“It was the way he looked at you, you silly goose,” Ada said with a soft smile. “That’s how I knew. I’m sorry about what happened. I know he means a lot to you.”
“Meant,” Rui corrected, more to remind herself than anything.
“Don’t lie to yourself.” Ada tsked. “And for future reference, don’t lie to me either. I know you don’t want me to worry, but I’ll worry anyway. You keep insisting on doing everything alone because you keep blaming yourself for things you have no control over, and you think you’re the only one who can fix it. It’s okay to ask for help—that’s why we broke up, in case you didn’t know.”
“I thought we broke up because you wanted to concentrate on training,” Rui mumbled, feeling both foolish for not connecting the dots and self-conscious for being perceived so clearly by another person.
“Yes, but also no,” Ada said thoughtfully. “I can’t change who you are, and I don’twant to, but I also don’t want to changemeso we would fit.”
It made sense, and Rui was glad for the closure.
“At the end of the day, I love as you as a friend.” Ada shot her a knowing glance. “But that’s not what’s going on with you and Mr. Ocean Eyes.”
Rui groaned. “You say that like he’s not from the actual underworld.”
“Doesn’t mean what you shared with him when he was Zizi the boy wasn’t real. He shouldered the blame with the Guild and defected to the Exorcists’ side for you,andhe literally went to Hell for you. This is someone who would love you even if you were a worm. I think you should treasure that.”
“Aworm?” Rui burst out laughing at the absurdity of it.
Ada’s stern expression broke, and she giggled too. “Feel better?”
“Actually, yes,” Rui said, catching her breath between laughs. “But there’s something else,” she said, sobering.
Worry lines formed on Ada’s forehead as Rui shared her strange dreams. “Maybe holding on to Four’s supernatural power left some trauma in your spirit core because that power doesn’t belong to our world, even if you’re a so-called vessel. Have you thought about asking the school healers? You don’t have to tell them the truth, just your symptoms.”
“I doubt they can help. We don’t even learn about stuff likevesselsat the Academy,” Rui grumbled.
“What about the lady who runs the hotel? Zizi’s fake grandmother—she might know something.”
Rui grimaced at the memory of her last interaction with Madam Meng. “I think she hates me.”
“We’ll figure something out together,” Ada soothed. “Let’s go grab a bite.”
They walked past the common study on their way to the main cafeteria. It was buzzing with conversation, and Mai waved them over.
Frowning at the large group of junior and sophomore cadets gathered in the lounge, Rui asked, “What’s going on? Why aren’t people in class?”
“Combat training got canceled. The Exorcists on mentoring duty were called to a top secret meeting.” Mai leaned in, whispering, “Maybe it’s about you-know-what from last night.”
The body in Kodie’s lab was supposed to be a secret. Teshin and Mai knew about it, but—“Wait, how do you knowthatIknow?”
Mai smirked. “Because, Cadet Lin, we know Ash trusts you with his life. Of course he’s going to tell you.”
“AndIknow because I’m part of the squad,” Ada said. “All three of us are.”
If there really was a mole within the Exorcist Guild, it meant that Ash couldn’t trust anyone inside the organization except for a select few like Kodie. Cadets didn’t know about the day-to-day operations of the Guild, and they definitely wouldn’t know what went on in top secret meetings. So it made sense that Ash would recruit from his own mentees instead.
“Quick!” Someone ran into the lounge, waving his phone in the air. “Turn on the news!”
The television flickered.
“...and back to our breaking news—a ghastly scene was uncovered in the Novena neighborhood this afternoon when an elementary student on her way home from school passed through a playground and saw what can only be described as a pile of mutilated bodies....”
Everyone in the lounge was checking their cell phones. The nonstop beeping of incoming messages rose in the air, punctuated with gasps and swear words.
“...prime suspects are the supernatural creatures called Revenants, but it’s puzzling that the victims’ injuries are vastly different from before....Our network has chosen not to air the disturbing images...”
Mai looked up from her phone. “The uncensored images are all over social media. They’ll take them down or blur them out, but everyone’s going to know by the end of the day if not earlier.”
