I snorted at my own silent joke.
The girls chased Ayaz down the hall, giggling as they caught up with him and started to grill him on his class schedule. He met my eyes over their heads, and the corners of his mouth tugged up, just a little. He pushed his way through the gaggle of girls and came right up to me. His hand flew to my cheek, stroking my skin. I heard one of the girls gasp.
It was one thing to cook me breakfast and help me banish a god behind closed doors, but for him to acknowledge me in public… things are definitely changing around here.
Ayaz grabbed my hand. “Come on.”
“But Ayaz,” one of the girls stepped forward. “Wouldn’t you rather—”
“No.”
Greg and Andre trailed after us as Ayaz dragged me into the senior common room – a space I’d never been allowed to enter before, except for my first day when I been snooping. Then, the common room had been deserted. Now, it was packed with students. Even though class was starting in less than twenty minutes and the dining hall was still open, what looked like the entire senior class was stuffed in like sardines, leaning against the walls, sitting on the floor, and perched on the edge of tables.
Trey sat on the kitchen island, swinging his legs casually, like he was waiting for a doctor’s appointment or for his private jet to be prepped. Behind him, Quinn whistled to himself as he made himself a coffee in the fancy espresso machine. Ayaz joined them, swiping a hand through his dark hair. The three of them standing there, so cool and casual, commanded the space. This was their domain. They belonged here.
And we didn’t. No wonder I felt like I was naked, and Andre was staring at his shoes. Greg smiled, but I could still see the haunted look in his eyes. The god was haunting him, too.
Toward the front of the crowd, Courtney folded her arms and glared at me. “What’s this about, Trey? Why is the gutter whore in our space?”
“This is just an informal gathering to let you all know that from this moment on, the scholarship students are off-limits,” Trey said. “We’ve had our fun with them last quarter, but that stops, now.”
A collective rumble rippled through the room. “This is fucking bullshit,” John Hyde-Jones growled from the back of the room. “Those plebs deserve to be crushed.”
Every word from his lips made my stomach twist as I thought about what he’d planned to do to me.
Courtney snorted. “You may be King of this school, Trey, but you don’t make those rules. Our traditions have been passed down for generations. The strong prey on the weak. It’s the way of the world, and none of us should fight it.”
“Oh, yeah?” Trey lifted my wrist and yanked up my sleeve, exposing the Elder Sign tattoo.
Silence dropped like a bomb, obliterating every whisper of dissent.
Courtney’s eyes flashed with rage. She stood up and stalked over to me. I glared right back at her, stepping forward so we were nose-to-nose. She grabbed my wrist and raked her nails over the tattoo, as if trying to scratch it off.
A jolt of pain lanced through my wrist. Inside my head, the god cried into his void. If Courtney felt its pain too, she didn’t show it. Her nails dug into my skin.
“It’s not a scratch-and-sniff,” I snapped, yanking my arm from her grasp. She grabbed Greg’s arm and flipped it over to see his tattoo, and then her eyes fell on Andre’s and she shrieked.
“You gave them the sign. You can’t do that!” Courtney faced off against Trey. “You don’t have the authority to—”
“I am in charge of the Eldritch Club at this school,” Trey said, his demeanor cool, calm. He looked completely bored with everything Courtney had to say. “Not you, Courtney. You want to talk about rules? You want to talk about who belongs? I don’t need to remind you that before you started fucking Quinn, you and your filthy new money were never part of the inner circle.”
“And now we’re not fucking anymore,” Quinn said gaily, lifting his coffee like it was a toast. “Perhaps you won’t be in much longer.”
“When I tell your father about this, he’s going to kill you,” Courtney spluttered.
“My father left me in charge of the club,” Trey growled. “He wouldn’t be pleased to know the new money slut is making trouble.”
Tillie stood up, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “If you won’t hear it from new money, then hear it from old. She isn’t one of us, Trey. None of them are. You’re making a mockery of everything the club stands for. For everything this school stands for.”
A few murmurs of assent rose from the crowd.
Ayaz stepped forward. “It’s ridiculous we’re still measuring our worth by our parents’ wealth. They’re not the ones here, we are. Maybe it’s time we—”
“Save the pretty speeches, Ataturk. No one cares what you think anymore. It looks like Trey has got another pet, which means that you’re about to lose your throne,” Courtney sneered at Trey. “Have you thrown Ayaz out of bed to make way for the gutter whore? Or do both of you stick your dicks in her at the same time?”
Ayaz growled low in his throat, like an animal. Trey threw his arm out just as Ayaz threw his body forward. “Don’t. She’s not worth it.”
“Yes, listen to your master, you Turkish dog,” Courtney chirped. “Although how much longer will he be the master, I wonder? He’s been so corrupted by the gutter trash that he’s allowed three scholarship students to wear our most sacred symbol even though they haven’t been initiated.”
Initiated?
Another grumble of assent rose through the students, louder this time.
Of course. What top-secret elite society was complete without a pointless, humiliating initiation ritual? I glanced over at Greg. He’d shrunk back behind Andre and was self-consciously tugging down the cuff of his shirt. If it protects Greg and Andre…
I shrugged. “Fine. Whatever. If it’ll make you happy, I’ll go through your initiation.”
“Hazel, shut up,” Trey growled.
“We’ll do it too,” Greg said, his voice wavering a bit. His eyes met mine and in them I recognized my own defiance. He didn’t know what was at stake, but he was willing to trust me and to fight for himself. Andre nodded, crossing his enormous arms across his chest and glaring at Courtney, daring her to take him on.
“No,” Trey said.
I glared at him. “I didn’t come to this school asking for special treatment. None of us did. You think we’re not worthy to get in unless we complete some initiation. Fine – then prove it.”
Courtney’s smile was pure evil. “You heard her, ladies and gentlemen. Shall we set the initiation for the first party of the quarter? That should give us time to ensure it’s done properly.”
The warning bell rang. No one moved.
Trey nodded at Courtney, but his eyes locked on mine. As usual, those icy-pools gave nothing away.“Set the initiation.”
Ayaz’s eyes blazed as he met the gaze of every student in the room. His challenge made several step back with unease. “You all know the rules,” he growled. “I’ll snap the fingers of anyone who breaks them.”
The students filed out of the common room. Greg gave me one of his wavering smiles. “Hazel, what did we just agree to?”
I shrugged. “Probably a world of pain. But if we get through it, they’ll leave us alone for the rest of the year.”
“That’d be nice.” Greg and Andre exchanged a glance. “I hope you’ve got a plan.”
Before I could answer, Quinn wrapped his arm around me. “You’re one crazy wench, did anyone ever tell you that?”
Trey kicked the island. I yelped as the wooden cabinet splintered, the door drooping on its hinges. Inside, crystal glasses clattered.
“Fuck,” Trey gasped, pulling back his leg to kick the next door. His hands balled into fists at his sides, and his shoulders shook with uncontrollable rage. “Fuck!”
I stepped in front of him, throwing my hands up before he tore the room to shreds. I had no doubt that he would do it. My mind flashed back to the day he d
umped the itching powder over Quinn’s face, how his anger consumed him, eating him up until he saw nothing but a black tunnel with no way out.
I knew a little about what that felt like.
“Trey, calm down. What’s the big deal? We’ll do the stupid initiation ceremony if that will make it safer for us. What does it involve, dancing over hot coals while reciting arcane Latin poetry?”
Trey flung himself away from me, too angry he couldn’t even answer. Quinn answered for him. “You’re taking that ancient history elective, right? You know the story of King Minos’ labyrinth and the minotaur? It’s like that.”
“Explain.”
“They drop you into one of the caves surrounding the school. You have to find your way back to campus. If you make it within a three-hour window, you’re in the club.”
“That’s it? We go on an obstacle course and we get to be in the secret club?”
“It’s not as easy as you think. There are miles of caves through these cliffs. It’s easy to get lost or completely turned around. As your sponsors, we’re not allowed to know where you’re dropped in advance. Courtney and Tillie will do their best to make sure you fail. And if you make a wrong turn… let’s just say there are things down there you don’t want to encounter in the dark.”
Chapter Nine
The date Courtney set for our initiation into the Eldritch Club was Halloween night, because of course it was. Apparently, the rich bitches needed a week to decide on just how they were going to torture us in the labyrinth of caves.
Oh, goody.
Meanwhile, the student body at large was occupied with the upcoming Halloween dance. It was one of the big events on the Derleth/Miskatonic social calendar. When the entire student body sans three students were soulless revenants and couldn’t step foot outside the boundaries of the school, they tended to go all out for a party. At our table in the dining hall, conversation centered around costume designs. Trey, Ayaz, and Quinn continued to command the monarch’s table, together with their loyal posse – Barclay, Arthur, Kenneth, Rupert, Paul, Mary, and Nancy. Greg, Andre, and I sat on the end, trying to ignore the dagger eyes other students threw our way. No one dared to insult us openly while the Kings were around, but they definitely weren’t happy about our new station.
On the opposite side of the hall, facing off with us like an opposing army, Courtney held court at what had once been the table reserved for scholarship students. She now commanded an army of her own, led by her boyfriend John and his equally thick-necked, creepy-smiled friends. I watched Loretta as she laughed with her new circle. When she used to sit with us all she’d do was shift food around her plate.
She was more alive as a revenant than she’d ever been.
That broke my heart a little. But I couldn’t focus on her. Loretta was already lost to me. I had to concentrate on keeping Greg and Andre alive. I was especially worried about Greg, who’d confessed he was barely sleeping since we’d rescued him from the caves.
I expected class to be awkward, what with all the teachers knowing about my pact, but things were so completely… normal. It was weird how everyone slipped into this routine – the teachers taught, the students passed notes and plotted Halloween hook-ups, like they hadn’t just been trying to rape me or sacrifice Greg to an ancient and malevolent god.
After twenty years of this farce, everyone knew their role.
The only thing that wasn’t normal was the way Trey, Quinn, and Ayaz closed in around me. Trey walked me between classes, glaring at anyone that so much as looked at me. Quinn acted like we were practically an item, always throwing his arms around me or lifting me over the threshold of a classroom. Ayaz brought me thoughtful gifts – a drawing he’d made of me, a bacon sandwich when I had to miss breakfast because of an early rehearsal.
“Andre’s right – the Kings are all hot for you,” Greg announced as we flung tulle and velvet at each other. We were raiding the costume and props room for outfits for the Halloween party. Quinn had just told me that the party was an alumni-sponsored event, which meant senior members of the Eldritch Club would be showing up.
I had to look like Hazel Waite, monarch of the school and Eldritch Club member. Difficult, considering the only clothing I had with me was my Derleth uniform and a few threadbare t-shirts. Luckily, Dr. Halsey allowed us free rein on the drama departments costumes and props, as long as we didn’t ruin anything.
I snorted at Greg. “It’s a game to them. They’re just trying to keep Courtney and her cronies away from us. Which is nice, but it’s not the same as being into me.”
Greg rolled his eyes. “Sure, honey. You keep telling yourself that.”
“Even if it was true, which it isn’t, I’m not going to date any of them, not after the things they did to me. To all of us. And I don’t want to hear another word about it. Where is Andre, anyway? I thought he’d want some say over his own costume.”
“I don’t know. He keeps disappearing on me as soon as class is over.” Greg rubbed his red-ringed eyes. “I assumed he was at choir practice but apparently that’s only on Thursdays.”
“Maybe he’s found himself a girl. Or a guy.” I pulled out a white Venetian mask and held it up to my face.
“I hope so, but I haven’t seen him with anyone, and of course he won’t say… ooooh, I like that.” Greg fished out a beautiful blush pink gown and held it under my chin. “These would look amazing together.”
“Yeah, they would. On someone else.” I tossed them back into the pile. Very cute, very not me. “You have a real eye for this. You’re such a gay cliche.”
Greg grinned. “I know. It’s on purpose.”
“Huh?”
“That gay guy – the camp, fashion-loving, show tune-singing, fabulous-talking guy – he’s a character. Most people can’t help but love him. If I’m him, then it’s easier being gay. Does that make sense?”
“Not really. Are you saying you just pretend to like musicals?”
“No, no. I love musicals. And acting. And playing a part. But I only got into theatre because I thought that’s what gay people were supposed to be into.” Greg placed a crown over his head. It fell down over one ear. “I grew up in this tiny rural town in Nebraska. All I knew about being gay was what I learned in church – that it was a sin and that sinners went to hell. But I didn’t know that being gay was what I was. I just knew that no one liked me and I felt like I didn’t belong. I came out to my parents accidentally when I was twelve. My sister had a boyfriend and I had a huge crush on him. I announced that I wanted a boyfriend, too. It was like they didn’t hear me. They just pretended I never said anything.”
“That must’ve hurt,” I said.
“Yeah.” He held up a pig costume and wrinkled his nose. “Insert many years of teen angst, until I started talking to other queer people on the internet and seeing gay men in TV shows – they dressed a certain way and acted a certain way and people liked them. No one had ever liked me. So I tried to be like them. And it worked – with my mom, at least. She started taking me shopping, giving me money to buy hair products, driving me to rehearsals at the local musical theater. It was like she felt safe with this version of me because she’d seen it on TV.”
“What about your dad?” I remembered what Greg had said about his dad taking him shooting.
“We never went shooting together after I came out,” Greg’s shoulders sagged. “I get it – Dad felt uncomfortable around me, like I’d somehow spoiled the father/son bond we had by liking men. But I also didn’t push it – I was trying to find myself in the world of gayness and there didn’t seem to be any room for shooting deer or skinning rabbits unless you were talking about the hottest fur trends at New York Fashion Week. For all I know, Dad might’ve had the hard word from Mom about not letting a minor shoot a gun. But the result was – no shooting, and we grew apart because I thought he didn’t accept who I was. I’ll never find out the truth, now. They were good people. They tried hard to accept me for who I am, but I think I was just
too much of a disappointment.”
“I can’t ever imagine you being a disappointment,” I said. Greg’s story was so sad. In speaking his truth, he’d lost who he really was. He felt like he didn’t fit anywhere. I could understand that. “How did they die?”
“They were driving my sister to the mountains for a week of hunting and fishing and camping. I can’t remember why I didn’t go with them. Maybe we’d had an argument and they forced me to stay home, maybe I offered to stay so it wouldn’t be awkward for them. All I remember about that day is getting the call from the state police. It was a drunk driver who ran them off the road. Mom and my sister died in the crash. Dad died in the hospital, minutes before I got there. It was as if he couldn’t even be bothered to wait for me.”
“I’m sure that’s not true.”
“I was supposed to inherit the farm, but it turned out my mom had all these gambling debts so their assets were seized. My conservative Christian relatives refused to care for me because of the gay thing, so I went into the system and… this is perfection.”
Greg held up a black velvet dress with a white lace collar, the kind of dress Wednesday Addams would wear if she was trying to seduce a billionaire. The skirt was mega short.
“No.” I folded my arms. “Not happening.”
Greg’s eyes gleamed. He set a pilgrim’s hat on his head. “We’ll go as the Witches of Salem. Shunned and persecuted because they were different, because they didn’t fit in. It’s perfect.”
“You’re not giving up on this, are you?”
“Not on your life.”
I snatched the dress from his hands. “Fine. But only if I get to turn Courtney into a toad.”
The warning bell rang. Greg shoved the pilgrim hat under his arm. “We’ve got physics. You need to swing by your locker first?”
“Go on without me.” I slid my hand in my pocket, feeling around for the small tube I’d taken from the art department and hidden there. A Halloween party with elaborate costumes was the perfect time to start my revenge plans. “I have something I need to do first.”
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