I frown. ‘Okay, fine. We leave them here, exactly where we found them. As soon as we’re out, we need to find Professor Nicks and tell him what we read. He’ll help us.’
‘How do you know that? What if it’s him?’
‘It’s not.’ I give a firm shake of my head. ‘And he will.’
‘Why him? We should take this to the headmaster.’
‘No. Not him. It has to be Nicks.’
Tilly gives me a long look. ‘What aren’t you telling me?’
I swallow, then walk over to the shelf I took the book from and place it right in the empty square of dust it has previously sat in, in among the fingerprints where it was touched last. Then I turn back to my friend and lightly squeeze her shoulders.
‘I need you to trust me on this, Till. I don’t know why, but my gut is telling me to go to Nicks and that he will be the one to help us.’ I try to convey how important this is through my eyes, through the seriousness in my voice.
She nods. ‘If you trust him, then I trust him.’
We move in unison, running around to her side of the imposing shelves and putting her book back in its place before sprinting down the aisle to the door. The second we yank it open, I hold a finger to my lips, reminding her to be quiet as we step out into open space.
The door closes behind us, and the thick wave of magic I felt before we entered reemerges, sealing itself over the door once more. I shiver, then take Tilly’s hand and lead her back the way we came, constantly listening for the soft shuffling of feet and peeking around corners before we turn. We’re what I assume is around halfway through when on our next turn, my face slams into a hard chest, knocking me backward into Tilly. I almost yelp in fright, but a warm hand covers my mouth to muffle the noise.
Xavier’s wide blue eyes flare, warning me to be quiet. Mine flare back upon seeing him down here, telling him with a glaring look that he just scared the living crap out of me. I feel Tilly sag against me in relief. Unfortunately, I don’t share the sentiment because his presence means we’re out of time. He came to find us because we took too long.
My head cranes back, my eyes rising to the low hanging beams of the ceiling as if I can see right through it to the Grand Hall. When my eyes meet Xavier’s, I give him a questioning look. He nods solemnly.
They’re back. How the hell are we supposed to get out of here now?
His chin juts, gesturing for us to follow him.
I really hope he has a plan because there’s no way we can walk out of the door that led us down here. It would lead us right into the common room right outside Headmaster Zain’s office, which is potentially filled filled with Agate students.
Tilly and I follow Xavier through the tunnels, not bothering to scan the map he drew me because I assume he knows where he’s going, but when we turn in what I am positive is the wrong direction, I tug on his arm. He spins, raising a brow so I point behind us hoping he’ll understand what I mean.
When he shakes his head and points ahead, mouthing, ‘This way,’ my brows dip. I look over my shoulder at Tilly who seems just as confused.
‘You sure?’ I mouth back to Xavier who just nods, a small tick pulsating in his jaw, seeming annoyed by my interference.
I swallow my uncertainty, because maybe I’m wrong, and continue walking behind him. Though when we get to a fork in the path that I’mcertainwe never passed through, I stop and reach in my pocket for the map to show him, because he must have forgotten the way.
The sigh he lets out is filled with frustration and far too loud. As is Tilly’s shriek, which echoes down the tunnel when Xavier’s fist collides with my face, sending me to the ground.
FIFTY-THREE
My head spins from the force of Xavier’s blow. But it’s nothing compared to the confusion and feeling of betrayal that makes my chest ache. He hit me – Xavierhitme. My friend. Xavier is my friend but he …
‘What thefuckare you doing?’ Tilly hisses, reaching down to help me up but as she does, he lunges for her and slams her head into the wall. All I hear is a sickening crunch before Tilly’s body slumps to the ground beside mine. Her curly hair covers her face from view, though when my eyes flick up to the wall there’s a definitive red patch that makes my stomach drop.
The cry that erupts from me is laced with a deep sort of pain. One that my body knows well.
‘Guess there’s no need to be quiet any longer. He’ll be down here soon anyway.’ Xavier’s face contorts in a sneer, making him look almost unrecognisable.
I leap to my feet, blinking through the thudding ache at my temple. I’ve taken hits before; I’ve been taking them for weeks on end in combat training. I can handle a punch to the face. It’s the shock of his disloyalty that has my body shaking now, and the fact that Tilly hasn’t moved or made a noise. ‘What have you done?!’ I shout standing in front of Tilly’s limp body.
‘I did what I had to.’
‘What – are you insane? Andwhois coming?’ I ask, frantically looking between him and Tilly, not knowing whether I should run to her or stay standing here, in between her body and him. Please be okay.Please, please, please.
‘You’ll find out soon enough.’ He doesn’t sound like himself. His voice is detached. Cold.
