Chapter 17
I awoke mid-morning to sunlight slipping through the dusty windows of the caretaker’s cottage. Anubis was already up, rummaging for fresh clothes in a duffel bag he stored here. His hair was rumpled, eyes still heavy with sleep, yet he flashed me a small smile when he noticed I was awake.
“You were out cold,” he said gently. “Figured I’d let you rest. We have a lot to do tonight.”
I sat up, hugging my knees. “Thanks.”
A pang of worry lanced through me. What if Margrett or the police discovered us tampering with the system? The repercussions could be huge, academically and legally. But I remembered Toccara’s face and steeled myself.
This is for a larger purpose. We can’t blow our cover.
We parted ways for a few hours. He needed to show up for a mandatory row team practice to avoid suspicion, while I returned to my dorm to shower, change, and at least glance at my neglected homework. On the walk back, campus life buzzed around me. Couples strolling hand in hand, study groups on the lawn. None of them had any idea what lurked beneath Edenvane’s polished veneer.
After a long, hot shower that somewhat eased my tension, I texted Anubis:
Let’s meet at the cottage at 9. Library at 11.
He replied instantly:
Got it. But meet me at 6. The party.
I pulled the hood of my sweater tighter around my shoulders as we stepped out of Anubis’ car. Music throbbed from the mansion perched on the hill, the entire facade lit up in vibrant neon colors. I could already smell the tang of spiked punch drifting on the evening breeze. If I hadn’t just been told to commit computer sabotage in the library’s server room, maybe I would’ve had more energy for a normal college party. But nothing about this night felt normal.
Anubis slid out of the driver’s seat, scanning the row of luxury cars parked along the winding driveway. Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and more vehicles I couldn’t name sparkled under floodlights. The property’s lawn was crowded with clusters of students dressed in sleek designer outfits. Everything screamed money, quiet, but in-your-face all at once.
“Come on,” he said under his breath, offering me his hand. “Row team’s inside. We’ll make an appearance, see if we can glean any info on who’s really backing this hack job. Maybe one of the upperclassmen in the Skulls will slip up, say something to us. Then we’ll slip out.”
I nodded, still reeling from the watchers’ commands. Hack the library, sabotage the campus security feed. The threat of blackmail hovered over both of us, promising dire consequences if we refused. The videos of us getting out. My stomach twisted. One more illicit mission, I told myself. Then I’d figure a way out. But first, apparently, we had to attend a party that would make me feel all the more out of place.
As soon as we stepped inside, I was assaulted by the heady mix of perfume, cologne, and top-shelf liquor. Expensive drapes covered the tall windows, massive crystal chandeliers swung overhead. Everywhere I looked, I saw laughter, shining champagne flutes, people in custom suits and designer dresses. A little too reminiscent of the last party I’d stumbled into here. All invitees had money, status… or roped in by those who did.
“Suede! Anubis!” someone called, waving from across a marble-floored foyer. One of his rowing teammates, Rowan, I remembered, from the Boathouse, beckoned us with a grin that bordered on manic. “Glad you came. We’re out back!”
I cast a questioning glance at Anubis, who shrugged. We followed Rowan through glass doors to a sprawling patio. A giant hot tub, more like a miniature pool, bubbled in the center, steam curling into the cool night air. My jaw dropped when I noticed the color of the water. A deep amber, glinting oddly under the patio lights.
“Is that…?” I whispered, incredulous.
“Straight whiskey,” Rowan confirmed, laughing. “Or maybe whiskey with some mixers. Who knows?” He leaped over a low stool and snagged a bottle off a table. “Get in, you two. We’ve got towels somewhere.”
A bizarre sense of unreality washed over me. People were literally soaking in a tub filled with alcohol. A few girls in designer bikinis lounged at the edges, leaning back as though this was the height of normal. My chest tightened with that familiar sense of not belonging, but Anubis’ hand on my elbow grounded me.
“You okay?” he asked softly.
I forced a nod. “I’ll manage.” We’d come this far. I might as well see what these absurdly rich kids were doing. Maybe I’d pick up a lead on who orchestrated our library hack assignment.
A half-dozen more row-team members hailed Anubis, cheering for their captain. It was easy to forget he was integral to Edenvane’s star crew, until we were confronted with them chanting his name, brandishing top-tier liquor like water bottles.
“Captain, your domain awaits,” one of them joked, gesturing at the swirling whiskey tub.
Anubis’ mouth curved into a polite smile, but I sensed the tension in him. “We’ll hang for a bit,” he said. “Have you seen Sophie?”
The mention of her name made my skin prickle. Sophie Mence, the Dean’s daughter. She’d orchestrated so many twisted games, lording power over scholarship students like me. She’d threatened Toccara before her death. Now she was part of the watchers or maybe she had her own agenda. My stomach churned at the thought.
Rowan shrugged. “Think she’s around the bar area. You know how she is. Always making an entrance.”
Anubis exhaled, guiding me toward the edge of the hot tub. Warm vapor licked my face, the scent of whiskey intensifying. A swirl of half-naked students lounged in it, some perched on the rim with feet dangling in the bizarre brew.
“Want to dip in?” he asked, voice quiet in my ear. “We can do a lap, show face, and then slip away.”
I hesitated, glancing at my outfit, a short black dress under a sweater cardigan, not exactly hot-tub gear. It was not exactly warm enough to be in a bikini. But the challenge in Anubis’ eyes said it might be simpler to blend than to stand out. “Okay,” I murmured. “Though this is the strangest pool I’ve ever seen.”
He laughed under his breath. “Just… don’t swallow any, or you’ll probably pass out in minutes.”
I toed off my shoes and peeled off the outer layers. Anubis did likewise, leaving him in a fitted T-shirt and athletic shorts, both of which he quickly traded for something more watery, grabbing a pair of trunks from a hamper near the tub. I borrowed an oversized shirt from a random hamper as well, doing my best to keep modest. This was all so casual for them, but to me it was humiliating and bizarrely comedic.
“No,” Anubis said, catching my hands, keeping me from putting the big shirt on. He aimed for me to get in the tub in my underwear. “Let me show you off tonight.”
Looking down, I wasn’t too sure about this.
“You’re beautiful, Nubia. Your bra and panties are more modest than those bikinis. Come on.”
His kind and honest words convinced me. Moments later, I eased into the swirling warmth. The smell made my eyes water, an intense fusion of cheap whiskey and who-knew-what. Anubis slid in beside me, arms resting on the tub’s edge. The whirl of conversation and laughter surrounded us. Some of the rowers were half-drunk already, clinking plastic cups, cheering each time someone dunked under.
“You good?” Anubis asked. Beneath the water, his hand found my knee. The tub’s liquid stung my skin a bit, but not unbearably. The entire situation felt surreal, as though I’d wandered into a fever dream of excess.
“Yeah,” I managed, scanning the crowd for any sign of watchers or specifically Sophie. “Reminds me why I’ll never feel normal here.”
He squeezed my knee gently. “If it helps, I don’t feel normal either.” A flicker of sincerity in his eyes made my chest tighten as he leaned over to whisper. “All this wealth, the glitz, my family made it look easy, and you know in Crestwood all my friends were normal, middle-class kids, so it’s never comfortable here for me. I’d rather be hacking a library server with you.” He said it with a wry grin. “But if I don’t act like I enjoy this shit, I’ll float.
I let out a trembling laugh. “That’s messed up, but I know what you mean.”
Just then, a hush fell near the patio doors. I glanced over, spotting a tall, blonde figure in a sleek, skin-hugging dress. Sophie. She scanned the crowd, found Anubis, and offered a smile that was more of a challenge. My heart lurched, her expression carried an air of ownership, as though she were about to reclaim a prize.
Within seconds, she sauntered closer, ignoring me entirely. “Captain,” she said in a low purr, leaning down so her gaze locked onto his. “Enjoying the festivities?” She flicked a glance at the whiskey water. “You always did like the hot tub.”
Anubis’ jaw clenched. He didn’t bother returning her smile. “It’s fine,” he said tersely.
She turned her attention on me then, lips curving in a polite but icy grin. “Hello, Suede. Didn’t think you’d be the type.”
Heat prickled my cheeks. “I’m full of surprises.” My voice stayed even though I fought the urge to bristle.
She brushed a hand over Anubis’ shoulder, and I noticed how he stiffened. “We should talk,” she murmured to him, ignoring me again. “Soon.” Then she pivoted in a swirl of expensive perfume, disappearing back into the crowd.
My pulse hammered. Rage, jealousy, confusion, all roiled at once. Did I just see them share some unspoken tension? Why did it feel so personal? What was her jab about the hot tub?
Anubis exhaled hard, glancing at me. “I’m sorry,” he said under his breath, the lines around his eyes taut. “She and I have a complicated history.”
I hesitated, not sure if I wanted to ruin the night further by prying, but I couldn’t let it fester. “Are you… still involved?” My heart thudded, a sour taste filling my mouth.
He shook his head. “Hell no. Not anymore. Sophie is my ex, back from… a time when I was dumber, younger. She has her own agenda now. She wants me to stick to the old Skulls path, to eventually inherit all this,” he gestured around. “And keep her by my side.” A bitter laugh escaped him.
“She really doesn’t like this hot tub,” I started.
“She thinks I cheated on her in the hot tub. We weren’t even together. But she assumes we are inevitable.”
My chest tightened. “And… are you two inevitable?”
“No,” he said firmly, meeting my gaze. “I’m not going to end up with her. She can plan all she wants, but I’ve changed. I’m not the same person who fell for her illusions.” Then, softer, he added, “She thinks because we share a history, because our families want it that we’ll end up together again. But that’s her fantasy, not mine.”
Relief washed over me, though the stress of this entire environment didn’t vanish. I nodded, shifting closer so only he could hear. “You know she’s not going to stop at talk.”
He swallowed, eyes flicking to the glass doors where Sophie vanished. “I know. She’s relentless. But so am I.” His hand slid from my knee to my waist under the water. “Let’s get out of here soon, yeah? We’ve done enough damage to our nasal passages with this whiskey tub.”
I laughed despite myself, the odd madness of the night peaking. “Agreed. I can’t imagine how the folks cleaning this tub will feel about all this liquor.”
He smirked, a rare glint of genuine amusement. “We’ll let them figure that out in the morning. Tonight, we’ll keep our eyes open for any watchers, see if Sophie tries cornering me again. Then we bail.”
My gaze swept over the row team members drunkenly splashing each other, the random clique of rich kids dancing around the bar, and the hush that lingered whenever Sophie passed by. This was the world Anubis was supposed to belong to, I reminded myself. And yet, here we were, co-conspirators, outcasts among the elites. I inhaled the pungent fumes of the whiskey, letting the warm jets of the tub swirl around me.
“All right,” I said softly. “But for now, let’s pretend we fit in, just for a minute.”
He gave a rare, genuine smile, sliding his arm across my shoulder. We both leaned back, ignoring the stares from half the party guests, ignoring Sophie’s calculating presence. We let ourselves float in the bizarre whiskey haze. Being at Anubis’ side steadied me, reminding me that whatever the Skulls demanded next, we still had a choice in how we faced it.