Chapter Twenty-two
Alexandr Miroslav
During lunch, when most students were piling their plates in the Dining Hall and engaging in animated conversation, I found myself facing five of my peers during broad daylight, as opposed to the darkness that shrouded us when we usually entered the parlor hidden in the library.
“As you all know, I accepted Callum’s offer to join the Queen’s Club. ”
Rain sat cross-legged and narrow-eyed. “What did he say?”
I recalled the conversation I’d had yesterday.
“He restated his offer and said it was for a fresh mind. Though, I highly doubt that. He proposed I start in January, as their play is already underway and we’re well past half the semester.
But that isn’t why I called this meeting…
Callum might have insinuated knowing about the Founder’s Society. ”
A heavy beat of silence fell over the room at my words, a tense silence that Rain didn’t allow to lengthen. “That’s not possible. His father may be on the board, but he didn’t appoint him for a reason. So why tell him? In fact, he isn’t allowed to disclose it until he is in the Founder’s Society.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think his father kept it a secret, though. I mean, you knew, Rain. Can we be sure his father stuck to the rules? Or maybe Callum found out on his own, but either way, I’m pretty sure he was threatening me.”
Ajax let out a deep breath. “Okay, okay, what exactly did he say?”
I hadn’t realized I was pacing the length of the room, the fireplace unlit behind me, until after I started.
“I asked about what the Queen’s Club was exactly, and he said I’d have to join and find out; that they don’t offer the information to outsiders.
That I’d understand. He said it exactly like that. Insinuating the word.”
Marigold’s soft voice sounded from the corner of the couch she took up residence on, “He could be talking about… He could be talking about something else. Like information about yourself that he couldn’t find?”
August snapped his fingers in her direction before stretching his arm out towards me. “Yeah. Anyone who’s anyone knows your past is under lock and key. It’s like you’re the board’s secret weapon or something.”
Rain shook her head at August. “Don’t be ridiculous. Alexandr is not the board’s secret weapon–” She looked towards me, and said, not the least bit apologetic, “No offence.”
“None taken,” I mumbled, glad of Rain’s interjection, not knowing if she’d done it because of our deal.
Although that wasn’t exactly the outline of said deal.
Rain continued. “Callum might be hinting at that, but being a secret project of the board is far-fetched.”
She took in a breath to finish speaking before she paused. We all watched as the cogs in her head worked for a beat before she laid her narrowed eyes on me. “Do you know who’s sponsoring you?”
I shook my head despite the lie. I had my suspicions, but Thaddeus's sponsorship of me still didn’t put anything together. The main question is why.
I didn’t hold any relation to the man—that I know of—and Cassius couldn’t have swayed his options, because Thaddeus continues to keep him in the dark.
“I suspected Thaddeus, but we can only know for certain by narrowing it down.”
Ajax nodded once, understanding filled his eyes, as he stood to get the book.
Again, we found ourselves hovering over the picture we’d seen before.
“Alright.” Rain started. “Getting the easy ones out of the way. Thelema Jett appointed me, Evander Kingsley appointed Wolf. The Letum chair is out of the picture. Does anyone know anything?”
Ajax groaned. “It pains me to say this, but… Madeline Fenlon could have appointed me. It makes the most sense, what with my past relationship with her son.”
I nodded. “Okay. That leaves Thaddeus, Adama Osei, Queen and… Cassius Vale.” The last name came out as casual as I could force it.
Wolf pointed to Adama Osei in the photo. “Paris said she knew her. She was friends with her mother.”
A small part of my mind wondered if she’d woken up, and I began tapping my finger against my thigh before realizing what I was doing and stopped.
August replied, “She did. Alright, so that leaves the sponsorship kid, the scholarship kid, and the lucky kid.”
I quirked a brow and said, “Why’s Goldie the lucky kid?”
Marigold turned red as she pulled on her sleeves. “Oh, my… dad was the previous Dean before he passed away, and the board let me finish my studies as I was when he was alive.”
She didn’t look particularly mournful of her father’s death, but to be fair, neither was I when my father died, so I wasn’t in any place to judge.
“Sorry for your loss,” I said, nonetheless.
She shrugged and smiled, a pursed set of lips and an uncomfortable crinkle of her eyes. “T-thanks.”
I turned back to the group and caught the tail end of Rain’s eye roll, subtly nudging my head in question, but she only shook me off. “I think… that Queen may have nominated either Alexandr or August.”
August recoiled and took the words forming in my mind out from the tip of my tongue, “Why would you say that?”
“Well, because if he wanted to teach his son a lesson, what better way than appointing the boy his son picks on or picking someone, albeit worthy, off the street.”
Huh. It made complete sense, and I smothered the feeling of belonging inside of me at Rain, of all people, with the highest of expectations, calling me worthy.
But I had my confirmations about Thaddeus, and despite Callum’s curiosity, he’d known and picked on August longer. It made complete sense.
“Why did you suspect Thaddeus to be the one who appointed you?” Rain asked.
I looked at the people around me. Knowing that, unless I decided to leave it all behind, they were the only ones compelled by duty to keep a secret.
I sighed and revealed what I knew, “I followed Thaddeus one night after our meeting and I… overheard him talking about me. I don’t suspect, I know Thaddeus was the one to appoint me. ”
Wolf leaned back, remaining silent.
I loosened the tie hanging like a noose around my neck and sat back on the carpet. “He said he had been the one to assign the essay I’d written, the one that won me a place here, and that he liked my answer.”
Ajax hummed loudly in realization. “The essay you told us about during your tour.”
I nodded. “The very one.”
Rain’s eyes didn’t leave mine, something passing over them that I couldn't decipher. Her eyes widened the tiniest bit before she looked back down at the photo. “So, Thaddeus appointed you. Matthew Queen appointed August. That leaves Cassius Vale to appoint Marigold. Do you know any Vale?”
Rain turned to Marigold who froze under the attention of the student body president before shaking her head quickly. “No.”
Wolf interjected, “But Cassius doesn’t sit on the board. His older brother does. Soren Vale.”
Rain nodded and tapped the young man’s grinning face in the photo with her perfectly manicured nails. “I was going to say.”
She stared at Cassius Vale’s face for a moment too long before shaking her head and massaging her temples. “That doesn’t matter. Callum, unless absolutely crazy, won’t go up against Thaddeus, let alone the board. For now, we focus on tomorrow.”
Right.
Tomorrow was the Fenlon Society’s party. Rain gave the okay when the vice president, Ajax, asked for after-hours approval for the student body invited.
He straightened. “None of you are on the list, no offense but we can’t have anything trace back, so you’ll enter from the window I’ll leave open–”
“I’m assuming it’s floor level?” Wolf questioned.
Ajax rolled his eyes and retorted sarcastically, “No, I was just going to ask one of you to bring a ladder. Anyways, Scott will be too lucid to know what hit him… What with his current state and all.”
He seemed to trail off, and Rain spoke up too quickly for me to wrap my head around the look he had in his eyes. “Are you feeling guilty? Ajax, so help me God…”
Ajax puffed out his chest and jumped to refute, “I am not! I just… When it was mine and August’s turn to snoop around his room, there was a family picture–”
Rain looked like a dog with a massive piece of steak in front of her. “And?”
“Turns out… their mom has cancer. She was bald in the photo and it’s clear she wears wigs in public.”
Rain deflated and ran her hands over her face in frustration before hissing out at the results of his words. “No woman starts something she won’t even live to see through, you imbecile. She doesn’t have cancer.”
August flinched. “How would you explain the picture, then, huh? A trick of the light?”
I interjected, finding this to be a complete waste of time. “It could be a cultural or religious thing. I’ve heard some people do that.”
I hadn’t, never have, but Rain had a point.
Wolf scrunched his brows. “Well, it can’t be cultural or religious if you’re ashamed of it, can it? The wigs?”
I made a sound of agreement, considering the possibility, but August spoke up, “My mother has cancer, and it just–… It just hit close to home, okay?”
I tilted my head and studied the dejected boy. If we gave everyone struggling in life a second chance, we would be deemed unworthy to sit on the board. The current members didn’t get to where they were by comparing and pitying everyone they went up against.
If the Kensington family’s mother has cancer, wouldn’t she focus on her own health rather than the structure of Castle Hill?
Of all things, she couldn’t possibly see it as a dying accomplishment. The board, with all its dark and twisted ways, understood that to thrive and continue existing without persecution, there had to exist a greater pool of wealth than their own.
To give hope to those down below and looking above, placate them from revolutionizing, and to have as many useful players in the field.