I was too tired for this shit.
I finished rebandaging my wound and headed to bed. If only I’d convinced Vitra to excuse me from class. Surely sleepwalking counted as a good excuse. It was too late now.
Tomorrow was going to be a long day.
CHAPTER 26
Horror: A creature of an origin not of this world intent on harming the indigenous population.
THE COMPENDIUM OF HORRORS
My joints were stiff in the morning, but my hand and throat were completely healed, and the bruising on my knee was all but gone. The chest wound, however, was another matter. It still looked raw—three claw marks that would most likely leave a scar. The angry red welts would no doubt take days to heal, even with the salve Darla had provided. I lathered up and refreshed the bandages before pulling on my uniform and grabbing the required text for Horror 101.
The student roster that Timothy had left behind sat on the desk next to Volume One ofHistory of Nightsbridge. I needed to get it back to him. I popped it in my bag before heading for the door.
Clary stood outside, fist up, ready to knock. “Hey. You’re really going?”
“Yep.”
“Then I’m coming with you,” she said. “I don’t have any classes this morning, so I’ll wait in the dining hall for you to finish up, and we can grab a late breakfast.”
Why was she so nice? Why would she do that? Why did they all have to be so bloody caring? It made my skin crawl with unease and…guilt. Yeah, guilt seemed to want to be my best friend all of a sudden. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to.” She smiled, all sunshine and light. “Benedict’s coming too. He has a free period between nine and eleven, and he usually hangs out in the dining hall, downing several cups of coffee to wake up. He isnota morning person.”
“Who’s not a morning person?” Benedict mumbled from the sitting room behind her.
Clary winced. “No one.”
Of course, she was coming with me so she could hang out with Benedict. That made sense. So why was I disappointed? “Where’s Dori?”
“Trinity Tower. Heidi wanted to speak to her.” Benedict yawned and stretched. His dark hair was mussed up, and his uniform looked rumpled. He personified the can’t-be-bothered-vibe perfectly, while Clary, in her neatly pressed uniform, sleek hair, and bright, alert eyes, was the complete opposite.
But they say that opposites attract…
Clary wrinkled her nose at Benedict. “Did you sleep in that?”
He graced her with a lopsided grin. “Saves getting dressed in the morning.”
“Ew,” she said with a smile.
This girl had it bad.
“Hey, I bathed last night,” he protested. “Smell me.” He moved closer and lifted his chin, offering her his neck.
Her cheeks pinkened. “I believe you.” She backed away, and he chuckled and hooked an arm around her neck, dragging her in for a hug.
She relaxed and closed her eyes, letting him hold her for a minute before pulling away. “Come on, we should get going, or Ana will be late for class.”
I followed them out of the quarters. “Oh, by the way. I need to tell you guys what happened last night. Apparently, I sleepwalk now…”
* * *
Clary and Benedictwalked me to class, and we made it there five minutes early. The doors were closed, and students waited outside. I recognized a couple from Selethis’s class at the front of the line—the girl with the sleek bob and another with purple hair—Carter and Pouvoir if I wasn’t mistaken.
It was almost nine, surely the doors should be open by now. “Why can’t we go in?”
“Advanced Horror is in there,” Clary said. “The students training to join the Carvers.”
