“Did you expect to hate it?” Lola sits, legs folded beneath her. Her wings still buzz.
“Pretty much.”
“Then, why did you come?” Janet asks.
“Long story.” I shrug. “I just never liked being surrounded by people I know are more powerful than me. Makes me feel like I have no control over what happens to me.” It’s a feeling I’ve worked to avoid for a really long time.
“Then you’ll love it in Minor Hall.”
I smile. Unfortunately, I can’t just fall into the comfort of Minor Hall because there’s no way my sister’s killer resides here. They’re in Elite Hall, almost certainly.
My stomach twists as I think back on my conversation with Jarron.
In order to get justice, I’ll have to face my fears, as well as beings I stand no chance against. Like Jarron. But I know everyone has a weakness. So long as I keep under the radar and don’t make any serious enemies, I’ll have time to unravel the mystery and then find the chink in my villain’s armor.
Janet scootches in, leaning close. “Okay, now, spill the tea. How do you know Jarron?”
Lola squeals and flutters to my inside shoulder so all three of us are crowded together. “Yes, yes, yes. You have to tell us.”
I sigh. “It’s not some big story. We knew each other as kids. I haven’t seen him in three years.”
“Three years?” Lola asks.
“Okay, but like, what kind of relationship did you have? Because I swear, I’ve never seen him look at anyone like that. Ever.”
“Like what?” I try to picture what she’s talking about. What about that conversation was significant? Other than that “please.”Which, if I’m totally honest with myself…
I shake my head. Nope. Not being honest with myself,got it.
“Hechasedyou,” Lola says, as if that means something to me.
“Jarron doesn’t chase anyone,” Janet says, her voice hushed and reverent. “You come to him or you don’t get to interact with him. It’s like he doesn’t care about anyone or anything. Except, apparently, you.”
“It’s not like that.”
“Are you sure? Because it’s hard for me to imagine Jarron doing that… ever. A wolf shifter, sure; they act on whims. Fae? Could be random fits of jealousy over anything at all. But the steely demon prince? Uh-uh. If he didn’t care, he wouldn’t have followed you. Or called for you. He wouldn’t have even looked in your direction.”
I can’t argue with them about any of this because I really don’t know Jarron. Not anymore. Instead, I explain our past interactions matter-of-factly. “His parents were two of my parents’ clients. They came into the shop a lot, and we played. Trevor was there too. My parents had a vacation house on the same island as his, and we spent a couple summers playing together.”
Lola sucks in a breath. “Myre Island?”
I nod.
Janet stills. “Maybe we were wrong to assume you’d stay in Minor Hall. If your parents have a house on Myre Island—”
“Not anymore. They sold it when we refused to go anymore.”
“We?”
I press my lips together. I have to stay calm. “Me and my sister. Once Jarron and his brother grew into their power, it was different. We didn’t feel safe with them anymore. We decided we didn’t want to be the weak ones in our friend group.”
“Where’s your sister now?”
Acid swirls in my belly. Emotion stings my throat. I’m not sure how to deal with this. How much truth should I tell them? I hadn’t planned to bring Elizabeth up at all, but now, how could I lie? How could I hide the emotions welling up inside all the time?
“She died. This summer,” I whisper the awful words. I hate saying them. I hate admitting it. My sister is dead, and every time I think about that fact, I want to burn the world to the ground.
Janet winces. “That’s terrible.”
