“Come on, Orion,” Lex says, pulling me away from the conversation. I meet his eyes, expecting to see some of the shock I’m feeling, but nothing is there.
“Lex,” I say as he keeps leading me forward. He doesn’t turn around or answer me, and I’m forced to follow him the rest of the way without getting any answers. Finally, we’re in an area marked for older students. A few of the doors stand open, and these seem to be exclusively single rooms. He comes to a stop in front of one of them and knocks in a particular pattern. “Lex, do you know something about my brother?”
There’s silence all around, both behind the door and from the man standing next to me, who looks oddly expressionless, so much so that I’m sure he’s guilty. He knocks again, this timemuch more aggressively. A girl across the hall opens her door to see what all the racket is about. She looks us up and down with annoyance, but tells us, “Cillian isn’t here.”
“Fine then,” I say, my concern for my brother and my anger with Lex building into a useful level of fury for once. My shoulder collides with the door, knocking it off the hinges almost too easily. A cloud of dust surrounds us as it rips out of the drywall, and I’m confused that it even exists here. I suppose this part of the castle just isn’t as well-enforced. The girl squeals as she rushes back into her room.
The space is different from what I expected in just about every way. Bellthorn is so grandiose that I didn’t even realize people were living somewhat normally by comparison. It almost seems like an insult to ask someone to wear fancy Victorian clothes when you’re making them stay here. I would pity Cillian if I could stand the sight of him.
“Why are you acting so weird about my brother?” I finally turn on Lex and force him to confront me.
“Why are you?” he asks.
“Don’t be a prick. I’m asking you a question,” I nearly shout.
He shuts the broken door. “I am too. Why are you acting so weird about Soren when he has been the person you care most about your entire life? Have you asked him what happened? Have you given him a single chance to explain?”
My anger and pain are combining into something dangerous, and I’m just not sure what to think or say to him right now. “What are you getting at? Did he tell you something?”
“He didn’t tell me anything, but I’ve known your brother for years, and I have eyes.”
“What do your eyes tell you then?” I demand.
“That something is really fucking wrong, and you are the only person who has never turned on him foranything,and you’ve abandoned him.”
“He deserved it!” I insist, memories of that video filling my mind until I’m so angry I could spit.
“Maybe.” He shrugs like he doesn’t want to fight, but hell, it’s all I want.
I’m really geared up to give it to him. Hell, I might even hit him too. I’m not sure when I switched into self-destruct mode, but I’m here, and I’m about as reasonable as I was in my father’s office when I caused this whole problem with Arabella. The only thing that stops me is Lex’s jaw dropping open. The little color in his cheeks fades out, and his expression looks gut-punched. Rather than ask, I turn to see what he’s so upset about and find a series of pictures on the wall. They’re all relatively small, probably four by six inches, but I recognize all but the first two.
Offerings.
He has pictures of all the Offerings since he’s been at school in Bellthorn, including Sable and now Arabella.
“What the fuck is that?” I ask, thoughts of fighting with Lex forgotten.
“I don’t know, but we’re not leaving until we turn over every inch of this room.”
We do, and we find nothing at all but his belongings and schoolwork. The only hint that something is amiss is those damn pictures. The room is wrecked, and there’s no chance of convincing him that no one was here with his door smashed and his belongings everywhere, but that’s fine. He can consider it a warning not to fuck with us.
I’m not sure what the hell Cillian is up to, but I know it’s something.
“Maybe he’s just a sick fuck,” Lex suggests. “A lot of people are jealous of the Offering.”
“Oh, he’s a sick fuck alright,” I answer. Despite my newfound determination to find and confront Cillian, the thought of my brother and what that girl said drips in the back of my mind likea broken faucet. Should I ask him what happened? “Should we tell Sable about this?” I ask Lex.
“Not yet. Let me figure out what the hell is going on first.”
We leave Cillian’s room behind, and suddenly, everything feels so very fucking wrong.
CHAPTER 44
PARKER
The day has been passing incredibly slowlyever since I left Sable this morning. Focusing in class proves impossible, and football practice goes poorly. I missed a lot of practice while Sable was missing, and Coach wants my head. The finals are coming up, and if we don’t win, a lot of people will beveryangry with me. The stress presses down on me, and I can think of only one thing that will make me feel better.
Me: Can we run together?
