“Don’t do that,” I choked out.
“I’m trying to apologize to you.”
“Yes, and you didn’t do a bad job, for your first time. But don’t be sorry for them choosing me. You had nothing to do with it, and besides, I’m not sorry. It seems to me I was exactly what this dump needed.” I stood up and brushed off my skirt. “And as for making it up to me, I know what will be a good start.”
“What?”
I beckoned him with my finger. “Dry your eyes, rich boy. Follow me.”
Chapter Twenty-One
We went back to my room and waited until dark. It was strange seeing Trey Bloomberg sitting on the edge of my shitty bed, his gorgeous ass sinking into the broken springs as he tried to pretend he wasn’t freaked out by the scritch-scritch-scritch of the rats in the walls. Surprisingly, we found a lot to talk about – books we enjoyed, movies we hated, dreams we gave up on.
When the clock struck eleven, I hauled him to his feet and shoved him out the door. Trey trailed after me as we crept across the atrium into the classroom wing. Our feet padded against the polished stone floors. At the end of the hall, I stopped outside the door to the art suite. Neither Trey nor I were taking art as a subject, but I’d spent enough time in the art suite at my old school with Dante that I figured they’d have what I wanted.
Annoyingly, they didn’t. After picking the lock on the studio door, I searched all the cabinets but couldn’t find any spray paint. Apparently, rich kids spent their time trying to copy the masters instead of experimenting with street art. Never mind. I found some thick square-headed brushes and two cans of red paint. I shoved them into Trey’s hands.
“Why do we need these?” He asked.
“You ask too many questions, Bloomberg.” I threw the door open and beckoned him to follow me. “Come on, spoiled King. Keep up.”
“Hazel, what are we doing here?”
Trey and I stood opposite the gym, staring up at the dressed stone facade of the building.
I gestured to the wall with my brush. “I thought it was obvious. We’re going to graffiti that wall.” I shoved the edge of the palette knife under the rim of the can and popped off the lid.
Trey’s eyes bugged out of his head. “We can’t do that.”
“Why not?” I grinned.
“Why not? Because that wall has stood for over five hundred years. Parris laid the first stone himself. It’s historical.”
“So? It will continue to stand. It will just be a little… decorated.” I swirled my brush around in the paint. “Come on, Trey. You said yourself, there’s no future behind the walls of this school. The only reason people don’t do shit like this is because they’re afraid. But what’s there to be afraid of when you’re already fucking dead?”
“Plenty.” A shudder ran through Trey’s body.
“Okay fine, so that star-gobbling deity could devour your soul or whatever. But if it’s so all-powerful, it’s got better things to do than worry about a couple of kids slapping some paint on a wall. Here, I’ll show you.”
“Hazel, no!” Trey grabbed for my brush, but I darted around him and slapped a long diagonal line across the stones. Red paint dribbled down the wall, like rivers of blood.
“And look, I can make it into a dick,” I smirked to myself as I turned the line into an enormous cock, complete with a huge set of balls. “Because this school is full of dicks. Consider it a class portrait.”
Trey made a choking noise. His shoulders trembled with suppressed laughter.
“Come on, rich boy. Your whole life you’ve done everything that’s been asked of you. And where’s it got you? King of a school of reanimated corpses, that’s where.” I slashed my paintbrush across the wall, painting a tic-tac-toe board. “Go on, it’s cathartic, I swear.”
Trey’s hand trembled. Red paint splattered on the starched collar of his shirt as he raised the brush. His shoulders tensed. The earth wobbled on its axis.
He pressed the brush into the stone, pulling away to leave a small red dot.
“Bloomberg, you rebel.” I slapped him on the shoulder. I could practically see the adrenaline surging through his veins.
A wicked grin spread across Trey’s lips, a smile that skipped stones across the river of my soul. He stared at the brush in his hand. After what felt like an eternity, he dipped it in the paint.
With two lines, Trey slashed a red cross into the tic-tac-toe board. Giggling, I placed a circle. He won, hooting and hollering as he enacted a dorky victory dance that was more appropriate for a major lottery win than a kid’s game that was rigged from the start.
I’d never imagined Trey like this, giddy with childish joy. He laughed and whooped as he slapped the paint as high as he could reach. We covered the wall in immature drawings, then collapsed on the grass to relish our orgy of rebellion. The historic wall was completely covered in dancing dicks, stick-figure representations of teachers involved in all manner of lewd activities, and some wonderfully poetic curse-words.
“Jizzwizard?” I pointed to a word Trey had just finished. “Where’d you come up with that?”
“Quinn said it to Ayaz once. It has a certain permeance.”
“Of course. And who’s that?” I asked, pointing to a caricature of a man with his mouth open, ready to suck on the enormous cock I’d drawn.
“My dad,” he replied, placing his hands behind his head and grinning up at his creation. “He thinks he’s this powerful leader, but really he’s just doing the bidding of his god. He’s a pawn, just like me.”
“You don’t have to be a pawn. Do you think when we’re free of this place, you’ll go to college?”
Beside me, Trey’s body stiffened. “You keep saying ‘when,’” he said, his voice straining. “But it’s never going to happen.”
“Have a little faith. I’m clever. Ayaz isn’t too bad himself. We’re going to crack this.”
“I know you’re clever. And you’re stubborn and strong, too. But you can’t stubborn your way out of this. The Great Old God has been trapped in that void for over five hundred years, drawing power from despairing souls. No one’s even come close to defeating it.”
“That’s because no one wanted to fight it.”
“We don’t know that. Maybe there were people in Parris’ circle who tried to stand up to him, and—”
“We do know that, because we know the people who are attracted to its power are exactly those who can’t resist it. Think of who your father might be if he was free from this need to control everyone and everything around him,” I touched my hand to his. “Think of who you might be.”
Trey shuddered. It was like he was shrugging off a heavy cloak that had been dragging him down.
“People who are truly free… they would never come to a place like Derleth Academy in the first place. They don’t need it.”
“Then why are you here?” he whispered, turning to me, his amber eyes burning.
“Isn’t it obvious?” I whispered back.
Trey’s lips brushed mine, not hot and needy like they had been before, but soft and warm and searching, brushing against mine with a featherlight touch.
This was the guy who’d been my tormenter from the moment I arrived at this school. He’d been specifically selected to unleash my own personal hell, and he’d done an admirable job. He’d broken me down, very nearly destroyed me. But in the process, he was destroying himself, and in this kiss we started to rebuild the broken walls—
“Is someone out there?” Professor Atwood called. I jerked my head up. Trey swore, rubbing his lip.
Two shadowed figures stepped out from the side entrance. Flashlight beams crisscrossed over the tennis courts.
“What do we do?” Trey looked terrified.
I grabbed his hand, yanking him to his feet. “We run!”
I took off toward the trees, Trey hot on my heels. I threw a glance over my shoulder. Light darted across the field only a few feet behind me. I dived into the rose bushes. Thorns snagged at my un
iform, scraping my skin and probably putting runs in my last good pair of stockings. I ran on, listening for Trey’s heavy breathing in my wake. The roses widened out into a small clearing. I pulled Trey down into it, the pair of us crouching in the fallen leaves and rosehips, clutching each other as we listened hard for our pursuers.
“I thought I saw a couple of students out here,” Atwood said, his voice loud and clear in the still night.
“You sure it wasn’t one of the aberrations?” I recognized Doctor Halsey’s voice. “They’ve been more active lately.”
“It must’ve been. They’re gone now. I just… look at that, on the wall!”
Halsey swore. “Those rotten kids. Hermia isn’t going to like this.”
“With the Eldritch Club breathing down her neck? That’s the understatement of the decade. We’d better go tell her.”
I waited for what seemed like forever. When my injured leg could no longer stand the pain of crouching down, I stood up, casting an eye across the field. It was empty, for now.
“Come on.” I grabbed Trey’s hand, dragging him out of the bushes. We emerged further west, closer to the dormitory building. Flashlights started to appear near the gym. I linked arms with Trey and the two of us flew to the fire exit, which we’d propped open with a piece of broken masonry.
I slammed into the door, shoving it open. The two of us dived inside, sprawling across the marble tiles, fighting to catch our breath.
“That was…” Trey struggled to his feet. He pulled me up and we leaned against each other, holding tight as we half gasped, half cackled with laughter. “My heart’s beating a mile a minute. Is this what life in the ghetto is like?”
“Oh sure,” I grinned back. “White graffiti artist like you, you’d fit right in.”
“You know, I think this is the most fun I’ve ever had.” Trey bent down, his lips inches from mine. I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his, eager to continue what we started before. Trey’s lips brushed against mine, his tongue yielding. I reached up to touch his cheek.
He tore himself away from me, clutching his head in his hands.
“What?” I demanded. “Don’t want to kiss the charity case anymore?”
“That’s not it,” he growled, backing down the corridor. “I promised myself I wouldn’t do this to you.”
“Wouldn’t do what?”
“Hazel, I treated you like shit.”
“I remember,” I said darkly. “I was there.”
“Right. So I can’t do this. I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve you.”
I rubbed my lip. A part of me wanted to say, what about what I want? But he was right – I wasn’t going to beg Trey Bloomberg for anything, even if my body still surged with heat, with need.
I shrugged. “If that’s what you want.”
The look on Trey’s face said what he wanted and what he thought he deserved were a universe apart. “Yes,” he said, and then louder, more definite. “Yes. It’s what I want.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.” He sucked in a breath. “Okay then. Goodnight.”
“Yeah.” I watched him turn, walk away from me. His body disappeared into the darkened corridor, cloaking himself in the night. A ghost retreating into the spirit realm, leaving behind only a cold spot and a shiver down the spine.
My spine was tingling all right, but not from cold. I pressed my finger to the scar on my wrist as a sick feeling crept across my chest. I thought about the revenge I was plotting. Of all the monarchs, Trey was the one who most deserved my punishment. His relentless cruelty had nearly broken me. When he held me over that cliff, something inside me snapped. I’d wanted him to let go.
I had to make these rich kids understand that they couldn’t treat people like that. They needed to be punished. So why did I feel so guilty about what I was about to do?
Was it because Trey Bloomberg was already punishing himself?
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Psst.” Nancy pretended to drop her books beside my desk in History class. I bent over so we could whisper to each other. “There’s an Eldritch Club meeting tonight.”
“Oh?”
“It’s probably best you make an appearance. There’s going to be a vote about the leadership of the Club. Courtney’s hoping you guys don’t show up.”
“So Trey and Quinn and Ayaz don’t know about this?”
“Trey knows,” she whispered back. “I think he’s trying to protect you by keeping you away, but I believe you deserve the chance to stick up for yourself.”
I was touched. Nancy had never been one of the worst bullies, but she had laughed along with the others when Trey and Courtney filled my locker with rotting meat and Ayaz had tossed maggots in my breakfast. She was guilty, too, but she seemed to be trying to make amends. I felt a familiar stab at the idea that if I could make my revenge happen, she’d be hurt by it, too.
“Thanks, Nancy.”
“No worries. See you at the bloodbath.”
After class, I grabbed Greg at his locker. “Eldritch Club meeting tonight,” I whispered, casting my eyes around the corridor, hoping Courtney or one of her minions weren’t keeping tabs on us. “Can you tell Andre?”
“If I see him.” Greg stacked his books inside his locker. “He didn’t come back to our room last night.”
“Shit.” He hadn’t sat with us at breakfast or lunch, either. “But wait, I saw him in class today. English Lit.”
Greg nodded. “Yeah. He was in my chemistry lab. But he didn’t say anything to me.”
“He never says anything.”
“You know what I mean.” Greg slammed his locker. Hard. The metal banged, making him jump. “Sorry. I’m still not sleeping well. I’m a little jumpy. I just wish I knew why he’s avoiding us.”
Andre’s disappearances played on my mind as I made my way back to my room after dinner. If he was seeing a girl, that was awesome, but I wished he’d talk to me or Greg about it. Especially Greg – that guy needed one less thing to worry about. I closed my bedroom door, turned around and—
A fist swung out and slammed into my face.
“Ow!” I staggered back, cupping my hand over my nose. I tasted metal.
A figure stepped out of the shadows. The light clicked on, blinding me momentarily. “Hello, gutter whore,” Courtney snarled. Behind her, John Hyde-Jones grinned maniacally.
Shit.
How did they get into my room?
Adrenaline pounded behind my eyes. My fight-or-flight response was permanently set to fight. I swung my fist, whooping with delight at the satisfying thwack it made when I connected with Courtney’s jaw.
Her head snapped back. She staggered and tripped over the bed, going down in a tornado of shrieking and flailing limbs. Unfortunately, that only created space for her goon squad to close in on me.
John leered in my face as he reached out to grab me. I ducked and got one good, solid kick between his legs before someone pinned my arms behind my back.
“Fuck… her… up!” John gasped, dropping to his knees. His face twisted in agony as he cupped his balls.
“With pleasure.” Tillie surged forward, an evil smirk on her face.
I kicked and screamed and struggled with everything I had. My foot slammed into Tillie’s stomach and she doubled over. But there were six of them and one of me, and not a lot of space to move. Derek swiped my legs from under me and slammed me on the floor. My jaw cracked on the bare stone. Stars danced in my vision. My ears rang and for a moment I forgot where I was.
Scritch-scritch-scritch. The rats circled overhead, roused by the smell of blood.
Then the group started kicking me, drawing me back to my body and all the trouble I was. Pain rained down on me – a flurry of feet and fists and foul words that shattered the adrenaline so I felt every blow. My mind struggled to process what was happening, what I should do in this situation. I tried to go for the shard in my sleeve, but someone kicked it out of my hand. Heavy boots crushed my fingers, pinning my wr
ist to the ground.
As the blows rained down, the god – their god – cried in its prison. Vile visions forced their way into my head as it lost another sliver of control, as its power waned and its grip on our world slid even further. I wondered vaguely why the students couldn’t feel it, but then a swift kick to the stomach slammed the air from my lungs and I didn’t wonder about anything.
I curled into a ball, protecting my face with my hands as I tried to lash out with my feet. They grabbed my ankles, held me down. “Spread her legs,” I heard John say. Dimly, I knew this was bad, but I couldn’t force my body to move as fast as I needed to.
“There’s no time,” Courtney leaned over me. She hocked a wad of spit into my face.
Her spittle rolled down my cheek, hot and humiliating. I’d never wanted to hurt anyone as much as I wanted to hurt this bitch, but she had me over a barrel and she knew it.
“You got lucky, whore. You were late showing up to this party, so you miss out on the punishment you deserve. But we’ve got to run. We have the reputation of the Eldritch Club to save.” Courtney stepped back, and Derek came forward, holding a length of rope. Fresh panic surged inside me. I bucked, trying to roll away, but Tillie still had her foot on my wrist, crushing my hand.
“The guys will notice I’m gone,” I gasped, as Derek wrenched my arms behind my back, lashing my hands together.
“No they won’t,” Courtney sang in a singsong voice. “Dear Trey is trying to keep you away from us, so he hasn’t even told you about tonight’s meeting. They won’t know anything is wrong until after the meeting, and I’m sure there will be so much to discuss that by then it will be too late. You’re a disgrace to everything the club stands for, and to the name of our school,” she hissed. “You’ve been warned, but still you insist on tainting everything with your filth. We’re here to clean house.”
Courtney held up a clear glass bottle with a screw top – one of the cleaning liquids the maintenance staff used to polish the marble floors. “Open wide, Hazy.” Quinn’s nickname grated in her nasal voice.
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