“Huh?” Quinn rubbed his eyes. “That’s one of her most insane suggestions. And she’s set a high bar.”
“Wehaveto.” I rubbed my arms. I was still wearing the dress from last night, although now it was torn and dirty and bloody and the hem had been singed. Trey had loaned me his jacket, but it did little to hold off the chill now I didn’t have his body heat. “Ayaz is there, and Greg and Zehra. And let’s not forget the black phallus that so rudely interrupted our little performance.”
Quinn shuddered, whether from my presence or the memory of the pillar I couldn’t tell, and I didn’t want to ask for fear of the answer. “Why did you raise that thing? Everyone was already terrified. They’ll be too scared to go back to school.”
I snorted. “Don’t make the mistake of imprinting your fear onto them. One night sleeping rough under the stars and the Miskatonic students will be gagging to return to their espresso machines and 400-count Egyptian sheets and solid gold vibrators. They don’t know Trey’s secret about moving the boundary sigils, so they don’t have any other choicebutto go back. As for the pillar, I have no idea what it is or how I made it rise. But the god said he’d help us, and I have to believe it might be his contribution. It’s worth investigating.” I narrowed my eyes at Quinn. “If you don’t want to come with me, that’s fine. Courtney’s here in the woods, and I’m sure she’ll need comfort.”
“I’m coming with you.” Quinn’s voice was dark.
“Really? Because I need people who will have my back, and right now you’re afraid to touch me.”
And I don’t blame you.
Quinn whipped his head around. His eyes fixed on mine, and my breath caught in my throat. To see the broken edges of him, the battle he waged inside himself between the person he believed I was and the evil he’d seen me do, tore me apart as it was tearing him. “I’m with you, Hazy.”
“Okay then.” I sucked in air through my teeth. Quinn needed time and space, and I could offer neither. It occurred to me that it was easier this way, that if Quinn was afraid of me, he would not mourn me when I become the god’s companion. I made a deal with the god, and with myself.Free the Kings of Miskatonic Prep at whatever cost.In order to free them, I had to let them go, and that would be much easier if they didn’t cling to false hopes about what we could have together. My crimes gave me the perfect reason to pull away from all the Kings, to let them take their freedom, even if broke me utterly.
No one mourns a murderer.
Trey stepped between Quinn and I, breaking the spell that kept me suspended on the edge of pushing him away. He pressed his chest against mine. “If we’re gonna go, we should go now, before the sun is too high. We should make sure it’s safe for everyone to return.”
There Trey went again, thinking like a leader, making sure he was the first one to storm the castle gates.
As we picked our way down to the pleasure garden, I felt the prickle of eyes on me. Students in the trees and sleeping under bushes. When we descended the steps, a shadowy figure darted from beneath the rotunda to hide behind the grotto.
I crouched low and shuffled along our secret tunnel, one hand in front of me, guiding the fire that would light our way. Quinn hung way back, and even Trey drew ragged breaths, as though being in the confined space with the flame made him anxious. Because of course it would. No matter how much Trey said he didn’t care what I’d done, he couldn’t quash the fear that had rooted itself in his bones to see me wielding my fire, to know I’d used that fire to take life.
But they followed my light despite their fear, and that meant everything to me.
I stepped out of the tunnel into the storage room, listening hard. The school was silent. A faintscritch-scritch-scritchcircled overhead. My rats, welcoming me home.
I swung my flame toward the door. The light caught a message scrawled across the wall.
AYAZ IS SAFE. IN INFIRMARY.
– LORETTA
I knew we should move cautiously, that the teachers were still here, lying in wait for me, that we should check every room methodically. But one thought ran through my head, over and over, driving out all rational sense.
Ayaz.
My feet moved of their own accord, dragging me up the stairs, across the dorms, over the skybridge into the classroom wing. I knew exactly where I was going – some invisible force pulled me to him like a magnet. Like a moth to a flame.
The boys followed me, and the rats scritch-scritch-scritched overhead, no longer confining themselves to the lower floors. Our footsteps echoed along empty corridors that bore the scars from the production – torn costumes strewn across the floor, blood smeared along the lockers from where students had been injured trying to get away from the pillar. A ring of soot from the fire burned through the wall. I suppressed a shudder as I noticed the bullet holes in the plaster. From somewhere in the building, I caught the faintest sound of voices. A conversation? No. It was too regular, too rhythmic.
Chanting.
“Where are the teachers?” Quinn scanned the empty halls, his eyes widening as he took in the blood.
I stopped at the top of the staircase leading down to the gym. It was obvious where they were. Murmured voices rose from below, chanting in their strange tongue. One piercing wail soared over all of them.
“Oh, Great Old God, who came to our young world from the sky on a trail of devoured stars,” Ms. West’s voice floated up the stairs. “We have seen your beautiful pillar, and we humbly inquire as to what you wish for us to do next. We know you must be hungry, for you have not consumed for some time. We come bearing this gift.”
“Shit.” Trey started down the stairs. “She’s going to sacrifice someone.”
“Wait.” I threw my hand out in front of him. “Listen.”
“What if it’s Andre or Greg or—”
