“I don’t know the details, man,” Trey said quickly. “Maybe your mom protested, but you know what Damon is capable of. She might not have had a choice.”
Quinn winced and sat up again, his body curling as if he felt the whip across his back once more. He touched a hand to his cheek, his skin pale, his features devoid of his signature mirth. He’d been hurt too many times at the hands of his father, had thrown himself in front of his mother Elena to protect her from worse pain. But even knowing that wasn’t enough to take back the hurt she caused him now.
We’d just destroyed a piece of what made Quinn who he was. I hated that I was responsible for breaking his spirit, but I hated his parents more. Damon for being cruel. Elena, for being weak, for convincing him that her guilt was true love.
I longed to gather Quinn into my arms, but I had no comfort to give. I couldn’t tell him it was okay, because my own guilt would burn him even worse. But I could give a distraction. I pulled out Deborah’s book and dumped it in his lap. “This is Rebecca Nurse’s grimoire. We know she placed sigils in hidden places around the grounds. We know she protested Parris’ raising of the monster. After she left here she went all around the country, publishing occult pamphlets, so we know she survived the Great Old God. There might be something in this book that will help us.”
“If only we still had Ataturk,” Quinn said, turning the pages. “This is his jam.”
“That would be nice, but we don’t have Ayaz. It’s just us. Luckily, Rebecca doesn’t seem to have used as many dead languages as our friend Parris. Most of this book appears to be in English, albeit an archaic form. Between Trey and I, I think we can make some sense of this.”
“You and Trey?” Quinn looked at me in alarm. “You’re staying here? At school?”
“Of course. I’m not leaving you guys again, not unless they’re dragging my corpse away.”
Quinn shuddered. “Don’t joke about that, Hazy. That’s the reality if you stay here.”
I grinned, even though on the inside I was even more terrified than he was. “Coming back isgenius. Vincent’s cronies are probably scouring the country for me. They’d never guess I’d be right under their noses.”
Quinn tried to grin back, but it never quite reached his eyes. “Okay, Hazy. What do you need from me?”
“The whole reason the Eldritch Club got away with this in the first place is that they bred you all to believe you’re serving some great purpose and that your family’s wealth, power, and honor come before everything else, even their own lives. And they used the booze and drugs and the scholarship students to keep you all in line, to keep you from asking questions. I believe the only way we’re going to free all the Miskatonic students from whatever spell keeps you here is to shatter this illusion.”
“And how do you think you’re going to achieve that?”
“I have an idea,” I said. “Remember last quarter when I pulled those pranks on Courtney and the monarchs to give them a taste of what they’d done to others?”
“I’ll never forget it.” There was Quinn’s cheeky grin again, a little wobbly at the edges but still enough to melt my heart. “Courtney tearing out her hair after you glued those cat ears to her head! Priceless.”
I smiled too, because the memory of pulling one over Courtney Haynes was pretty sweet. “That was fun, but I decided it wasn’t enough. I swore that I’d have my revenge in such a way that it would break the cycle of prejudice and abuse that’s defined this school. I had a plan that I hoped would make everyone see why they couldn’t just treat people the way they did. I think with a few tweaks, it might be just what we need. But now I don’t have access to the school, I’m going to need your help to make it happen.”
Chapter Eighteen
We let Andre back into his room, and Quinn and Trey and I snuck back across the hall. It was so strange to see Quinn’s clothing and Trey’s books tossed around the room where I’d spent so many hours. They didn’t belong down here in the basement with the exposed pipes and mysterious dripping – they weren’t part of this world.
The Kings had fallen.
But it might be the best thing that ever happened to them.
Trey climbed into his bed and fell asleep almost immediately. I borrowed a shirt from Quinn to sleep in. I turned away from him, facing the wall as I pulled my damp hoodie over my head and tugged down the t-shirt. My skin sizzled where Quinn’s eyes grazed across it.
I wanted him to want me. Which was crazy, because I was with Trey now, wasn’t I? I couldn’t have them both.
But you did have them both once before.Remember what they did to you,together.
I pressed my thighs together as the memory of it sent a flare of heat through my core. I had to stop. Leading Quinn on and teasing him with my body was something my mother would do, and I wouldn’t be like her. Iwouldn’t.
Not in this room that already dripped with Ayaz’s memories.
“I’ll go back to Andre’s room.” My voice came out strangled, husky. “He’ll let me sleep in Greg’s bed.”
“Oh, no, you don’t.” Quinn yanked me back, wrapping his body around me and pulling me into bed beside him.
“I can’t,” I whispered. “Not here.”
“Because of Trey and Ayaz?” Quinn cocked an eyebrow. I nodded.
“Ayaz mostly. I just… if you and I… I don’t want it to be tainted by his memory.”
