“You’re cleverer than you look.” I took the soaps from him and shoved them in my pockets. “Stay here and guard my exit.”
“You got it.” Quinn gave me a boost into the tunnel. I was about to shut the door when he shoved his head into the opening. His eyes widened. “Hazy?”
“Yeah?” I lifted my head. Quinn mashed his mouth against mine. The kiss knocked my breath from my lungs. Slow and soft, it built inside me like a tidal wave crashing over me, pulling me under.
This wasn’t Quinn the joker, desperate for distraction. This was someone who craved salvation, who kissed because he was holding on by a thread that was fraying away and he needed a lifeline. He cupped the side of my face, his thumb trailing across my cheek. His eyes remained open – those amber pools flecked with light, tinged with tenderness and regret.
Wow.
I knew I should pull away, I should keep my distance because this was a guy who’d let a great injustice continue and didn’t even see it. But I couldn’t make my body obey. It was Quinn who drew away and gave me a wink. Just like that, the old Quinn was back. “I just want you to keep your options open.”
My mouth was still hanging open as he swung the door shut behind me.Where did that come from?
Is he trying to tell me that he actually cares about me? That I’m more than just a distraction to him?
My lips still burned from Quinn’s kiss. I couldn’t wrap my head around him, so I shoved that aside to deal with later. I crawled through the tunnel, trying to stay as quiet as I could. The soaps dug into my hip as I rounded a corner. Stale air scratched at my throat. Somewhere above my head, I heard the faint scritching of the rats.Please don’t come any closer.I don’t mind you guys in the walls, but I don’t want to meet you in the dark.
My knees ached from crawling by the time I found the place where Quinn and I sat listening last time. I pressed my ear against the wall, but I couldn’t hear anything except the pounding of my own heart.How will I know if Ms. West is out of her office, or if she’s just working in silence? We should have organized this better. We should have had a signal or—
There was a knocking noise, and then a sultry voice said, “Enter.”
I backed away from the wall, my heart hammering. Good thing I hadn’t opened the panel.
“Headmistress,” it was Ayaz’s voice. “I wondered if you could come with me for a moment? There’s something I need to show you.”
“I’m busy, Ayaz.”
“It’s very important,” he said. There was a strain in his voice.
“I see.” A chair pushed out. “Is this a problem that you have, in your trousers?”
I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing I didn’t have to listen, didn’t have to imagine.He’s doing this for me. He’s doing this for me.
Fuck. This not caring about the guys anymore was harder than I thought.
“Yes.” That voice. So soft, so silken. The same voice that told me I was beautiful.I fucking hate this.
“Why do we have to go somewhere?” the Deadmistress purred. “I’ve a perfectly serviceable desk right here.”
Because we need you out of your fucking office.
My stomach lurched. If she made him do it here, and I had to listen…
“Miss, I have a surprise for you. But I can’t bring it to you. I have to take you to it…”
“You’re sweet,” she purred. “Very well. I’m amenable to being surprised.”
I heard the pair of them talking quietly to each other, their voices fading as they crossed the room. The door to West’s office swung open and shut again. The lock clicked shut.
As soon as I heard their footsteps fade away, I slid the panel aside and stepped into the room. Ms. West’s office had a one-way window that looked out at her secretary’s desk and waiting room, but as it was the weekend, the secretary wasn’t working today. The room was thankfully empty. I was on my own.
Where would she keep a key?
I tried the desk drawers. Luckily, none of them appeared to be locked. Most of the drawers contained stationary – pens, pencils, a leatherbound date-planner. One held a stack of alchemical drawings. I wanted to take them to show Ayaz, in case he could make sense of them, but that was a bad idea.
The next drawer was stuffed full of cell phones.A-hah!I riffled through until my hands closed around my phone, and I tucked it into my pocket. She’d never notice one was missing amongst all those others.
A shudder ran down my spine as I realized that every phone in that drawer belonged to a student just like me who was now walking the halls as the living dead with their tongue cut out.
