My stomach drops. “About what?”
“Oh, nothing serious.” She waves a hand dismissively. “I’m just making an effort to connect with all our students during this difficult time. Leadership means being present, you know?”
Evie shoots me a look that clearly saysgood luck with that.
“Sure,” I tell Margot, my curiosity getting the best of me. Because what if she knows something about Logan? I have to know. I justhaveto.
“Wonderful!” Margot practically vibrates with enthusiasm. “Have you been to the observatory yet? It’s magical at night.”
“No, I haven’t?—“
“Perfect! I’ll get to show you one of Blaze’s hidden gems. Come on!”
She’s already moving, leaving me no choice but to follow.
The walk from the dining hall to the observatory tower feels eternal, especially because Margot fills every second with chatter.
“You know, I’ve always believed that tragedy brings people together,” she says as we climb the spiral staircase, which is barely wide enough for one person. “Like, obviously what happened to Miles is devastating, but look how the community is rallying. Have you noticed how much more unified everyone seems?”
Unified? Is she blind? Everyone’s walking around like they’re waiting for the next body to drop. Just this morning, Sam practically jumped out of his skin when Nina sat behind him in Pyropsychology.
“And the weather’s been so lovely lately,” Margot continues without pause. “September is the perfect month here. Not too hot from the volcano, not too cold from the ocean breeze. Although I suppose you’re still adjusting to island life. It must be so different from New York!”
Manhattanisan island,I think, even though I know she’s not referring tothattype of island.
“It’s... an adjustment,” I say instead.
“Oh, I bet! I’m from California myself—Marin County? Just north of San Francisco? The weather here reminds me of home,actually. Although obviously we don’t have active volcanoes. Only the occasional earthquake.” She releases another tinkling laugh.
Finally, we reach the top of the stairs, and Margot pushes open the door with a flourish.
“Welcome to the observatory!”
My irritation evaporates.
Because holy shit.
The glass dome overhead reveals the night sky in all its glory, stars scattered like diamonds on velvet. But it’s the floor that makes me gasp. It’s covered in constellation maps made of embedded crystal that glow with starlight, shifting and changing to match the sky above.
The moment I step inside, the stars pulse brighter.
“Oh!” Margot’s eyes widen. “Look at that—the room likes you!”
I turn in a slow circle, drinking it in. This is what I’ve been missing. This connection to the sky, to something bigger than dining hall hierarchies and death announcements disguised as pep rallies.
“It’s beautiful,” I murmur, watching as storm clouds gather on the horizon, moving against the wind.
“Isn’t it?” Margot settles onto one of the cushioned window seats along the wall, patting the spot beside her. “The dome shows more than just the regular sky, you know. Shooting stars arc directly overhead, even when they shouldn’t. During the full moon, people say the room makes you confess your deepest secrets.” She pauses, then adds almost dreamily, “Some nights, you can even see patterns in the stars—like the constellations are trying to tell us something. The same way the Unity Flame sometimes flickers with meaning.”
“The Unity Flame?”
“The one in the ballroom. It’s connected to everything here. They say when cosmic forces shift, the flame responds.”
The stars pulse around us, casting everything in silver light, and I almost forget I’m here with someone who smiles while discussing murder.
“So.” Margot’s voice shifts, losing some of its perkiness. “Like I told you, I’m making an effort to speak with everyone who knew Miles. It’s one of my duties as stand-in proctor—making sure no one’s struggling alone with their grief, you know?”
“I’m fine,” I say sharply, the room suddenly feeling smaller. “I didn’t really know him.”
