“You’re not touching Hazel,” Trey growled. Quinn and Ayaz stepped out from the shadows, flanking me on both sides.
A cold smile settled over the headmistress’ face. She stopped struggling. “I see the junior Eldritch Club has a new pet.”
I turned to Trey. “The Eldritch Club?”
Still keeping one arm tight around Ms. West’s neck, he lifted the cuff of his sleeve, touching his fingers to the tattoo on his wrist. “It’s a secret society that’s been part of Miskatonic Prep for generations. Only the best students are accepted, and once you’re a member, you belong for life. We are the god’s chosen children, his priests and priestesses, his favorites.”
“And all the monarchs are in this club?” I remembered Quinn’s identical tattoo.
Trey nodded. “Our parents are the senior members. We control the school. We prepare the sacrifices.”
“You break them.” It was all starting to come together – every horrifying piece of the puzzle. Bit by bit, the monarchs tore down the scholarship students with bullying and torture, taking away their chances even to excel academically, until like Loretta they wanted to take their lives. That was monstrous. It was unthinkable. It…
If their job was to break me, then why are they trying to help me? Why give me Trey’s points? Why try to put me into that boat?
Or are they really just trying to stop me from killing myself to save their precious god? I can’t deal with this. I can’t…
I can’t think about it. I have to save Greg and Andre. That’s it. That’s all that matters.
“Take your hands off me, Trey,” Ms. West commanded. “Or I shall have to report your insubordination to your father.”
Don’t do it, Trey.
Trey’s lip quivered. He released her neck. She sagged to her knees, clutching her throat with long, trembling fingers. Trey stepped in front of me, facing off against the headmistress and the other teachers.
“Hazel is ours,” he said.
“No one is yours.” Ms. West held out her arms. Two figures cast aside their hoods and stepped forward to take her arms and haul her to her feet. Professor Atwood and Dr. Morgan regarded me with wary expressions. “We are all children of the Great Old God. You must be put in your place.”
She flicked her wrist again. Two more robed figures stepped out of the circle and grabbed Greg, lifting him between them.
No!
“You don’t control me.” I shoved Trey out of the way and stared down Ms. West with what I hoped was a defiant smirk. “Your god doesn’t control me. I’ve just proven that. You can throw Greg into that pit, but all that’s going to do is make memoredangerous. Ask Trey and Quinn and Ayaz how hard I fight back. Alternatively, I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse.”
“Hazel, what are you doing?” Quinn’s voice trembled.
Ms. West held up her hand. The two figures paused, Greg’s limp body suspended from ropes between them. “We’re listening.”
“Here’s my deal. At the end of the fourth quarter, I’ll give myself to your demon god. Willingly. When the year is up, you can conduct whatever experiments you want on me to make me worthy, and it can suck my brain out through a straw in my nose if it wants. I don’t care.”
“No,” Trey growled. Ayaz moved in front of me, but I shoved him back.
“Let her speak, boys,” Dr. Morgan said.
“You can’t just give up like this!” Quinn cried. “That’s not you. You don’t know what will happen.”
“It’s my body to give up,” I shot back. “Under my own terms.”
Ms. West’s lips curled back. “Your country will appreciate your sacrifice. It will be for the benefit of all. What are your terms?”
I sucked in a deep breath.I hope like hell I’m doing the right thing. “I’ll do this only if you agree to let the other scholarship students go. Your god cannot touch Greg or Andre. They get to walk out of this school with their minds and lives intact. Would that please your, er… deity?”
“They will have to remain until the end of the year,” Headmistress West said. “And they are not allowed to know the secret of this school. They cannot learn of Miskatonic Prep.”
“I don’t intend to tell them.” I glanced down at Greg’s lifeless body. “But I can’t guarantee they won’t find out on their own.”
“We may have ways of altering their memory if it comes to that,” Headmistress West said.
