Page 11 of Savage Elites

“You’re holding it.” Leopold twisted in his seat. “And there’s plenty of drinking water at the hideout.”

My shoulders slumped. “I’m not sure what to do.”

“You have sixteen days to piece together your memories,” said Leopold. “Let’s take things a day at a time. Focus on getting better, clear your head. Maybe the fresh air, good food, and all the hard cock you’ll get over the next couple of weeks will restore you to peak health.”

I raised my head. “What did you say?”

“Just checking your mental reflexes.” He flashed me a grin. “I would have worried if you weren’t excited at the prospect of what’s to cum.”

My eyes narrowed. Was that a double-entendre, or had I misheard him?

“Joking apart,” said Sebastian. “You need somewhere quiet where you can focus on getting better and remembering who shoved you over that mountain.”

My stomach twisted. “Are you alright? You seem a little melancholy.”

Sebastian shook his head. “Just thinking about that night.”

highway, which bisected swathes of frost-covered countryside. A long sigh heaved out of my lungs. Had I offended him on that Monday? From the way he often avoided my gaze, I guessed the answer was yes. Whatever I might have said couldn’t have been too bad, because Sebastian still wanted to spend time with me, and Leopold was friendlier than ever.

“What’s the last thing you saw me doing?” I asked. Perhaps he would hint at what had caused this new rift.

Nobody answered for a while, and then Leopold nudged Sebastian.

“I walked you to Kash’s room,” said Sebastian. “He was going to patch up your injuries.”

“Where is he?”

The two boys exchanged suspicious looks.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“He went to India,” Sebastian blurted.

“Oh.” My insides deflated. I wasn’t sure why because it wasn’t as though we ever spoke to each other much. These days, he barely exchanged words with me in Advanced Calculus, not even to remind me that I should leave Brittas Academy.

Another silence stretched out. This one felt longer than the highway. “Did I say something to offend you on Monday night?”

“Of course not,” he replied.

“Then what’s wrong?” I stared at the back of his head, my eyes lingering on the hair curling at his nape.

“I shouldn’t have left you alone,” he murmured.

“With Prakash?”

Pieces of Corrine’s diary pushed themselves to the forefront of my mind. Corrine had identified Prakash as the person who had played the pull-a-pig game. I’d told Cormac and asked the boys about it, but they had reassured me that Prakash had regretted his actions.

“I should have walked you back to your room or something,” Sebastian replied. “Someone targeted you, and I want to know who.”

Leopold turned in the front seat. “Are any snippets coming back?”

I closed my eyes and thought back to my last memories of that day. “All I remember is sitting in the back of this jeep, and you two.”

Leopold winced. “I’ll try not to put too much pressure on you.”

I dozed off in the back of the car, to a nightmare of a shirtless man chasing me through the hallway, but something was wrong with his chest. By the time I jolted awake, all I could remember was being thoroughly disgusted at something I had seen on his skin.

I ran my fingers through my hair then rubbed my temples. If I didn’t regain my memory, I’d return to the academy blind, without the knowledge of my attacker.