Chapter 5 #3
“I already did that,” I replied. “Both phones, actually, because the burner one survived the fall. But there was nothing on either of them to suggest she had a boyfriend at all. So she hid it really well.”
“Damn,” Dylan muttered. “That could’ve been a smoking gun.”
“Then I’ll find another one. I have to,” I said. “The question now is… will any of you help me?”
Another hush fell over the group, and the four of them once again exchanged uneasy glances.
“We want justice for Cal,” Cherry finally said. “But the Dionysus Club is so dangerous, Violet. If we get caught looking into them…”
She trailed off, letting the implication dangle in the air.
“I understand that you’re scared.” I leaned forward, voice low and even. “But I’m not asking you to put your lives on the line. If anything happens, and they find out someone is investigating them… I’ll just say it was all me. You guys didn’t know a thing.”
Silence again. I could see the battle flickering behind their eyes; the terror, the loyalty, the guilt.
“I’ll do it,” Jeremiah finally said, even though his hands were shaking a little on the table. “I’ll help.”
“Well, you can’t do it without me,” Dylan quickly added.
“Or me,” Ginny jumped in.
We all turned our gazes to Cherry, and she dipped her chin in a brief nod, eyes glistening with tears. “Of course I’ll help you, Vee,” she said softly. Her hand instantly flew to her mouth. “Oh my god. Sorry. I can’t just use your sister’s nickname for you like that. We only met four hours ago.”
I gave her a wobbly smile as my throat tightened. “It’s fine,” I murmured. “I love that name.”
That broke the tension. The group let out a collective exhale, and for the first time that night, a small flicker of hope pulsed between us.
We spent another half hour planning; figuring out how to communicate, what to start digging into first, who we might be able to trust. Nothing concrete, but it was a start.
When we finally left, the five of us walked back to campus together, keeping close. At the edge of the northeast quad, we said our goodbyes and split off toward our separate dorms.
By the time I reached the main path toward the Athena building, the campus had mostly emptied out.
Shadows twisted across the cobblestones with every gust of wind, elongating and shrinking like living things as dried leaves skittered past my feet.
Somewhere in the distance, a bell tolled, low and resonant.
I shoved my hands in my jacket pockets and sucked in a deep breath, wishing my pulse would stop jumping at every sound.
I knew it was probably just nerves, or adrenaline still burning from the earlier conversation, but still…
I couldn’t shake that familiar old feeling of being watched.
That prickling awareness between my shoulder blades.
The way the air suddenly felt heavier than before.
I slowed my steps and glanced over my shoulder.
Nothing. Just empty paths and pools of lamplight.
Then, a low rumble of laughter carried across the other side of the courtyard. I turned back around to see two guys standing near a fountain. One was shorter and stocky, with sandy-blond hair. The other was taller and dark-haired, with his hands tucked casually into the pockets of a black jacket.
With a start, I realized it was Julian Valcourt. He wasn’t looking at me, though. Didn’t even seem to know I was there.
Keep walking, I told myself. Don't stare. Don't give him any reason to notice you.
I turned back toward the path and forced my legs to move, one foot in front of the other. My heart was hammering now, and I hated how much power this guy—this complete stranger, really—had over me without even trying. Just the sight of him was enough to set every nerve in my body on edge.
I made it another ten steps before that inexplicable, magnetic pull made me glance back over my shoulder.
Julian’s head had turned.
He was staring straight at me now, his expression unreadable in the lamplight. The other guy was still talking, gesturing with one hand, but Julian clearly wasn't listening to him anymore. His entire focus had shifted to me.
Our eyes locked.
For a heartbeat, neither of us moved. The distance between us somehow felt impossibly vast and suffocatingly small at the same time. I couldn't tell if he was surprised to see me, or if he'd known I was there all along and had just been waiting for me to look.
Then, slowly, his mouth curved into that same crooked smile I'd seen on my first day here. The one that felt less like amusement and more like a dark promise.
I tore my gaze away and turned back toward my dorm, walking faster now, nearly jogging. I didn't look back again. Didn't dare. But I could feel Julian’s eyes on me the entire way.
Even after I'd pushed through the doors of the Athena building and let them swing shut behind me, even as I climbed the stairs to my floor and fumbled with my key, I could still feel it. That dark presence. Those eyes on me.
Julian Valcourt knew exactly who I was… and he was watching.