Torment

by Lauren Kate

Page 38

 

  He caught her chin with his nger and tilted her head up. He was eyeing her curiously. She waited for him to interrupt, but he didnt.

  "I didnt leave Shoreline to spite you," she continued. "I left because I didnt understand why it mattered. And I put my friends in danger because of it. "

  Daniel held her face in front of his. The violet in his eyes practically glowed. "I have failed you too many times before," he whispered. "And in this life maybe Ive erred on the side of caution. I should have known youd test whatever boundary you were given. You wouldnt be . . . the girl I loved if you didnt. " Luce waited for him to smile down at her. He didnt. "Theres just so much at stake this time around. Ive been so focused on--"

  "The Outcasts?"

  "Theyre the ones who took your friend," Daniel said. "They can barely identify right from left, let alone which side theyre working for. "

  Luce thought back to the girl Cam had shot with the silver arrow, to the good-looking empty-eyed boy in the diner. "Because theyre blind. "

  Daniel looked down at his hands, rubbing his ngers together. He looked as if he might be sick. "Blind but very brutal. " He reached up and traced one of her blond curls with his nger. "You were smart to dye your hair. It kept you safe when I couldnt get there fast enough. "

  "Smart?" Luce was horri ed. "Dawn could have died because I got my hands on a cheap bottle of bleach. How is that smart? If . . . if I dyed my hair black tomorrow, you mean the Outcasts would suddenly be able to nd me?"

  Daniel shook his head roughly. "They shouldnt have found their way onto this campus at all. They should never have been able to get their hands on any of you. I am working night and day to keep them from you--from this whole school. Someones aiding them, and I dont know who--"

  "Cam. " What else would he have been doing here?

  But Daniel shook his head. "Whoever it is will regret it. "

  Luce crossed her arms over her chest. Her face still felt hot from crying. "I guess this means I dont get to go home for Thanksgiving?" She closed her eyes, trying not to picture her parents crestfallen faces. "Dont answer that. "

  "Please. " Daniels voice was so earnest. "Its only for a little while longer. "

  She nodded. "The truce timeline. "

  "What?" His hands gripped her shoulders tightly. "How did you--"

  "I know. " Luce hoped he couldnt feel that her body had begun to tremble. It got worse when she tried to act more assured than she felt. "And I know that at some point soon, you will tip the balance between Heaven and Hell. "

  "Who told you that?" Daniel was arching his shoulders back, which she knew meant he was trying to keep his wings from unfurling.

  "I gured it out. A lot goes on here when youre not around. "

  A hint of envy ashed through Daniels eyes. At rst, it felt almost good to be able to provoke that in him, but Luce didnt want to make him jealous. Especially with so many bigger things at hand.

  "Im sorry," she said. "The last thing you need right now is me distracting you. What youre doing . . . it sounds like a pretty big deal. "

  She left it at that, hoping Daniel would feel comfortable enough to tell her more. This was the most open, honest, and mature conversation theyd had, maybe ever.

  But then, too soon, the cloud she hadnt even known shed been dreading passed over Daniels face. "Put all of that out of your head. You dont know what you think you know. "

  Disappointment ooded through Luces body. He was still treating her like a child. One step forward, ten steps back.

  She gathered her feet under her and stood up on the ledge.

  "I know one thing, Daniel," she said, staring down at him. "If it were me, there wouldnt be a question. If it were me the whole universe was waiting on to tip the scales, I would just pick the side of good. "

  Daniels violet eyes stared straight ahead, into the shadowy forest.

  "You would just pick good," he repeated. His voice sounded both numb and desperately sad. Sadder than shed ever heard him sound before.

  Luce had to resist the urge to crouch down and apologize. Instead, she turned, leaving Daniel behind her. Wasnt it obvious that he was supposed to pick good? Wouldnt anyone?

  Chapter Fourteen

  FIVE DAYS

  Someone had ratted them out.

  On Sunday morning, while the rest of the campus was still eerily calm, Shelby, Miles, and Luce sat in a row on one side of Francescas o ce, waiting to be interrogated. Her o ce was larger than Stevens--brighter, too, with a high, sloping ceiling and three large windows facing the forest to the north, each with thick lavender velvet curtains, parted to show a shocking blue sky. A large framed photograph of a galaxy, hanging over the tall marble-topped desk, was the only piece of art in the room. The baroque chairs they sat on were chic but uncomfortable. Luce couldnt stopdgeting.

  " `Anonymous tip, my ass," Shelby muttered, quoting the harsh email theyd each received from Francesca this morning. "This immature tattling reeks of Lilith. "

  Luce didnt think it was possible that Lilith--or any of the students, really--would have known theyd left campus. Someone else had looped their teachers in.

  "Whats taking them so long?" Miles nodded toward Stevens o ce on the other side of the wall, where they could hear their teachers arguing in low voices. "Its like theyre coming up with a punishment before theyve even heard our side of the story!" He bit his lower lip. "What is our side of the story, by the way?"

  But Luce wasnt listening. "I really dont see whats so di cult," she said under her breath, more to herself than the others. "You just pick a side and move on. "

  "Huh?" Miles and Shelby said in unison.

  "Sorry," Luce said. "Its just . . . you know what Arriane was saying about tipping the scales the other night? I brought it up to Daniel, and he got all weird. Seriously, how is it not obvious that theres a right answer here and a wrong one?"

  "Its obvious to me," Miles said. "Theres a good choice and a bad choice. "

  "How can you say that?" Shelby asked. "That kind of thinking is exactly what got us into this mess in the rst place. Blind faith! Blanket acceptance of a practically obsolete dichotomy!" Her face was turning red and her voice had gotten loud enough that Francesca and Steven could probably hear. "I am so sick of all these angels and demons taking sides--blah blah blah, theyre evil! No, theyre evil! On and on--like they know whats best for everyone in the universe. "

  "So youre suggesting Daniel side with evil?" Miles sco ed. "Bring on the end of the world?"

  "I dont give a damn what Daniel does," Shelby said. "And frankly, I nd it hard to believe that its all up to him, anyway. "

  But it had to be. Luce couldnt think of any other explanation.

  "Look, maybe the lines arent as clear-cut as were taught they are," Shelby continued. "I mean, who says Lucifer is so bad--"

  "Um, everyone?" Miles said, looking to Luce for support.

  "Wrong," Shelby barked. "A group of very persuasive angels trying to preserve the status quo. Just because they won a big battle a long time ago, they think it gives them the right. "

  Luce watched Shelbys eyebrows bunch up as she slumped against the rigid back of her chair. Her words made Luce think of something shed heard somewhere else. . . .

  "The victors rewrite history," she murmured. That was what Cam had said to her that day at Noyo Point. Wasnt that what Shelby meant? That the losers ended up with a bad rap? Their viewpoints were both similar--only, Cam, of course, was legitimately evil. Right? And Shelby was just talking.

  "Exactly. " Shelby nodded at Luce. "Wait--what?"

  Just then, Francesca and Steven walked through the door. Francesca lowered herself into the black swivel chair at her desk. Steven stood behind her, his hands resting lightly on the back of the chair. He looked as breezy in his jeans and crisp white shirt as Francesca looked severe in her tailored black dress with the rigid square-cut neckline.

  It brought to Luces mind Shelbys talk about blurred lines, and the
connotations of words like angel and demon. Of course it was super cial to make judgments based solely on Stevens and Francescas clothing, but then again, it wasnt just that. In a lot of ways, it was easy to forget which one of them was which.

  "Who wants to go rst?" Francesca asked, resting her interlaced manicured hands on the marble desktop. "We know everything that happened, so dont even bother contesting those details. This is your chance to tell us why. "

  Luce inhaled deeply. Though she hadnt been prepared for Francesca to turn over the oor so soon, she didnt want Miles or Shelby trying to cover for her. "It was my fault," she said. "I wanted to--" She looked at Stevens drawn expression, then down at her lap. "I saw something in the Announcers, something from my past, and I wanted to see more. "

  "And so you went for a dangerous joyride--an unauthorized passage through an Announcer, imperiling two of your classmates who really should have known better--the day after another one of your classmates was kidnapped?" Francesca asked.

  "Thats not fair," Luce said. "You were the one downplaying what happened to Dawn. We thought we were just going to look into something, but--"

  "But . . . ?" Steven prodded. "But you realize now how utterly moronic that line of thinking was?"

  Luce gripped her chairs armrests, trying to ght back tears. Francesca was cross with all three of them, but it seemed that all of Stevens fury was coming down solely on Luce. It wasnt fair.

  "Yes, okay, we snuck out of school and went to Vegas," she said nally. "But the only reason we were in danger was because you kept me in the dark. You knew someone was after me and you probably even know why. I wouldnt have left campus if youd just told me. " dark. You knew someone was after me and you probably even know why. I wouldnt have left campus if youd just told me. "

  Steven stared Luce down with eyes like re. "If youre saying we honestly have to be that explicit with you, Luce, then I am disappointed. " He cupped a hand on Francescas shoulder. "Perhaps you were right about her, dear. "

  "Wait--" Luce said.

  But Francesca made a stop sign with her hand. "Need we also be explicit about the fact that the opportunity youve been given at Shoreline for educational and personal growth is--for you--a once-in-a-thousand-lifetimes experience?" A pink ush rose on her cheeks. "Youve created a very awkward situation for us. The main school"--she gestured to the south portion of campus--"has its detentions and its community service programs for students who step out of line. But Steven and I dont have a system of punishment in place. Weve been fortunate until now to have students who did not overstep our very lenient boundaries. "

  "Until now," Steven said, looking at Luce. "But Francesca and I both agree that a swift and severe sentence must be handed down. "

  Luce leaned forward in her chair. "But Shelby and Miles didnt--"

  "Exactly. " Francesca nodded. "Which is why, when you are dismissed, Shelby and Miles will report to Mr. Kramer in the main school for community service. Shorelines annual Harvest Fest food drive begins tomorrow, so Im sure youll have your work cut out for you. "