“How dare you touch me?” Courtney kicked and clawed at Loretta, but she didn’t let go. A lifetime of abuse had hardened Loretta against pain.
That’s my little murderess.
Quinn appeared at the wings, his face gaunt. He rushed to my side, backing me up toward the wings as he slammed a fist into Barclay’s face. Blood spurted across the stage. John Hyde-Jones pulled himself up from the orchestra pit, swinging his oboe at Trey’s head.
Trey caught the instrument easily, twisting it out of John’s hand and laying him out with an uppercut. John hit the stage with aTHUD. The students froze, unsure.
Trey’s ice glare across the students – that same glare that once turned every one of them into his minions. His hand in mine burned with heat, matching the fire dancing in my chest. “You need to listen. Those ghosts or whatever they are… they’re telling the truth about our parents.”
“Tear that gutter whore apart!” Gloria Haynes yelled from the audience.
“She’s not one of us,” called out Senator Hyde-Jones.
“Don’t listen to these lies.” Elena Delacorte stood, her designer dress swirling around her as she held her arms out to her son. Tears streamed down her face. “My darling Quinn, don’t believe this horror. It’s not true. You know how much I love you. I would never dream of hurting you.”
Beside me, Quinn’s face paled. His eyes locked on his mother and his body jerked as her words hit him like a bullet exploding in his chest. All that rage he’d bottled up since seeing her in the meeting had fled him the moment he’d heard those magic words.I love you.
Those words held power over him. They’d once held power over me. But not anymore. My hatred for Quinn’s mother burned bright. A small flame burst from my palm, but I snuffed it against my dress.I can’t lose control now.
“See? No one’s listening. You don’t get a say anymore, Trey,” Courtney sneered. “This little stunt only proves that you’re not fit to lead this school. Ayaz is twice the man you’ll ever be. He understands our privilege comes with responsibilities – namely, to exalt the glory of the Eldritch Club. Unlike you, I take that role seriously. You and your gutter whore aren’t going to drag us through the mud any longer.”
Ayaz? Where is he?I couldn’t see him on stage or lurking in the wings. Why wasn’t he here supporting his girlfriend and fighting for Vincent? My heart soared with forlorn, impossible hope. But not even that hope could extinguish the blaze that prickled against my palms, the growing heat of my simmering violence.
“Is that supposed to be a threat?” Trey’s icicle eyes fixed on her, his shoulders tensing with rage. “I’m not afraid of you, Courtney. And as for Vincent, what can Vincent do to me that is worse than what he’s already done? What you saw tonight wasn’t a trick. It’s a truth that’s been lurking in the backs of our minds. Don’t tell me you haven’t already thought it. I know Tillie has because we whispered it to each other in the dark.”
He whirled around to fix his gaze on his ex, who stood stunned at the edge of the stage. I could practically see the wheels turning in her head. Tillie flicked her head between Trey and her parents, in the third row. In a small voice, she asked. “Is this really true, Trey?”
“Of course it’s true. Your mother confirmed it. You heard her say she told your sister you were dead. They inprisoned us because they wanted the god’s power. Each family in the club chose one child to sacrifice. We have a list they made of all our names. I’ll show it to you. Right now we all need—”
“That’s enough!” Vincent boomed. He’d reached the front of the auditorium now, and the glow of the spotlight caught his eyes in the gloom – red with fury. As he gripped the front of the stage and tried to swing himself up, Quinn stepped forward and stomped on his hand, sending him reeling just as Ms. West swept onto the stage, a familiar dark figure at her side.
Ayaz.
He’d gone to find Ms. West. But why? He’d been at that meeting showing his loyalty to the Eldritch Club. So why had he brought the deadmistress into this?
Trey and Quinn squeezed close to me, their bodies my shield, their hearts the only thing keeping my fire in check. And even though I had the two of them, something still felt wrong. Incomplete. I knew what it was as soon as he stepped under the spotlight and his beauty drew my breath. His opium scent slammed into me, knocking me back.
I missed Ayaz so much it was a physical ache that dragged in my limbs. I’d pictured him seeing Zehra’s face on the projection tonight and running into my arms to kiss away all the pain. I kept hoping one day he’d wake up and remember. But that day was clearly not today.
Stay focused.Tonight wasn’t about Ayaz and how I felt about them. Tonight was for the students of Miskatonic Prep. I forced a smile onto my face and addressed the deadmistress.
“Go on,” I said, gesturing to the students gathering around her. “Tell them the truth. I know it serves your purpose. Tell them what their parents had you do.”
“Don’t say a word, Hermia,” Vincent warned. For the first time, I thought I detected a hint of doubt in his voice. He managed to pull himself onto the stage. Quinn and Andre moved toward him, but four guys stepped in front of him, shielding him from us.
For now.
Ms. West swept her eyes across the students. “I must say, it has been quite the performance. One of the best productions this school has ever staged. I’m proud of all of you. Fifty merit points each. Except for Ms. Waite, of course. She’s no longer a student here.”
“Hazel ruined the show. She tried to make us all hate our parents. She drugged me and locked me in a closet and set up this ridiculous ghost show and sent her little minions toattackus.” Courtney jerked her body like a worm, breaking Loretta’s grip and kicking her in the face. Loretta staggered back, clutching her nose as blood trailed through her fingers. Courtney staggered to her feet and threw herself into Ayaz’s arms. “You have to punish her. You have to give her to the god.”
“I’m afraid Hazel isn’t going anywhere near the god. Not now that I’ve figured out what unites her and Loretta.” Ms. West’s cold smile drove a dart of ice through my chest. From her pocket, she withdrew the stack of newspaper articles. “I can’t believe that as long as I’ve had these, I didn’t understand their significance until Ayaz here said something to me today. Loretta murdered her father, and you killed your mother and best friend. The two of you are the first murderers we’ve had as scholarship students.”
No.
Don’t you dare.
Don’t you fucking dare say those words.
