“Try being a polite person.”
“Polite isn’t one of my qualities. She’d never trust it.”
He said it like he already knew me.
Annoyingly, he wasn’t wrong.
He bit the apple again, chewed slowly, and swallowed. Then he glanced at Rev. The look between them was quick and old, the sort of exchange people had after years of friendship.
“Welcome to Zenith Hall, Astra. I’m Kieran Marsh,” he said.
It was the first time anyone at Zenith had welcomed me.
“Grab a piece of the good bread,” Rev indicated the tray behind her. “For the road.”
“What road?”
“The one back to your room. They lock the corridor at nine. You don’t want to get caught out after curfew.”
I reached for the bread, and my sleeve slipped back.
Kieran’s apple stopped halfway to his mouth, and Rev choked on the bite of bread she’d just taken.
“What?” I asked.
Rev’s eyes stayed on the lines at my wrist.
“Nothing.”
“Whatever just happened there was not nothing.”
Kieran glanced at her.
“Rev?”
She looked at him once, then back at my wrist.
“It looks like Sadie’s did.”
Kieran nodded.
Neither of them bothered to elaborate so I had to ask:
“Who’s Sadie?”
Rev looked away and Kieran said, “Someone who isn’t here anymore.”
He was looking at me with something close to pity in his eyes.
“Where’d she go?” I asked again, looking at Rev this time.
Rev shook her head and didn’t meet my eyes.
“Not tonight,” Kieran said.
“I wasn’t asking you.”
“I know, but I’m answering you.”
