“Where did you get that?” I ask. My voice comes out low and calm. “The Red Ribbons?”
“Do you really think they’d be able to get their hands on your recruitment form?” He waves the paper at me. I see Penny’s signature at the bottom, in blood-red ink.
He found Penny. My heart quickens. “What did you do to her?”
“To Penelope?” he asks, raising a brow. He utters her full name far too comfortably. “Nothing.”
“Then how—”
“Who do you think told her about the vampires in Inverness?” he asks, leaning back. I want to slash the smug smile off his face.
I take in his words. He told her about the Silverbirch vampires? “How do you know her?” I ask.
“She infiltrated the university, just as you did. Eight years ago.”
“You’re lying,” I say.
Penny would have toldme.
“It wasn’t official,” he says. “Only twelve human students. I was testing the waters. Penelope was sent here to kill me, but soon she realised having me as an ally was far more beneficial.”
“Bullshit,” I say. My voice is tight.No.Penny wouldn’t.
She loathes vampires. Even more than Ido.
“And as you can imagine, having a mole in Callisto is also advantageous for the Council.”
Every nerve in my body feels like a string about to snap. It can’tbe.
“No,” I whisper again. He’s fucking with me. There’s no way.
He pushes a small glass dish across the desk. “Have some shortbread,” he says. “You look like you’re about to pass out.”
“Why am I here?” I finally ask, ignoring his offer.
“When I announced the number of open slots for humanstudents, I knew Callisto would inevitably try to slip someone through the cracks,” he says. “To gather intel, to protect the other students—regardless, it’s better for me to know who that hunter is from the get-go.” He pauses, staring at me too intently. “I’m assuming Penelope told you your mission was something far more exciting, of course. She probably said your parents’ killer is here.”
“Do you know who—”
“No,” he interjects, with a wave of his hand. His Familiar reaches across the desk, grabbing a piece of shortbread, swallowing it whole. Nocth hasn’t mentioned my real mission.
“You’re wrong,” I say, getting my nerves back in order. “It doesn’t make sense,Dean.Why would you put your vampire students at risk by letting someone like me in?”
“Because you’ll prove useful soon enough, Rebecca,” he says. He glances at his Familiar, clears his throat, and says, “Marcus.” His Familiar,Marcus,goes to a little fridge hidden next to a bookcase and draws out a bottle of blood. He leaves, and I hear a microwave whirring next door. “You’ve already proved useful, in fact. Uncovering the Red Ribbons was quite helpful.” Marcus hands him a wineglass filled halfway with blood. The glass is ornamented with vines, its stem too long. “Though you should have been a little more cautious. I had Gustavsson find the rest of them; they’re currently awaiting trial in London’s Council base.”
I think of the last few weeks. Being scared of the dean finding out who I am. And he knew all along. Penny fuckingtoldhim.
I take a shaky breath as another question rushes through me. “Why am I Aliz’s roommate?”
“Oh, I couldn’t help myself,” he says. “Knowing Callisto’s origins—”
“If the Astras find out about this, they’ll kill you.”
“Iaman Astra,” he says before taking a short sip of blood. “Aliz Astra is my cousin, though I’m five centuries her elder. And considering what’s happened…” He gestures at my neck.
“I could kill her,” I say in a cool voice. The words don’t ring true. I can feel the first prickle of a headache pressing against my temple.
“If you were going to, you would have done so already.” He glances at Marcus again. “Get Miss Charity some water.”
