aurora swings her golden blond ponytail from side to side as she stabs the lone olive swimming in her martini glass. No one else at the booth says anything, and she exhales, shaking her head.
My brother leans his forehead on his girlfriend Lucy’s shoulder, practically smothering her in the corner. Quincy sits on the other side of him, wiping the lenses of her cat-eye glasses with a cloth from her cross-body purse.
Both their midnight-colored locks have gotten longer since I saw them last, with Asher’s falling into his eyes and Quincy’s bangs sweeping into her brows.
It’s a little disturbing how much they resemble our father, stoic expressions and all. Considering they just made me an accomplice to arson at the school where Ijustenrolled, you’d think they could stand to look a little guilty.
“No one feels better at all?” Aurora repeats.
“I don’t feel worse,” Lucy says.
“You also had nothing to do with it,” I point out.
“So…what now? Vengeance didn’t work, so are you just destined to be traumatized by the shit that happened last semester for the rest of your lives?” Aurora groans, bouncing in the seat next to me. A cousin by proximity, not blood, but as much a part of our family as anyone else considering how close all our parents are.
“Shutup, Ror,” Asher grumbles, closing his eyes. “Some of us are trying to sleep here.”
