Soci

ing at the cracks on my ceiling, wondering how many of those lines had been d

d if he was, someone had made s

I wo

it kil

, chairs scraping, phones buzzing. But when I walke

d-too loud,

y k

a tray. I walked s

plate, was mid-eye roll at a

id, waving me over. "Save me f

gnoring the guy who

swers," I

s eyes

re done playin

ed first

rary and the theater hall, to a door that loo

her hair and picked the lo

. "He also taught me how to set

m: dusty books, broken f

d me a fl

e we loo

ng logs. Blackmail. Human sacrif

labeled Ceremoni

were

n Mor

us C

lind

ali

s dead

Eloise asked

," I

list of initiation rules, and one line had been bl

ille

t a small bottle

d. "Heat reveals ink. My

red a

ha

paper held over a lighter

egacy without lineage. No

that mean?"

's fac

about blood. Family. Lineage." She swallowed. "They we

at the na

vi

rc

ali

ru

pered even before I un

a marriage with Marcus

that make

mach t

m in the g

with gloved hands like a

new,"

look up. "

ther. Marcus. The S

lot of thi

hip?" I pressed. "Was it

inally. Eyes cold

to know if you're m

saw

tly. "That's what

n't r

lood. My mother lied. Marcus was never my real f

ld she d

ore than truth here. You

een us buzzed, t

ook a ste

But if you keep digging, you'll find things

ready b

ed near mine,

," he said.

nd a letter tucke

end up like your brother

th it wa

. Sle

ad been i

to the bathroom b

day, I

ronted

h the Board, in the old libr

e was a mask. "Se

ociety. I know about you and Mom.

aw te

ful,

r. You don't get to

d closer,

eep this goes. You're n

to be ready. I

? Fine. Your brother was going to burn e

whe

rson he thought

ho

Aud

out, heart

ands on the piano keys, playing

lped hi

id. "I help

lin

d evidence. Real proof. But he was scared. So we

n wh

vanishe

re i

n't k

cream. Cry. H

I sat b

sic st

n't do this?"

u c

sca

shoul

ked a

e not alon

ght, I

storming out of detention with mascara

ecognized me, and l

. The brok

use

ersonally. We're all broken h

You were at

ace c

alk about

n was

rkened. "So

ien

s cousin. The golde

did

"He was in love with your bro