THIRTY-EIGHT
SYLVAN
Neve’s name lights up on my phone screen as I sit outside on the raised brick welcome sign that saysHome of the Dragonsunderneath me in embossed red letters at the entrance to campus.
My thighs burn from practice, my shoulders are stiff, and the surprise that courses through my body at her name calling me causes everything to tense up worse.
I answer the call immediately, my leather gloves dragging across the screen.
“This is interesting.” A cloud of cold leaves my lips as I tip my head back and look at the stars on Mischief Night.
Tomorrow is Halloween.
I’ve never celebrated in my life. Growing up, it wasn’t allowed.
Neve sighs by way of hello, which amuses me.
My bag is at my side, practice over nearly an hour ago, but of course I’m not the only one likely out here from the team.
Somewhere across campus, my captain is probablyjustleaving.
He’s always the last to head home.
And this time, Coach waited too, so I didn’t bother trying to stalk him out. If Wynon thinks anything odd is going on between us, it would be the end of one of our careers. That type of thing wouldn’t look good for our image. Not on the same team. Wynon seems like a decent gut, but some things won’t fly.
“Did you see the news?” Neve’s voice is hoarse, like she’s not got enough sleep.
Last night she was out pretty late, so I’m not entirely surprised, but I don’t like it. Just like I loathe the shadows under Faust Darling’s pretty brown eyes, always expanding into a deeper purple every practice lately.
I know more than most what can happen if you don’t get enough sleep.
I could help him, if he only let me.
“There’s a war. Mass shooting down south. And I think I saw some scandal about a professor and her student in Toronto, but personally, I didn’t really see the problem?—”
“You know what the fuck I’m talking about.”
I grin up at the stars. I like when she shows some emotion. My mind flickers back to Slyth’s. How she felt around my fingers. Her breath on my lips. Kissing her was better than scoring, and I never thought I’d say that about anything.
But she said his fucking name, and not mine.
The smile dies off. “Sure, Neve. What about it?” I let my eyes fall closed, head still tipped up. And I wait for her to ask.
Inside my mind, my parents are screaming.
They’re going to leave Deliverance, but they’re terrified. The church controls every aspect of their life, and in Refron, just outside of Buffalo, the church controls far more than that.
I know what pushed them over the edge.
My throat itches when I think about it.
And so I don’t.
I flex my free hand on my thigh and try not to remember the knife across the back of my knuckles. Over my veins.
The way Sister Ennis looked at me when she saw me. In the shower. Alone. How she dragged me tohim.
I clench my teeth.
