The roles she mentioned would be safer and allow me to work on finding theLibra Veritas, but I got the impression that being on the hunt came with status, which would open doors.
Failure was not an option. “What about these counseling slots? I don’t need those.”
“Sorry, but those are mandatory. Life can be isolating here—surrounded by death. Miss Snap is amazing, though. You’ll love her.”
The last thing I wanted to do was lie on a couch and talk about my feelings, but if I had to, then I’d make some shit up.
“Hellooo!” Dori called out from the sitting room. “I heard that we have a new admission.” She popped her head around the door. “I see the SDA kitted you out. Wait…are those scented candles?”
“Yeah.”
She pouted. “Ididn’t get any scented candles.”
“You can have them.”
“Really?” She was already across the room gathering them up.
A shadow washed over the room as a massive bird landed on the windowsill.
I jumped, bumping into Clary, who put her arm around me. “It’s okay,” she said. “It’s just a raven.” She hurried over and slid the window open. “Hi.” She beamed at the bird. “You have a message?”
The raven dipped its head and fixed its beady eyes on me. “Message for Onyx from Heidi Embercrest,” it said in a croaky voice, then… “Good afternoon, Miss Onyx.” Heidi’s voice drifted from the raven’s beak. “I will escort you to your meeting with the Weave Watchers tomorrow. Meet me in Trinity Hall at nine a.m. sharp—do not eat breakfast beforehand.” The raven cawed. “Would you like me to repeat the message?”
“No thanks.” Once was creepy enough.
The raven flew off, and I crossed the room to close the window.
“You’re seeing the Weave Watchers?” Dori asked.
“Yeah, apparently they need to figure out how to remove the block on my power.” They watched me, looking slightly paler than usual, if I wasn’t mistaken. “Okay, what is it now?”
Clary answered, eyebrows pinching in a frown. “The Weave Watchers are the boogeymen of Nightsbridge, said to be more dangerous than a Horror and more powerful than any coven or Arcanus bloodline. There are stories of students being sent to see them but never returning.”
“Not just any students,” Dori jumped in. “Students who prove to be dangerous. Who can’t control their power, who cause consistent harm—who prove to be unworthy of it.”
“Yeah, well, I haven’t committed any crimes or caused any harm, and I haven’t had a chance to demonstrate how worthy I am because I haven’t had access to my power.”
“Good point.” Clary’s frown cleared. “But this means you’ll be able to tell us whatthey’relike and what it’s like down in the catacombs.”
“Claustrophobic, no doubt,” Dori said with a shudder.
My stomach growled. “I need food.”
“Just as well that it’s suppertime,” Dori said. “Time to introduce you to the food pit.”
“Aren’t meals in the Main Building?”
“Yep,” Dori said.
I glanced out into the night. “I don’t much fancy climbing up the side of the mountain in the dark. Once today was enough. Can’t we get food somewhere else?” They both stared at me in confusion, eyebrows furrowed, heads tipped to one side. “What?”
“Polina took you up the mountain trail?” Clary asked.
Dori’s mouth tightened. “That bitch.”
Realization dawned. “There’s another way up, isn’t there?”
“Yeah, there is,” Dori replied. “A lift up the side of the mountain. The footpath is only for emergencies, like if a storm knocks out the magi-generator tower or something.”
