“Of course not, the Founders gave me—a fucking nobody—the key to their secrets. Thank God you have the best tits in town, girl.”
Liliana’s specialty has always been a good, flattering insult, but now that I know she’s Nina, they come sharp, and it makes me laugh rather than making me feel like complete shit. I shake my head and put the chain around my neck.
“This is the key to your freedom, Sable,” she continues, and I don’t miss the urgency in her voice. “This is something for you that they don’t control or even know about, so as your former best friend, I’m asking you not to be dumb.”
“Can I ask you not to be a raging bitch?” I smile, tipping my head to the side.
That makes Nina laugh. She steps away from me, ready to go on her way. She looks over her shoulder. “I guess we’re all stuck in our ways, but don’t be too surprised when you get inside. I left you a few things.”
CHAPTER 41
SABLE
Once she’s gone,I go back to the guys and climb into the bed with the robe still on and the key hidden beneath the thick collar. I watch them sleeping, and I feel weird in my own skin, knowing I’m about to hide this from them. Last night, I needed to take control, and they let me have it. They showed they want me whatever way I come, and it felt so fucking real. But Nina is right.
This key is the only thing I’ve ever had that is just mine, and I need to move smarter from now on. Even though I know it’s the right move, the lie burns in the pit of my stomach. When the sun is fully up, I move away from their embrace, and it’s not long until Parker opens his eyes and finds me deep in thought at the bench.
“Good morning.” He smiles.
“Good morning.”
I’m scared he’ll remember when I got up, but he doesn’t say anything and just rises from the bed, stretching. The others wind up waking in the process. We all move to put on our clothes, and suddenly, what to do with me for the day becomes the hot topic.
“You will do nothing with me.” I interrupt their discussion, suddenly feeling a little more justified about keeping somespace to myself. Did they learn anything last night? I’m not the Offering anymore. Things are about to change between us. The shame of keeping the key a secret dims a little, and I tip my chin up.
“I will do what I want to do today, and you guys can let me know when you’re free from your classes. You know, like normal people.”
They all stop short with my words, as if I just told them Arabella is my best friend. They look at each other, searching for the right words, but before they find them, Orion speaks up.
“Just come with one of us.”
“No,” I answer him with a little boop on the nose. Anger swells on his handsome face and quickly dissipates because he’s whipped.
“What will we do if something happens to you?” Lex asks.
I open my mouth to answer, but Hadrian answers before I have a chance. “She killed her uncle with her bare hands and a stiletto heel. I have a feeling she’ll be okay for the morning.”
They all look at him like he’s insane, and he sighs. “But in any event, I have her phone.”
He hands it to me fully charged, and I can’t help but smile. Leave it to him to figure out what I need and give it to me without permission. “Thank you,” I say sweetly, but there is one issue. “How did you find it?”
“Pulled it off your uncle’s dead body. Don’t worry, I cleaned it.”
“Ah,” I say, a little bit less excited than I was a moment before.
“Hadrian is right.” Lex nods. “She needs autonomy.” His tone conflicts with his words.
“I still don’t like it,” Orion says.
“Then get out of class, and you follow her around for a change,” Lex suggests
“I can’t. I’m already behind.”
“Then it sounds like she’s free for a few hours,” Hadrian concludes, then turns to me. “But be careful,please.”
A sassy remark about how they’re awfully dramatic for the campus bad boys sits on the tip of my tongue, but fuck me, they’re right. Too many bad things have happened to me inside this castle.
“I’ll be careful,” I promise.
