Page 12 of Revenant

“Not at all. It could work…” Her voice trails off. “Maybe with a coat?” We both giggle, and I move to the side, allowing her to enter. I’m just thankful she didn’t mention the abundance of rollers in my hair.

She makes herself at home, lazily plopping onto my bed as though she’s done it a thousand times. “My roommate just stepped out; she might come back before we’re gone,” I warn, shutting the door quickly in case Reyna is already down the hall. There’s something about her energy that puts me on edge. She’s not hostile, just…off. Not the kind of person you’d wander up to. My best plan of action right now is to avoid her at all costs. Especially after this morning, which already feels like a lifetime ago. “Don’t you think you’re going to get cold?”

I’m jealous of how effortless Moriah’s beauty is. Her long legs cross naturally as she takes in my room, studying it like the walls will tell her all my secrets. Light wash denim drapes effortlessly along her slender frame, the fabric molding to her as if it knows exactly where to fall. An indigo linen vest cinches her waist like it came straight from a tailor who knows her by name.

“Beauty is pain.” She shrugs her shoulders. “Besides, Koen is going to be there.” She wiggles her eyebrows, and I can’t help but laugh.

“Well, you look amazing, so let me fix…all of this,” I say, motioning down the length of my body. “Give me a sec and we’ll go.”

I scoop the clothes off the back of the chair and slip behind the wardrobe door, using it as a makeshift barrier. My dark wash jeans go on without a fight, hugging my hips before falling straight down my legs. The second my pajama shirt is unbuttoned, it joins the growing pile of abandoned fabric on the floor. I reach for the silk charmeuse corset, loosening the lacing as a smug little thrill slips through me. Funny how the color red suddenly does that. I angle the top over my rollers and slip my arms through the low, draped straps.

I lean out from behind the door, one hand keeping the boning tight against my ribs. “Can I bother you to…tie me up?”

“With pleasure,” she says seductively, and I shake my head, already knowing it’s going to be one hell of a night.

Closing my improvised privacy screen, I keep my back toward Moriah and let her get to work. She pulls on the laces with surprising strength, and by the fourth, “suck it in,” she’s completely rearranged my rib cage.

“There, all done.” She finishes tying off the bow and clasps her hands together. When I turn around, her eyes grow wide. “You’re so hot. I hate you.”

“Shut up.” I scoff and step around her to grab the dainty pearl station necklace off my desk—the one with tiny pearls scattered along a fine gold chain. I clasp it at the back of my neck, then reach for the set of small gold pearl studs, the metal bright enough to bring some warmth into my face.

Moriah takes pity on me and starts working the rollers out of my hair, and before I can thank her, loose red curls spill over my shoulders and down my back.

Applying one last coat of dark red lipstick, I run my fingers through my hair one last time. “Ready?”

Moriah fans herself dramatically. “Whose attention are you trying to get tonight?” I laugh her off, but secretly I’m hoping Pryce will be there.

I am wearing his favorite color after all.

The woods are creepy as hell. I can’t say I often find myself in them, but these seem…alive. Trees sway vigorously with the wind I can somehow barely feel, like they’re speaking amongst each other, the language getting lost in translation.

The walk feels longer than necessary. I pull out my phone to check the time and berate myself for not doing it sooner, now I have no idea how long it should take to get back to the dorms. My eyes drift to the top right corner of the screen, and the two words you never want to see in the middle of nowhere stare right back at me.

No Service.

Great.

I make a mental note to not get separated from Moriah. There’s no doubt I would end up lost and plastered on the front page of the school’s newspaper if I had to find my way back to the dorms alone. Maybe if it were daylight, my chances would be slightly higher, but given my track record from earlier—and the fact I can’t see five feet in front of me—there is no guarantee I’d ever make it back to Vesperian Hall.

Moriah has a skip in her step, nearly buzzing with the excitement radiating off her as I trail slightly behind. She doesn’t seem to notice. Probably too lost in her own world, in hopes of catching Koen’s attention tonight. I can’t blame her. Just because he’s a dick doesn’t mean he isn’t nice to look at.

As the distance between us and everyone else shrinks, my anxiety swells to fill it. This feels like a “make it or break it” moment. My first party at a new school. Where the only people I know are Moriah and this supposed “elite clique” of douchebags.

And Pryce.

But for all I know, he could be just as bad as the rest of his friends. It’s not like I actually know him. All I can do is trust my instincts and hope I haven’t read him wrong thus far.

A forceful whistle rips past my shoulder, the sound yanking my head toward its path. The movement is so abrupt it leaves a sharp sting at the base of my skull. “Did you hear that?” I ask a little too quietly. I’m worried if I raise my voice whatever is out here will attack. It’s hard to tell when it feels like the forest wants to swallow me whole.

“It was probably an animal or something. Stop stressing and pick up the pace. It’s freezing out here.” She moves ahead, unbothered, and I trail after. But when a cold awareness crawls up the back of my neck—and the weight of eyes presses down on me—I close the distance fast, matching Moriah’s pace before I even realize I’ve sped up.

Only a few minutes pass before the fire illuminates ahead, and suddenly the forest goes still. As if it has been warning me to turn around the entire time, and making it this far has sealed my fate. The distant noises fade one by one, until only the soft crackle of drifting embers remains.

Music fills the space around us, the bass pulsing through my chest and settling deep in my bones. I want to let it drown out my thoughts, the ones that keep spiraling and wearing me down, but they don’t let up. A tight, persistent sense of anticipation sits in my stomach, intense enough that I can’t ignore it. It feels unreasonable, but the tension won’t leave, like a fucking premonition or something, which sounds crazy…I sound crazy. The music only makes the moment feel more deliberate, as if everything around me is simply waiting for the worst to happen.

Moriah comes to a sudden stop and looks back at me, worried I might’ve bailed. Truthfully, I almost did. “Stop doing that.” Her eyes ping-pong down to my hands, and only then do I realize what they’re doing. I’m picking at my cuticles again. “You look amazing. Seriously, if someone doesn’t take you to their room tonight, I will.” She smiles playfully, and I’m so grateful for her lighthearted personality. It’s as if she moves through life without a single concern, untouched by the demons keeping the rest of us awake at night.

“I’m just…nervous,” I confess, as if that wasn’t blatantly obvious.