Page 231 of A Society of Traitors

Christopher Tyng

More frustrated than before I had entered the law school library, I worked through the law book in front of me, trying to avoid the glances of my fellow students.

It wasn't just the three guys who had settled down three tables away in the study area and were now staring at me every ten minutes. Now Vivienna Westcode had also sat down on the second floor of the open study area, surrounded by four unfamiliar Quatura girls who were studying law too and giving me snide looks.

I was grateful when one of these witches took her phone out of her pocket and played the video of the parking lot scene from earlier – loud enough for my Senseque ears to hear every slightest sound and word from the crowd – and thereby distracted them from me.

But I knew if I got up and left my stuff here alone, it would no longer be complete when I came back.

This had already happened to a girl from my semester in the first week, and she had stormed out of the library in tears.

I could have sworn Vivienna was behind it, and I didn't want to experience it firsthand, so I blocked out any thoughts of the fucked-up people here for a moment and actually managed to concentrate.

At least until the second something black flashed out of the corner of my eye.

I looked up, four tables over.

Miles DeLoughrey, deeply relaxed, sank into one of the chairs at a free table with a book and turned on its green brass table lamp as if he needed it.

Couldn't he just find another place to study?

Of course not, Emely. He studies here. That's his right.

Not for much longer...

I clenched my hands into fists, determined to do my best in the election campaigns in a month's time. Maybe I had to start preparing now to have any chance against the other candidates.

So far, Vivienna, Jenny, Grace, Miles, Nash, and I had been nominated.

Nash had never even wanted to participate, which was why his votes weren't increasing, but he had enough to already be nominated as a candidate.

Vivienna was gaining new votes every day, probably due to her massive Quatura following.

Jenny was also busy collecting votes by making countless puffed-up promises.

And the fact that the mayor's daughter was participating came as no surprise to me, even though I found it ridiculous that people actually believed that just because the Blairs were known to play the mayor, one of them would make a good student representative. She would support Harlow, just like Vivienna.

I looked up from my book to Miles. My biggest problem on this goddamn campus.