Chapter Sixteen #2
I took a deep breath. I did trust Wolf, after getting over that little hiccup only moments ago. I just didn’t know how he would react to the information I was going to share with him. “When I was coming to Castle Hill, there was a man that sat next to me on the plane.”
I said the words like they explained everything, but Wolf only shook his head, confused. “So?”
I sighed, elaborating, “I didn’t know it then–when he said his name was Evan. I didn’t think much of it until I came across him again. About a week ago.”
I waited for Wolf to speak, and when he didn’t, I lifted my gaze to meet his. “Wolf?”
He didn’t reply. And then, to my surprise, he laughed. Except, it wasn’t a humorous or even slightly amused laugh.
Wolf was angry. And perhaps he found laughing would take away his desire to scream, or punch something. The sound that filled the empty student lounge was manic and rough, almost making me lean away nervously. This room in Abbot House was always empty when Rain was in the building.
I don’t think students could bring themselves to relax with her lurking about.
And so, for the most part, we were safe from eavesdroppers.
And Rain’s footsteps hadn’t sounded down the stairs since they went up to her office.
When Wolf settled down, he met my eyes with an intensity of his own. He clenched his jaw and said, “When?”
I ran a hand through my hair. “After our meeting with Thaddeus.”
Wolf poked his tongue out against the inside of his cheek and seemed even more irritated than before. “Sasha, if I have to pry every detail out of you–”
I let out a breath. “I found them talking here late that night after everyone else returned to their dorms. Evander and Thaddeus.”
I left out the part of me going after Mr Browne because the last thing I needed was Wolf seeing a connection in my hatred for the man. “They just talked about me because… well, on the plane, I may have drugged your brother and, essentially, robbed him. He deserved it, and I won’t apologize.”
I shook my head to emphasize my point before waiting for the boy in front of me to speak. Wolf nodded and began ironing out his eyebrows with his thumb and middle finger.
I could tell that he was processing this information as well as he could with the tidbits I’d given him. “And so… why was he on the plane with you?”
I looked around before I leaned back against my chair and let out a breath, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it with ease. “That,” I spoke around the smoke, “I do not know and was hoping you'd provide insight for.”
Wolf continued to stare off into space for a moment as I wondered how long I could leave the cigarette tipped between my lips before the ashes began leaving a burning sensation on my thighs.
“I couldn’t tell you.” He said.
I raised a brow, but he only shrugged. “I really couldn’t. I haven’t spoken to Evan since I was thirteen, when he left home. In fact, I haven’t seen him in that long either. I would go a step further and say he’s avoiding me.” He gestured towards me with a bittersweet sigh. “Example number one.”
I hummed and nodded slowly, watching as the sincerity behind his eyes began to sound in his voice as well.
I plucked the cigarette out from between my lips and leaned forward in an instant, getting closer, voice getting lower.
“Well. That may be sad for you.” I pointed the cigarette towards him before turning it to myself.
“But that is great news for myself, and I will tell you why.”
Wolf blinked at my bluntness but was ultimately unsurprised at my lack of… concern. “I’m sure you will.”
I took another drag and let my arms fall lazily against each side of the velvet armchair.
“Thaddeus and Evander had been speaking about the society. Evander revealed that there was a truth-telling ceremony that usually takes place instead of the vials Thaddeus demanded of us. And they don’t exactly ask nicely.
Thaddeus forwent that idea because he wanted to gain our trust.”
Wolf nodded along, brows curving further with every word out of my mouth. “Well, we can thank Thaddeus a thousand times, I guess.”
I clicked my tongue and lightly tapped his forehead with my middle finger. “Thaddeus didn’t do it for you, you idiot. He did it to get into our heads without us hating him in the process. He’s sugarcoating himself.”
“He said that?”
“Even if he didn't, you wouldn't take my word for it?”
Wolf raised a hand. “I would but–… Sasha, you have a habit of spiraling when it comes to anyone you don’t like. You dig and you dig until you find something about them that proves you right.”
I threw my hands up and scrunched my face in offence. “When have I done that?”
“Mr Browne, for one.”
I pointed my cigarette at him. “Mr Browne has always been suspicious, you just refuse to see it.”
“And Marigold?”
I shook my head. “What about her?”
Wolf folded his hands together. “You find her strange and so you find her suspicious and so you watch her like a hawk when she walks into any room.”
My shoulders were hiking up further at the absurd accusations as I waved an arm out, trying to emphasize my accurate judgement. “The girl can’t even throw out trash without looking back to the class fifty times, you don’t find that suspicious?!”
Wolf sighed, letting the topic go before trying to mediate. “Okay, fine, maybe she’s a little weird and maybe Mr Browne is hiding something, so you say, but you don’t have to worry about me believing you this time. Thaddeus is… definitely someone to look out for.”
I settled down, bitterly taking another drag. I was irritated but also relieved that we were finally on the same boat. “Yeah… yeah, so as I was saying, Thaddeus is planning something and I want to figure out what it is.”
I probably should not have mentioned what Thaddeus might have in mind, as it so happens to directly correlate to me, but the words were out before I could stop them.
A small voice, one that assured me I was safe in my own skin, convinced me that I could keep the two worlds I felt I was tipping into with every step forward separate.
“So… What, you really want to find out?”
I scoffed. “You have anything else in mind?”
Wolf shrugged, “I say wait it out. It’ll all come out one way or another.”
If I thought about it, Thaddeus might have plans for me, but ultimately, I would be sitting on the board by the end of them. Even he wouldn’t waste his time without that outcome. And so maybe Wolf was right.
“Did… Evan say anything else?”
I lifted my gaze to meet his.
Ah.
I scratched the back of my neck, turning my head to the lounge’s entrance at what I thought were footsteps before sinking back and taking another drag of my cigarette. “He said that I was a bad influence on you.”
Wolf didn’t move as he looked to a spot on the wall behind me, lost in thought.
I didn’t want to dig the knife further, but Wolf looked like a kicked puppy, and perhaps my next words would help. “He sounded like he really cares about you. He seems to have a lot of love for you.”
It turned out to be the wrong thing to say because Wolf met my eyes with an icy glare and said, “He can choke on it, then.”
It was a cloudy day, which wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Neither was the sight of August getting pushed up against the hall of Remington tower, where our finance class with Mr Finch had just concluded.
It was the last session of the day, and I was glad to return back to my dorm and make an attempt at a peaceful sleep.
Lately, my dreams have been leaning more towards nightmares than anything, and I didn’t particularly enjoy waking up drenched in sweat any more than I enjoyed the showers I’d have to take afterwards.
Callum—his distinctive head of hair I could spot from a mile away—was once again watching with a sick grin as his cronies held the smaller boy against the wall.
It was a secluded hall; I’ll give him that. One I was forced to pass only because Ajax demanded I walk him to his meeting with Ms Ransom.
He swears it’s to ask for extra credit work for a good reference letter, but I am quite sure Ajax doesn’t have a love for eighteenth-century literature and is only looking for extra time with the quick-witted professor.
We had only rounded the corner when we caught the scene, a sense of nostalgia filling me.
“Callum, let’s cut this short and become friends. Because at this point, the only explanation for the special time in your day you keep allotted for me is that you’re in love with me.”
The boy in question didn’t react as I’d thought he would. Instead, he smirked and raised a brow. “Oh, I’m not so sure. I think we can put our mind together and find a number of other explanations. Ones that end with my satisfaction at an all-time high, and you, a bleeding heap on the floor.”
His cronies acted almost like statue soldiers, only moving their cemented bodies when their master demanded it.
I briefly wondered how he gained their loyalty.
August didn’t fight their hold, though. As if he was used to this charade by now, which I’m sure he was. “I’m sure that’s what you tell these crooks you keep by your side. Whatever protects your reputation.”
I only intervened when Callum waved his hand, a careless king giving the order, and one of the boys holding August up reared their arm back, as if to punch him in his gut.
“Callum,” I called, walking down the hall and closer to the three boys, Ajax letting out a disappointed breath and following along.
I was sure he was mentally kissing his meeting goodbye.
The white-haired boy turned his head and found me approaching, the curve of his lips widening. “Ah. Alexandr, the man of the hour. How awful that we always seem to find ourselves in these predicaments.”
I hummed sarcastically, finally reaching them.
If I were going head-to-head with someone like him, which it seems I was doing, I needed to play my cards right, or else I’d end up on his not-so-friendly radar, and I would much rather remain on his do-not-engage radar.