That’s because the bodies are being used to hide it.
The thought slammed into me and nearly knocked me off my seat. My mind raced to consider the possibilities. The Underground wasn’t under theschool. It couldn’t be. We’d already decided that. But the prison grounds were huge— large enough to contain a small forest and a lake.
I checked the blueprints again. I saw that the concrete slab that was buried underneath the property to prevent students from escaping only went around the perimeter of the main building, not anywhere else on campus. There was plenty of space elsewhere the Underground could be.
So then, where? A random cellar in the ground somewhere in the woods?
That doesn’t make sense. An inmate could find it if that was the case. The Warden needs something to sit on top of the Underground, to serve the ruse and pose as a distraction in case there’s an investigation.
The Institute was made of two different buildings— the original asylum, which served as the school, and the chapel, which had been here before the asylum was built. Rooms had been added on to the asylum to make more room for more inmates, but the chapel had remained virtually untouched… except for one area, which had only expanded over time.
“Ancestors,” I gasped. I rifled for the blueprints again, until I found one with the chapel on it. My eyes scanned the paper, and the realization hit me.
I took in a sharp breath, which halted when I heard the lock on my door jiggle. I jumped to my feet. Oberi stomped her hoof in warning. Charlie came flying in from the bedroom, ready to punch whoever came through that door.
I relaxed when Kallie slipped in. She was followed by Marcus, who had Rishi bundled up in his jacket.
“It’s just Marcus and me,” Kallie said, and Charlie unclenched his fists. “Nobody saw us.”
“How’d you get out of your cells?” I asked.
“I’ve been able to unlock my cell door since they sentenced me here. It’s how Marcus and I tried to escape during our first semester,” Kallie said. “Vigilante skills come in handy around here.”
“What about bed check?” Charlie asked.
“Kallie cast duplicates of us in case they look, but they won’t hold up forever,” Marcus said. “Please tell me you guys found something.”
I clenched the blueprint of the chapel in my hands. “I’ve got it. I’ve fucking got it.”
“You know where it is?” Charlie asked.
“The graveyard,” I said breathlessly. “The Underground is below the graveyard.”
There was a moment of silence, then Marcus slapped a hand to his forehead. “Shit. It’s so obvious.”
“How can you be sure?” Kallie argued.
“Because it’s the perfect cover-up. The graveyard is where they bury all the students who die here,” I explained. “If rumors about the Underground go mainstream and there’s an investigation, no one is going to be bold enough to suggest digging up graves to look for it.”
“You’re right. Defiling graves would be sacrilege,” Marcus confirmed. “And even if someone tried, there’d be a public uproar from the parents who have kids buried here. By the time it got handled, the Warden could clean up the evidence.”
“So the cemetery itself serves as the ruse,” Kallie said, crossing her arms. “Gotta admit, he’s a clever one.”
“Charlie and I know that chapel inside and out. If there was an entrance to the Underground there, we’d have found it by now, which means the Undergroundhasto be beneath the cemetery,” I insisted. “There’s nowhere else on campus it could be.”
“I bet if we go poking around in that graveyard, we’ll find the entrance,” Marcus said excitedly.
“Then let’s get the hell out of here.” Charlie was already halfway out the door. Kallie barely had time to cast duplicates in our place. Oberi shifted into a husky and charged after him as the rest of us followed.
The hallways were dark and intimidating on our way to the chapel. I was ready to throw a fireball at any minute, but we didn’t see anyone on our way there.
“Where are all the guards?” Marcus asked.
“They must be getting ready for the Darke Games. They start tomorrow,” Kallie replied.
“The Games are our only hope. The Warden and his lackeys are distracted,” I said. “It’ll buy us more time.”
As we walked, I heard a couple of familiar voices coming from a door up ahead, arguing in hushed tones. I think it was an abandoned classroom.
