He doesn’t say anything about Henrey’s death. Then, he wouldn’t, would he? Wolves die. Riders die. We move on.
“No packs broke their mental unity throughout the entire Trial. Congratulations, Rawbonds. Those who survived will officially become Bonded at tomorrow’s graduation ceremony.”
Those who survived.
Even with those words hanging above us, the air lightens. Aldrich’s announcement sends a ripple of excitement through the Rawbonds all around me. Tomorrow, we join the ranks of all their family members. We made it through. We survived and now we’re going to become official members of our packs.
I can’t feel the same excitement right now, though, not with the blood on my hands.
Servants weave between the wolves, gathering Henrey’s ruined body on a stretcher to carry him away.
I lean forward on Anassa’s back, jolted from the heavy emotion dragging me down by an odd sight. The servants aren’t taking Henrey’s body toward the castle gates, towards the room where fallen Rawbonds’ bodies are prepared to be returned to their families. Instead, they’re heading towards a strange door on the far side of the arena.
I stare as the other Rawbonds around me start to dismount and give into their exhaustion. “Anassa,” I probe, wanting to know if she finds this odd, too.
She doesn’t respond, but she’s staring in the same direction. I slip from her back, stroking my hand over her fur briefly before stepping forward to try to see better. The servants swing a heavy, iron-studded door open. Beyond it, there’s a dimly flickering torch. I briefly catch a glimpse of stairs that lead down.Beneaththe arena?
Like where that crown might be buried.
Butwhy?
CHAPTER FIFTY
The celebration in the Rawbond common lounge tonight is truly unhinged. Today, we survived. Tomorrow, we graduate. I understand it, rationally—and I don’t blame them for celebrating. We’re alive. That’sworthcelebrating.
But not everyone can say the same, and I swear there’s still blood trapped beneath my fingernails.
Every peel of laughter is intrusive. Every smile, out of place.
I’m restless, my mind continually returning to Henrey, so I do the only thing I can. I keep moving forward. Surveying the reveling, drunken crowd, I pick out Venna. She’s leaned up against another Kryptos Rawbond—soon to beBonded—nursing a glass of emberwine and watching the people around her with a subtle smile.
I quickly make my way over to her. Venna’s eyes immediately widen, and she shrugs off the Rawbond attached to her. “Can we talk?” I ask, and then sign the same thing over a loud drunken cheer.
Venna nods and hooks her arm with mine. A chorus of whistles go up around us. I roll my eyes. Clearly, they’re misreading the situation. But I don’t correct them because it’s honestly better that they believe Venna and I are hooking up.
I bring her to the Strategos anteroom. No one’s in here right now; no one would dare miss the party outside. “Did you see what happened at the Unity Trial?” I ask immediately.
Her gaze flashes, and I know she understands what I mean. “What the fuck is under the arena?” she hisses.
I feel sweet relief. “Thank you,” I breathe. “We need to find out what’s down there.”
Venna swells with what can only be pride. “You want me to?—?”
“Please,” I beg, taking her shoulders in my hands. “Find out where they took Henrey’s body. But also…” I hesitate, not sure if I should mention it, and then decide I can trust Venna with anything. “I think there’s something buried inside of the drain in the center of the arena.”
“Okay…” she says. “Ominous. Can you be more specific?”
Can I? Will she believe me? “I think… I think it might be a crown. I’m not sure what it’s doing there. I know it sounds crazy. But there’s definitely something metal hidden away inside the drain.”
Venna doesn’t blink, doesn’t ask how I know that. She just says, “I’m on it. I’ll head out now to look around. And I’ll let you know if I find anything.”
I raise a brow. “You’re sure your pack won’t miss the Kryptos Killer?” I tease.
She frowns at me. “Not you, too.”
I laugh and pat her arm before she turns to flee my teasing. The moment she’s gone, the air around me is heavier again.
No part of me wants to join in tonight’s revelry, so I turn and head for my quarters. When I reach it, I shrug off my jacket and move to retrieve Stark’s book. My constant companion.
