by Huss, JA
“I don’t know. I’ve never been to one. It’s only for seniors.”
“Well, what do you normally do at that tomb? You’ve been to meetings there before?”
“Yeah, of course. I’ve actually been going all my life. But only to family things. Tame things. This is some next-level shit, I think.”
“So I’ll get to go and see for myself, if I act like your concubine.”
“Ahhh. Yup. You can say no.”
“And stay home?”
“Right.”
“Fuck that, I’m going.”
“Cadee—”
“No. I’m going. If my parents were a part of this secret club, then I want to know what it’s about.”
“Well, this won’t be the only one. There’s another one for midwinter’s night. And then New Year’s. There’ll be two parties for that one. A regular New Year’s party at the Alumni Inn and then the other one in the early hours of the morning at the tomb.”
“Well, that’s ominous.”
“It’s an engagement party for Isabella and me.”
“Oh.”
“You don’t have to go.”
“But you do.”
“If I want to graduate. And hey, I’m OK with not graduating. I really don’t think it’s going to happen. But I would like to pull Isabella through this year, if I can. And then she won’t be around anymore. I mean, I would like to keep my eye on her just in case my father gets any sick ideas about using her to get to me. But I’m not marrying her. If you agree, I’ll play along for this year. And that’s it. Once it’s over, we’re out.”
She eases her way up my chest and places both her hands on either side of my face so she can look me in the eyes. “I want you to graduate. We have all kinds of interesting geological engineering projects ahead of us.”
“Speaking of that, my father gave me a research project for Capstone.”
“Oh, my God. You sound so smart right now.”
I laugh and so does she.
“What’s the project?”
“Some kind of underground radar shit? I’m not sure. But he planned it all out for me. I’m supposed to map the tomb area. Not the surface, but underneath it. He says they think there’s an undiscovered cavern under there.”
“Hmm. Sounds like a secret Fang and Feather crony job to me.”
“It’s definitely a secret crony job. But it’s either do that or come up with my own project. I’ll probably just do his.”
“The path of least resistance.”
“That’s me.” I sigh. “Good old Cooper Valcourt. Always looking for the easy way out.”
“Cooper, I’m fine with all this. I like Isabella. She’s not into you.”
“So not into me.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard… well. Dante told me she’s into girls. But when I tried to bring it up—”
“Don’t bring it up. She’s… I don’t know. In denial, maybe? Or… she’s just struggling with it.” I sigh again. “It upsets her and I don’t want her upset.”
“Yeah, she got mad at me. But I do like her. She tries hard.”
“She does try. But if you ever need her to come through in the end, don’t hold your breath.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN - CADEE
Before I know it, the first day of classes is upon me. I am mostly taking general ed, but I have a life-drawing studio class and a color theory class in my major. And the best part of that is that I got to go back to the bookstore to get art supplies.
I might’ve picked up a pair of High Court gym shorts and a mug while I was there.
Cooper and I don’t have any classes together, of course. But Sophie and I share a history class and Mona is in my English lit class. Having Sophie around is cool, but Mona and I can’t be friends if we’re still going through with Dante’s plan. And from the way she shuns me, I figure they still think this is happening. But I’m pretty sure none of the others are giving Dante and Mona a second thought.
I play along for the first week because she seems to be going out of her way to ignore me whenever I get too close, but I finally get her alone at the side of the humanities building.
“Mona!”
She turns, then looks nervously around. “What, Cadee? We’re not supposed to be on speaking terms.”
She’s wearing another sophisticated outfit. A pair of wide-legged, off-white pants and a tailored crop jacket in the same color that cinches tight high up on her waist. This is how she dresses now. Very put together. Very classy. Very Stepford Wife.
“You do realize that everyone is just pretty much going along with the plan, right? And by plan, I don’t mean Dante’s plan. They got their money back, and their cars—all their perks. No one seems to even remember that we all made a pact to get each other out. And we’re all living in the dorm now, except Ax.”
“I didn’t hear a question in there. Do you have a question for me?”
I huff. “Mona. We’re friends. We just talked to each other in the bursar’s office a couple weeks ago and everything was fine. What the fuck is going on?”
“I’m meeting Dante and his family for lunch in the Chairman’s dining room.” She smiles at me. “Would you like to join us?”
“What?”
“You’re so obsessed with what we’re doing. Come along. I think it will be enlightening. Lars will be there.”
“Lars? Why?”
“Come on, Cadee. You know why Lars is there.”
“No, I really don’t. And I’m going to pass on your offer. Cooper doesn’t want me alone with Lars anymore.”
“I wonder why.” She sighs. “At any rate, I have places to be and people to see. Bye, Cadee.”
“But—Mona! Is the plan still on?”
She stops walking, but doesn’t turn around. Just side eyes me over her shoulder. “You tell me, Cades. Does Dante look like the King to you?”
“Is he mad about that?”
She laughs. “That Cooper double-crossed him?” She narrows her eyes at me. “Why would he be mad about that?”
And then she disappears around the corner of the building.
Cooper and I almost never see each other during the day. He has some advanced physics class on groundwater modeling. And then some seriously fucking insane math that looks like secret code to me. But the weirdest thing is that he actually understands it. He says he never studies, and even though his transcript doesn’t have a single A on it, he’s got a couple B’s on there for the math classes.
Maybe his father did that.
Jesus Christ, Cadee. Have some faith in your boyfriend. Maybe he’s just naturally smart?
And when he’s not in those weird math and physics classes he’s across the lake at the tomb in the woods planning his big underground x-ray shit.
I have to admit, I’m surprised that Cooper is so… academic. He and I have never gone to school together, so I really have nothing to compare this year to, but he seems focused and before now, I would’ve never pegged him as someone who is focused on anything other than girls and partying. When I asked him about it, he told me, “Cadee, all I have to do is show up for class on time and sit for the exams. It’s really not that hard.”
OK, then. School is a breeze. Good for him.
But I’m not really used to this structured schedule, so while he’s playing in the dirt out at the tomb, I’m doing my best to organize my life as the weeks start flying by.
It’s not like Cooper and I don’t see each other. He sleeps in my room almost every night. And we spend the weekends with Ax at the inn. At first, we invited all the kids from summer rush, plus Isabella and them. But no one came. I’m still hoping that they will all show up for Thanksgiving though. I’m planning my very first dinner party.
Speaking of parties, every weekend there is a huge party at the Hunter Building and that’s where they prefer to be, I guess.
Me though? I don’t care for the drinking parties. I like hanging out with Ax and Cooper. Plus, Ax is making good progress on the renovatio
ns. I never see him on campus, and when I question him about it, he just gives me a vague explanation that senior year is all about writing his Capstone paper.
But everything seems to be in fast-forward mode. My dream year at High Court College almost seems to be passing me by. And pretty soon, homecoming is upon us and I begin to get nervous.
Not about homecoming, because Cooper already told me we’re going together as a couple.
But the harvest rite later that night? Now that does make me nervous.
I should just stay home. Just let Cooper and Isabella do their thing. And I have not forgotten Victor’s vague warning last summer that once you see that tomb, there’s no going back.
Still, I am insanely curious about what happens in there and even if I do have to walk behind Cooper and Isabella and play the part of his mistress concubine, there is no way in hell I’m staying home.
“Knock, knock!”
I turn and find Isabella pushing my curtains aside to enter my room. It’s nice out during the day, so I leave the foldaway doors open until evening when the nights turn chilly. “Come on in.” Isabella is wearing a very cute pair of pink velour sweat pants, a cropped white t-shirt, and pink and white shoes. She’s very pink today, but still very beautiful. She always looks beautiful. “What’s up?”
She shoots me a semi-evil smile. “I’m gonna need you to come with me.”
“I have to get ready for the dance tonight. Can it wait?”
“No, Cadee. It can’t. Girls!” Isabella claps her hands two times and then Valentina and Selina enter the room and scurry up to me. Valentina spins me around and says, “Don’t freak out and whatever you do, do not show fear!”
I laugh. “What?”
But then she slips a blindfold over my eyes and ties it around my head.
Before I can say anything else, Selina is tickling my ear with her soft breath and whispering, “We warned you, Fugling. We told you to get out. But you stayed. And now… you’re one of us.”
“Oh, my God! What—”
And then one of these bitches buckles a ball gag around my face and another one ties my hands behind my back. So even if I want to scream or take off the blindfold, I can’t!
“Be a good little girl,” Isabella whispers, her lips right up next to my cheek. “It’ll be worth it.”
Then she starts tugging me. I moan and fight, resisting.
But someone buckles a heavy collar around my neck and then I hear the tell-tale sound of a leash being clipped to it just before a pair of headphones blaring the High Court College fight song are slipped over my ears.
They tug me forward and I’m so stunned—and missing three of my most critical senses—I just go along. I really don’t have much choice because they are holding my arms tight. And then someone else takes a hold of my arm, and this is not the small hand of a college girl. It’s the large, strong, calloused hand of a man.
I start to panic.
What if this isn’t some innocent Fang and Feather prank, but a real kidnapping? What if Isabella wants to get rid of me so she can have her safe life with Cooper? Holy shit, what if I’m being sold into slavery for their secret breeding program?
I take a deep breath. Surely, that is not happening.
I’m walked through the woods, and then my feet hit pavement and then, a few short seconds later, I’m shoved into a car with soft leather seats. I scoot over, and someone gets in next to me. Not Isabella. In fact, I don’t think the girls are with me anymore. It’s definitely a man. I can smell his cologne.
Please be Cooper! Please!
The man lifts one of the headphones away from my ear and whispers, “Be good now, Cadee,” and it is definitely not Cooper.
It’s the Chairman.
He replaces the headphone, then slips his hand behind my back and takes one of my hands in his, holding it. Caressing my wrist the way he did that first meeting we had at the beginning of summer. This makes me have to arch my back so my chest is pointing forward. And I conjure up an image in my mind of what I’m wearing.
Very short shorts. Because they are bed shorts. I was just about to take a shower and start getting ready for the dance tonight. And a white tank top with no bra. Great. That’s just great.
I try to talk, but it comes out as incoherent humming. And then I squirm, but he just continues with his soft wrist caress until the car stops.
Suddenly, I’m being pulled out and led somewhere else.
I am helped up the stairs, and then I think we go inside somewhere, and suddenly… everything around me smells like flowers.
The blindfold is pulled down my face and the headphones are slipped off my head. Elexa, of all people, is staring at me.
“Surprise! Sorry for the drama. But it’s Fang and Feather, right?” She shrugs, like this explains everything.
I shake my head and wiggle.
“Oh, sorry.” Elexa unbuckles the ball gag.
“What the fuck! The Chairman was in the car with me! And why are you wearing a bathrobe?”
That’s when I realize where I’m at.
A… spa. I think. It looks very spa-y.
Elexa is untying my hands and then I am free again. “Cadee, I don’t make the rules. I was told to be here at noon sharp. Apparently, I’m your attendant for the day and I have to get you ready. You might have stolen the fucking crown—twice, I might add. First Lacy Pendleton’s scholarship and now this! But the rest of us plebs have to earn tomb points before we’re allowed to go to the parties.”
“I didn’t steal that stupid scholarship. I paid my own tuition, thank you. And… oh. You’re not going to the harvest thing tonight?”
“Rub it in a little more, why don’t you?”
“Sorry, I didn’t know. I thought we were all going.”
She sneers at me. “You would think that.”
“What’s that mean?”
“As if.” Elexa snorts. “Cadee, you’re a fucking freshman. And you’re living in the Cygnet’s bedroom!”
I feel a little defensive about this. “It’s kinda my bedroom, Elexa. It is my building.”
“Whoa!” Elexa says, holding up both her hands. “Excuse me, my queen! Not everyone had buildings named after them. Especially when they were nobody last year.”
“Jesus Christ, Elexa. Jealous much?”
She sighs deeply, then pouts. “Sorry. But I really want to go to that party.”
“How many points do you need to attend?”
“No, this is out of the question. The Chairman said—”
“Fucking Chairman! He was in the car with me! He was—” I stop. Because ewwww. Just come on, Chairman. Why? Why do you have to be so creepy?
“Can you not interrupt me?” Elexa shoots me a dirty look. “I was saying… the Chairman said if we do our jobs perfectly, we should earn enough points to attend the next one.”
“Which is when?”
“How the fuck should I know? Do I look like the goddamned Fang and Feather calendar girl?”
I point at her. “You know what? You’re a bitch.”
“So?”
“So… when I get that little card at the end the night that says, ‘How did we do?’ I’m gonna give you one star. And no tip! Good luck getting an invite to the next tomb party!”
She scowls and tilts her chin up. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“I would so dare, Elexa. Stop being a bitch to me!” She huffs as I look around. “What is this place?”
“Your dressing room, my queen.” She says this in a soft, demure humble servant voice.
“Where’s Isabella? She set me up!”
“She’s next door with Sophie.”
“OK. Well. What do we do?”
Elexa walks over to the door where a fluffy white robe is hanging on a hook, one that looks like a more luxurious version of the one she’s wearing. She takes it down and walks over to me. “Get naked. We have an appointment with a bathtub.” Then she just stands there and shakes it to emphasize her demand. “Well
? Hurry up! Oh, wait. Let me guess. You want me to take your clothes off like the servants in Downton Abbey?” She actually growls, probably picturing this. “Take your own fucking clothes off.”
OK, that’s it. I’m so done with her. I narrow my eyes and glare at her. “Take your own fucking clothes off… what?”
She curtseys. “Take your own clothes off… my fucking queen.”
“That’s better.” We both laugh a little. “Seriously, Elexa, whatever’s happening, it’s got nothing to do with me, OK? Save your attitude for the people responsible.”
“I’m just so mad. What is the point of going through all that shit over the summer if we don’t even get to be a part of the rites?”
I make a face at her. “The point was to not have to go, remember? How did everyone just forget that we have a plan and it involves getting out, not in?”
“Ivan and I have always wanted in. You guys just talked us in to Dante’s stupid plan.”
“How can you even say that? Didn’t you hear everyone telling me it’s only going to get worse that first week? This secret club they have is dangerous, Elexa.”
“So? I can handle it. Ivan is on my side. And maybe he’s no Cooper Valcourt, but his family has power here.”
I scowl at her. “So you’re out of the plan? We’re not going to dethrone Cooper and give it to Dante so he can rule the school?”
“What makes Dante so qualified?”
“Ohhhh. I get it. You and Ivan think you two deserve it, don’t you?”
“Just undress and put the robe on, Cadee. They’re waiting for you in the tub room.”
“Who’s waiting for me?”
But she doesn’t answer. Just walks over to the door where the robe was hanging and waits.
I give in and just take off my clothes, then slip the fluffy robe on. “OK. Let’s go.”
Elexa frowns, then sighs, smiles, curtseys—and finally opens the door for me.
“It’s about time.”
The first thing I see is Isabella sitting inside a giant freestanding tub filled with bubbles.
“Oh, sorry! Do we have the wrong room?”
Then I see Sophie walking over to Isabella with one of those long wooden-handled back washer things. Naked.