Chapter 28
TWENTY-EIGHT
CASSIE
It’s so good to be free of the school for a while and do something normal for once. We caught a cab to the town and are eating ice cream overlooking main street as we come to terms with what happened last night.
Siri sighs. “This gelato is seriously good.”
“Gelato?” I raise my eyes and she giggles.
“We go to Italy a lot and when you’ve sampled Italian gelato, you can’t call an ice cream anything else. It’s the best.”
“Do you travel much?” I’m so interested in Siri’s life because she is always name dropping countries she has visited, and she nods, her mouth full of the delicious treat.
When she finishes, she sighs. “When your father is Russian and your mother English, it kind of goes with the territory. Every vacation is spent in a different country and if you ask me to pick my favorite, I couldn’t.”
She grins. “Ice cream and pasta in Italy, afternoon tea in London. Tulips in Amsterdam and paella in Spain.”
“It sounds amazing.”
I’m envious of her travels and she smiles. “Next time you should come with us. It’s Greece during the holidays. My family has connections there, and we are assured of a place to stay.”
“I would love that but–” I sigh. “My folks will want me there. I had a tough time getting my father to agree to me coming here and telling him I’m not coming home for the holidays isn’t an option.”
“What’s he like?” Siri smiles with interest and I laugh softly. “You met him outside the principal’s office. I’m guessing he’sa lot like your father from the looks of him. Fierce, rough, and takes no shit while hiding a soft center that only a select few gets to see.”
“It sounds just like home.”
My phone buzzes and I note the text coming through from Jack.
“They found Abigail. She’s in her room sleeping, by all accounts.”
“They found Abigail?” Siri sighs with relief. “Thank God. I wonder how she escaped.”
“I’m sure we’ll soon find out. The guys won’t let it rest until they discover her secret.”
I nod toward the store across the street.
“Shall we take a look in there? I’m short of a few clothes and could use a new outfit for tonight.”
“Ah, the first party after The Claiming. This should be interesting.”
I hide my excitement with nonchalance, but inside I’m filled with excited curiosity because now I’m officially Frankie’s girl and I wonder what that involves.
The kiss we shared earlier still burns on my lips and I’m impatient for more of them. It wasn’t enough, nowhere close to satisfying my hunger for that man and as we stand, a delicious shiver of expectation rocks me inside.
Siri says in a low voice, “At least I’ll have Jack. Of all the guys at Rockwell, he is the one who interests me the most.”
“Jack?” My throat dries as Siri declares her interest in my best friend and she nods, a dreamy expression on her face.
“He was so sweet last night. Considerate and worried, and it was adorable. I’m not used to guys like Jack and I, well–” She hesitates and I can kind of guess where this is going.
“You like him.” I add and she says with a worried frown.
“But he’s your friend, Cassie, and I don’t want to get in the way of that.”
My throat tightens as I shrug. “He’s my friend, and so are you. Why wouldn’t I be happy for you?”
“I don’t know. It’s just–”
“What?” I’m hating the direction this conversation is heading, and she falters, stuttering over her words.
“I, I mean, he, well, I guess it’s as if I’m treading on your toes and I wouldn’t go there at all if I thought you were, um, interested.”
“In Jack?” I force a loud laugh that doesn’t even convince me, let alone Siri.
“Jack is like family. I’m not going there, Siri, not in that way.”
“Oh, thank God.” She heaves a big sigh of relief. “I was hoping you’d say that. You see–” Her face burns as she whispers, “I am kind of interested and, well, he is kind of cute.”
“Then go for it. You have Frankie’s permission, after all.”
She raises her eyes. “He would be horrified if he thought it would go anywhere.”
“Why?”
“Because I know my cousin and he would have planned the entire event last night to keep me from having any fun at Rockwell on the orders of my father. Jack will be warned off from anything heavy and Frankie will be able to face my father with a clear conscience.”
“That sucks.” I shake my head. “You won’t play by the rules – will you?”
She shrugs. “Who knows? I’m curious but I haven’t got a death wish. If I give it up to anyone, I had better be certain they can defend themselves against my family.”
“Jack can defend himself against anything.” I am sure of that because I’m aware of how hard he trains with the Reapers. There isn’t a warrior or soldier out there who can better them and if there is, they are soon drafted into our organization. I wouldn’t tell Siri how it works, just as she keeps her family matters private. It’s best that way.
However, as we head to the store, I hate the dull ache in the pit of my stomach at the thought of Jack and Siri and I’m not sure why.
* * *
Most of the day is spent in town and as soon as we return to the academy, I sense a shift in the air. We arrive at our dorm block and Eloise is heading out the other way.
“Hey.” She stops in front of us and glances around furtively before whispering, “The cops were here today.”
“Cops?” I don’t like the sound of that and she nods, a serious gleam in her eye.
“They cordoned off the woods near the boathouse. Something happened there last night.”
Siri gasps and as I catch her eye, my confusion is reflected back at me.
“The boathouse. Why?”
To my knowledge, the boathouse is nowhere near the dungeon, which gives me a moment’s relief and she nods slowly. “It’s all around the school that a girl was attacked there last night. Seriously attacked.”
Siri‘s eyes are wide. “Who?”
Eloise shrugs. “They won’t say, but it won’t be long before her name becomes public knowledge. Nothing remains a secret at Rockwell for long.”
She shrugs. “Anyway, I’m heading to the cafeteria. I’ll catch you later at the party, I’m guessing.”
“At the Elusive’s?” Siri asks and Eloise nods.
“It’s an invitation that is never ignored. If your name is published on the list, you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
“The list?” I ask, and she nods.
“Check the list on the student What’s App group. If your name isn’t on it then don’t even bother to try to get inside. It’s my lucky day because I’m included for once and I remember seeing both of your names. It should be a good night.”
She heads off with a short wave and Siri faces me with a worried expression.
“We should head to Frankie’s and find out what he knows.”
My stomach twists at the thought of seeing him and I nod, my curiosity piqued about the attack at the boat house.
It takes ten minutes to cross campus and as we reach the house on the edge of it, my heart beats like a drum inside me. It still feels strange coming here at all, but I suppose I should get used to it. Jack lives here and so does my, um, well, centurion, and as we bang on the door, I am struggling to conceal my nerves.
Luckily, Jack answers the door and his worried expression doesn’t help.
“Hey, you had better come in.”
We head inside and he ushers us into the front living area and sighs heavily.
“Abigail was attacked last night at the boathouse.”
Siri gasps as I remark, “But that’s some distance away from the dungeon. Do you think she made it to the river and got swept downstream?”
“No.” Jack’s face is like thunder as he growls, “It appears she was dragged there.”
“I don’t understand. How was she dragged and by who?” Siri asks and we stare at Jack expectantly.
He drops down into one of the chairs and leans back with a sigh.
“She’s in a bad way. All I know is she was drugged, apparently dragged through the woods and ended up in the boathouse. She says she didn’t see who it was but they, well–”
He breaks off and I say quickly, “What, Jack?”
“He, well, forced himself on her.”
Siri gasps and I share her concern.
“Oh my God!”
I fall back in my seat as Siri rests her face in her hands and Jack growls, “She blacked out, probably from the trauma and the drug he gave her combined and she woke up in her bed.”
“Wait, what?” Siri looks up in shock. “He knew where she lived; where she slept?”
“Fuck!” I stare at them both in shock. “Somebody who knew her did this? What the actual fuck.”
Jack nods, distaste bitter in his expression.
“She didn’t want to report it. She was too scared, but Kennedy persuaded her to.”
“Thank God for Kennedy.” I am so angry on Abigail’s behalf and snap, “So, who is this guy?”
“Nobody knows.” Jack’s voice is gruff.
“He’s a ghost apparently, and left no clues. She doesn’t remember how she left the tunnel, or how she got to the boathouse. All she remembers is opening her eyes and staring into the mask of a centurion.”
“Fuck, Jack! Oh my God.”
I feel sick and Jack nods, his expression grave.
“Frankie is working hard to discover his identity along with the others. Whoever was behind that mask was either part of the challenge or aware of it.”
What happened to Abigail is bad enough, but facing the possibility it could be someone we know is too much to handle.
Jack says with urgency, “Frankie is on the warpath, along with most of us. From now on, neither of you go anywhere alone.”
I open my mouth to speak and he holds up his hand. “Don’t shoot the messenger, Cassie. You can go together. We’re not saying you must be escorted by one of the guys. Just don’t go it alone.”
“What about Abigail?” Siri asks.
“She’s insisting on staying, but her father is pissing venom. The cops are here under his instruction and it won’t go down well if he learns about The Claiming.”
“He doesn’t know?” I’m surprised about that and Jack nods, a flicker of admiration ghosting his expression.
“She said she won’t tell and that it’s bad enough the entire school knowing what happened to her, but she won’t drag the rest of us down with her.”
“But she’s not the only one who knows about the challenge?”
I don’t see how she can keep this under wraps, and Jack laughs.
“Frankie has let it be known that if anyone says one word about The Claiming, he will deal with them personally.”
Siri shivers. “Fuck, he is pissed. I wouldn’t want to be the person who spills his secret.”
“Why? What would he do?”
“Trust me, Cassie, you really don’t want to hear the answer to that.”
Siri heaves a huge sigh. “Thanks for telling us, Jack. I’m going to offer any help I can to Abigail. The poor girl needs friends right now and not gossip.”
She stands and I follow her. “I’ll come with you.”
As we leave, I hate knowing a predator is on campus and if I know Jack, he will be hot on his tail and I’ll be right there by his side. Whoever it was—is—had better hope we don’t find him because Frankie isn’t the only one with connections and a dark imagination. We grew up sharpening our own.