Guilt pricked my cheeks—I was pretty sure I wouldn’t have. Thankfully, the darkness hid my shame.
She slung an arm around my shoulder. “Besides, us Unwoven, we got to stick together, right?”
The unease grew. “Yeah…right.”
“Dark skies, you’re freezing!”
Her words acted like a trigger, prompting me to register the chill seeping through the thin material of my blouse. My teeth immediately began to chatter.
“Take my coat.” Clary slung it over my shoulders, enveloping me in her warmth. “I have a wool undershirt on.”
Keeping my guard up around these two was going to be harder than anticipated.
CHAPTER 12
The supernals have their own hierarchies of power, and at the top of the Haematophage pyramid are the Vayne and Damascus houses. Bonded through blood and marriage for centuries, these two houses are rooted in ancient traditions that are beyond human comprehension.
A STUDY OF THE OTHERS
Wall sconces bathed the Main Building in warm light, and this time I was able to take in more of the details as we made our way to the dining hall. Ornate molded ceilings loomed above, so high they were shrouded in shadows, so it was difficult to make out the intricate swirls and circles etched across their surface, but when I squinted and focused, they looked like painted cogs. Thick beams crisscrossed above, providing a framework with which to hold up the impressive roof. Tapestries and mirrors of all shapes and sizes lined the walls, ensuring there was always a looking glass to peer into.
My step faltered as we passed a wall decorated with portraits of men and women set in gilded frames.
“This is the gallery,” Clary explained. “Every influential member of the Superna Coterie from the last few centuries is here.”
I spotted Vitra’s portrait right away. He gazed off into the distance with a slight smile that practically said,admire me if you want. I get it. I’m fucking hot.
Portia and Heidi were a row below him, looking stern and forbidding. But further up were faces I didn’t recognize. Then there was a gap marked by an oval of lighter colored paint. “There’s a painting missing.”
“Where?” Dori asked.
“Up there.” I pointed to a blank space several feet up.
“I noticed that when we got here a few years ago,” Clary said. “I asked around, and I found out that spot used to belong to Dharma Onyx.”
What the fuck? Dharma had been part of the Coterie? She’d been one of the few in charge here, so this place had obviously been important to her. Why would she have risked it all to commit a heinous crime? It made no sense to me.
“Come on,” Dori said. “Benedict will be holding our table, and I’m not sure he’ll have the willpower to stave off the silvers without us.”
They ushered me through a vaulted arch and down another passage that split into two. One route was brightly lit, the other was shrouded in shadows, but I could make out a door at the end.
The group veered toward the lit corridor, but I found myself gravitating to the shadows.
“Ana, this way,” Clary said.
I took another step toward the gloomy passage. “What’s down there?”
She huffed slightly. “It’s restricted.”
“Why?”
“Something to do with structural stability. They’ve been meaning to work on the wing for ages.”
“Come on,” Dori said. “We need to get to Benedict.”
They hurried off, and with a final glance at the dark passage, I followed.
A couple more turns led us to a huge room dotted with plush booths occupied by students. One side of the room was all windows, offering a grand view of the epic ocean, so from this vantage point, it looked like we were riding the waves. A sense of calm fell over me, but the next moment, the hum of conversation and the aroma of various dishes hit me. My stomach tightened with nerves as memories I’d strived to bury surged up, pricking at my conscious mind.
