Page 262 of Depraved Boys

He gave me a sharp nod and spun on his heel. Leopold and Sebastian followed us all the way to the fourth floor.

Thankfully, Cormac was too anxious about the contents of Corrine’s diary to make any comments about my relationship with the kings, but when we entered his pristine bedroom, he pursed his lips and swept his gaze down my rumpled dress. There wasn’t much I could do about creased linen, but I smoothed down my hair, hoping I didn’t look like I’d been fucked in the back of someone’s car.

Cormac slid open his desk drawer. “Corrine incorporated Romanji into the diary around the time the police released Kashaayah in the summer term.”

“Right.” I sat on his armchair, wondering if Corrine had added a layer of complication in her diary to obscure her next set of plans.

He withdrew a memory stick balanced on a stack of papers. “I took the liberty of printing out the section I couldn’t bring myself to read.”

My mouth dried, and a thrill of anticipation shot through my chest. I reached out and placed the papers on my lap. “Does the stick contain the fully translated diary?”

Cormac nodded and sat at the edge of his bed. The defiant posture he’d displayed in front of the kings now sagged into one of defeat, and he lowered his gaze to his lap.

“I read the first page,” he said in a trembling voice. “It’s all about how Kashaayah. wouldn’t acknowledge her after his release from custody.”

“Okay…” I slipped the memory stick into my purse and stared at the page of text. If a whole bunch of male relatives came down from India to admonish him for not offering Corrine marriage, I could understand why Prakash would want to ignore her for lying to the police. “I’ll read ahead and let you know when I find anything interesting, alright?”

Do you know what it feels like to be invisible to the sun? It’s like having that seasonal affective disorder. Remembering the kiss of sunshine on your skin and having it cruelly snatched away.

El Sol never smiles these days and doesn’t even laugh with el Rubio and el Moreno. I probably went too far when I tried to get him into trouble for giving me what I asked for.

We’re both linked through our mirrored pain, but he’s too stubborn to come to me for solace. The royals have closed ranks around him and told me to stay away. Even Cormac says I should stop looking at them, but I would give anything to see him smile.

My brows furrowed, and I glanced up at Cormac, who sat on the edge of the mattress, staring at me with unblinking eyes.

“Have you found anything?”

“She hasn’t acknowledged doing anything wrong.”

Cormac stared into his lap. “See why I didn’t want to read it? The passages are already tarnishing my memory of her.”

“I’ll skip ahead and see who she encounters.”

“Thanks,” he whispered.

The next few pages described her failed attempts to catch Prakash’s eye. I skipped over them and stopped at one particularly interesting passage.

The Bitch shoved me down the stairs, and I sprained my ankle. She told me that everyone hates me and wants me to drop dead. I reported her to the Scarecrow, but she told me I was in danger of losing my place. All she cares about is grades.

After reading out this passage to Cormac, I asked, “Was that Mrs. Benazir?”

“Miss Claymore. Mrs. Benazir is the leech.”

“Alright.” I skimmed through the next passages. They outlined Geraldine and Bianca’s attempts to get Corrine to stop staring at the kings, long meetings with Miss Claymore to talk about Prakash, and a few passages about Michelle fretting about her grades.

“Found anything yet?”

“Nothing worth reading out.” I turned the page and scanned for specific names, but one passage made me skip back.

I’m dying.

My garden is deflowered. Without the sun, no seeds will ever germinate. Nothing will ever grow.

Now that it’s been trampled by cruel words, vicious hands, there is nothing left to do but raze the earth.

Maybe something will grow from the ashes.

I scrubbed at my eyes. What the hell did I just read?