“Thanks. I?—”
But the doorway where Pip had been standing was empty.
He and his specters were gone.
* * *
I leanedagainst the dresser positioned against the wall to the right of the door and took in the space that would be mine for the next few weeks. The surfaces gleamed, and the air smelled like lemons. A small double bed, facing the door, was dressed in fresh white sheets, with a dark blue comforter folded neatly at the bottom. To my left, scented candles decorated the empty spots on my new bookcase, which stood beside the bathroom door. My desk, snug between my bed and the window to its right, now housed notebooks, pens, and academic textbooks. The titles were all in Latin, but I recognized a few from my studies with Mother.Just because we don’t have access to our power doesn’t mean we can’t understand who we are by learning about the Arcanus…
God, I missed her.
But God was a human deity. The Arcanus worshipped the Trinity—the three daughters of the ancient gods, born to manage and protect the Weave of magic that spawned from the essence of all gods. According to the Arcanus beliefs, gods didn’t die—they transformed into something else. So the Weave, magic, everything we thrived on, came from the essence of gods.
I wasn’t sure I believed it, but maybe that was because I’d never been allowed to connect to it. But Mother had believed, calling on the Trinity in times of need rather than the human God. Not that they ever answered. I’d been careful not to call on the Trinity out loud, using the human God in my exclamations to help hide my identity as Arcanus. But now that I was here among supernals that knew who I was, there was no longer a need to hide.
Someone knocked on the door. “One second!”
A breakfast tray rested on the ground. There was no sign of who’d left it. Probably a member of the SDA.
Back in my room, I ate at my desk, barely tasting anything. The heightened sense of alert I’d been running on the past few weeks had dipped, and exhaustion had me in its snare. I didn’t even have the energy to riddle over how Vitra seemed to be bypassing my curse. How was it that his touch could evoke physical pleasure?
Wasit this place? Was it messing with my curse somehow?
I stabbed my hand with my fork, drawing a little blood but feeling no pain.
The curse was still active. So what was happening?
Ugh. I needed sleep. The conundrum would have to wait.
Food done with, I stretched out on the crisp white sheets and passed out.
* * *
I woketo the whisper of a name that wasn’t mine.
“Selina? Is that you? Selina?”
“What the…” I forced my eyes open to gloom and shadow. The mirror on the dresser glinted oddly, then something moved across its surface.
My pulse spiked, and I sat bolt upright, heart hammering with that awful sensation of threat. But the moment passed.
The mirror was simply a mirror, the shadows a reflection of the clouds passing by my window. I slumped back against the pillows and stared at a crack in the ceiling until my pulse slowed.
How long had I slept? The clock on the bedside table answered that question.
I’d been out like a wick for six hours.
Ugh. I dragged myself out of bed and cracked open the window to let in some air. The frame creaked and groaned in protest where the wood was slightly swollen. What was that… Something etched into the wood?S.E. Initials? Probably belonged to the previous occupant of this room.
Ah, the cool air felt nice. I shoved the window wider and poked my head out. The woods below were wreathed in mist that left only the canopy visible. The quad was split into hexagonal sections, bordered by bushes and small hedges. A pavilion stood to the right of the tower, partially obscured by more mist. The haze parted to reveal a woman, standing so still that if not for her silvery hair moving in the breeze, I would have mistaken her for a statue. What was she doing alone out there?
A knock sounded on my door.
I pulled the window closed and hurried to answer. “Coming!”
Clary waited on the other side, arms weighed down with bags. She was dressed in the Nightsbridge uniform—black slim-fitting trousers and a mid-thigh blazer in a brown so dark it was almost black. The blouse beneath was a deep mossy green. It wasn’t the most appealing ensemble, but it looked comfortable.
“Your stuff is here.” She held up the bags. “The SDA must have dropped it off while you were sleeping and not wanted to disturb you.”
