“There’s still a chance for you, and Caitlyn though, isn’t there?” I look between her and D and they both look at me as though I’m a child who has just declared that unicorns do exist.
“Caitlyn has already been claimed, and that did nothing for her number. Do you really think she has a hope in hell of staying here? The only thing I have in my favor is that I’m emancipated, so at least when I’m forced to pay back the Harkwrights, it won’t affect my family.” She spins on her heels and stalks back into her room.
“Come on, let’s go find one of the guys.”
“One of mine, or one of yours?” I say with a smirk and she slaps playfully at my arm.
“Hey, don’t be saying that. If anything, Maddox is both of ours.” My face is as red as a tomato as she cackles like the witch she is.
Good old D, she always manages to find a little bit of humor, when it feels like laughing is impossible.
We walk past the dance hall when the doors swing open and something black catches my eyes. I pull my arm free of D’s and stalk towards the doorway.
Red paint covers the walls, and there hanging beneath it is my missing apron. Red paint drips off it like blood, but even more terrifying than that is the new addition to the apron. A photo of Selene.
Run, run, Star.
Will you scream?
Will you tremble?
Who’s name will you call for?
Before I send you off to meet your maker.
Below the apron, the message continues, but this one isn’t for me.
A bully.
A monster.
A coward.
A fraud.
Are you ready to find out who’s next?
I can hear Daria shouting, but it sounds as though I’m underwater. I can’t stop staring, or reading the message. Why are they trying to scare me? Do they want me to run away? Is this just some messed up mind game so I’m quaking in fear and watching over my shoulder, or is this some weird way of protecting me?
Okay, now I’m being insane. They tried to kill me in the pool house, no way are they trying to protect me, so mind games it is. I guess it’s settled then, there is no way this isn’t a Harkwright. Because they sure do love to play their games.
Someone grips my shoulder, and I don’t even react as I’m pulled away. D comes to stand in front of me but I don’t respond.
“I really liked that apron,” I mutter.
“We’ll get you another apron,” Tom says, and I realize that he’s the one who’s pulling me out of the room.
“I should have gone to a normal college.” I look at him then and he grimaces as he looks back at the wall.
“Yeah, you probably should have. Do you want a pass, Luna? Do you want to leave?” He runs his hands up and down my arms, and his voice screams sincerity. He means it, he’ll let me go.
My gut reaction is to say no, but as I look back at the wall I feel my soul splintering. If I don’t want it to shatter, then maybe I should say yes.
“Don’t decide now. I’ll give you two days, after that, I won’t make this offer again.” He pulls me further away as Miss Lucien appears with a group of cleaners and we move as far from there as we can get.
Back to my room, with my best friend and the first guy I truly fell for. It could definitely be worse, but it wasn’t that long ago that I spoke to Daria about asking Tom for a pass. Well, he’s given me the chance to have it. No repercussions, no fear of bankrupting my mother. I can get away from all this fear inducing mayhem that seems to be the daily occurrence in this place. I won’t have to worry about someone trying to kill me, or one of the girls jumping me when my back is turned. I’d never get to see my guys again, but what does love matter when you don’t even have a life to experience it with?
Tom looks around my room, but I have no idea what he’s searching for. D just sits besides me, holding me hand.
“Why are they trying to scare her? I mean, why Luna?” she asks, looking at him, and he strokes up and down his neck as he stands at my window.
“Maybe it’s more personal with her, I don’t know. Without knowing who the sick fuck is, I can’t even begin to understand what is going through their head.”
His shoulders are tight, and I swear I could count the corded muscles in his back.
“Can we at least agree it’s one of you?” He spins to stare at me, squinting while his mouth pulls down into a frown.
“What the fuck did you just say?” He stalks closer, but I don’t cower, even as D squeezes my hand to the point of pain.
“I mean a Harkwright, not actually one of you. I mean come on, you can tra…” His hand closes over my mouth before he turns his gaze to D.
“Get out, and if you see Mad, tell him to get the others.”
“I don’t think…”
“I wasn’t asking,” he barks out, and she scampers up before fleeing out of the room.
“Start again, why is it one of us?” His tone is low and his face is made up of nothing but hard lines and edges. Nothing like the Tom I’m used to seeing.
I pull his hand away before climbing to my feet, and taking a few steps away from him.
“You can track us. That’s the reason you never want us to take our necklaces off. That means that any of you could find us whenever the urge to strangle us takes hold. You can make sure we’re alone, and then bam!” I slam my hands together, before I wrap them around my throat. “You guys get your kicks in playing mind games, tell me I’m wrong Tom, go on. Tell me!” My eyes are narrowed to slits as he walks towards me, slowly and measured.
He grips my wrists and pulls my hands away from my throat before slamming his mouth against mine. He knocks the wind clear out of me, as my knees buckle and I clutch onto the front of his shirt.
He pulls back, our breaths ragged as his head rests against mine.
“You’re not wrong, I just don’t like to admit it. We shouldn’t be this untouchable, Moonbeam, this powerful. We put our lives in the hands of Sir, and when he steps down, if he ever does, then those hands will become Emmet’s. I’m not sure that’s any better. He’s more like Sir than he’ll ever admit to you or even himself. Not that it matters, we just have to figure out who this is before they go after you again, or any of the girls.” He holds me against him and I let myself take the support he’s freely giving.
15
When Anger Builds
Emmet
I go past the atrium, and the front offices, until I reach a locked door. Not that it’s locked to me. I pull a key out and slide it home, before walking down the dimly lit hallway until his office comes into view.
I knock and wait to be allowed in. Stay calm, just stay calm.
“Come in, Emmet,” dad calls, and I crack my neck before turning the handle, and pushing the door open.
“Hello, father,” I say, bowing my head slightly, before I close the door and claim the seat in front of his desk.
“You are supposed to wait until I offer you a seat,” he says coldly, and my lids flicker as I stop myself from rolling my eyes.
“Sorry, father, won’t happen again.”
“See that it doesn’t. What do you want, Emmet? I'm a busy man.” He looks through the paperwork on his desk and I don’t miss the files on the Academy girls sitting off to one side. I certainly don’t miss the photo of Luna lying on his desk, which he doesn’t even try to hide.