If she failed, it’d reflect badly on me.
She had to do well.
I tucked the folder inside my bag and left my dorm. No moon hung in the air as I walked through the pitch-black fog.
When I brought Blair to the Devil’s Lair to play the knife game the other night, I had taken her the long way, leading her through the entrance in the back of the woods. We had a few other entrances that were closer to campus.
Tonight, I took the easier route through the secret entrance in the greenhouse.
Taking Blair to the Devil’s Lair had broken the rules. I’d told myself it was okay since I led her to a secluded room and she didn’t see anything.
I had taken her to one of our recreation rooms.
It was where we fucked, did drugs, and cleared our heads.
When I entered the Devil’s Lair, I found Cedric, Nico, and Brooks on the couch. A pizza box was open on the table. Emeri sat at a secluded table in the corner, typing on his laptop. Probably working on his book. The one he wouldn’t allow any of us to read.
Given his quiet nature, he needed an outlet for his crazy-ass thoughts.
I collapsed on the couch beside Brooks, following his attentionto his father on the TV. President Byron replied to a journalist’s question about attending the senator’s son’s funeral.
“Shit,” I hissed, annoyance now rumbling inside me. “I forgot I have to attend that.”
“We didn’t miss it?” Brooks asked, glancing at me. “I hoped my father would forget he’d demanded I go.”
“It’s scheduled for next weekend,” Cedric said.
“Why the fuck are they letting the body sit that long?” Nico asked. “It has to be rotten as fuck by now.”
Brooks shook his head, shooting Nico an annoyed glare. “How did you pass the aptitude test to become a Son again? His body was blown to bits. There isn’t anything to rot.”
“He’s right, actually,” Emeri said from the corner.
Nico flipped Brooks off and puffed out his chest.
“They’re piecing him back together,” Emeri went on. “The mother refused to have an empty casket, so they’re reassembling him Frankenstein-style.”
“They’re supergluing his parts together?” Nico asked.
“Not sure.” Emeri shrugged. “It’s for appearances, so my guess is, they’re just arranging him to look pretty.”
“Let’s hope for an open casket,” I said, grabbing a pizza slice and biting into it. “That’s the kind of artwork I like to see.”
All the guys nodded in agreement.
I chewed my bite while Brooks stared at me.
“How’re you feeling about tonight?” he asked.
“Fan-fucking-tastic,” I lied.
“She’d better not fail,” Nico said, always giving his annoying-ass input. “You brought her here. We could get in trouble for not reporting you for that shit. You know, if someone isn’t a Fawn, Haven, or fucking Daphne, they can’t come to the Devil’s Lair. It’s too risky.”
“Since when do you give a shit about playing by the book?” Cedric asked.
I shot Nico a frustrated glare.
All of us were close. We all knew he’d never rat my ass out. He just liked running his smart mouth.
