Page 100 of Revenant

Everyone stands at or near a table, each one littered with different materials that makes me shiver with anticipation and anxiety. I let out a sharp hiss, my eyes flicking down to my hands where I’m absentmindedly picking at my cuticles. Red beads along my nail bed, and I instinctively press my lips against the torn flesh, ignoring the copper taste and praying the bleeding will stop soon.

“Alicent, right?” A fierce, assertive voice pulls my attention. Not in a way that would put me on edge, but like she’s afraid if she sounded too timid, it would deter me more. I recognize her from the last time I was here—it’s hard not to remember her striking green eyes. They’re entrancing; the color just like seafoam moving on top of a crystal-clear surface.

I nod my head, unable to form words. Mostly because I can’t decipher if she’s friend or foe.

“I’m Zara. We met briefly during orientation.” Her confidence radiates from her. It’s intoxicating; she’s so sure of herself and her purpose.

Realizing I still have my finger pressed to my lips, I quickly yank it out and tuck it behind my back.

Nice, Alicent. Real smooth.

I offer her an awkward smile. “Yeah, sorry. That’s my bad. Ask any of the professors and they’d tell you my attendance is deficient at best.” A beat passes between us, and I find myself wishing I’d made more of an effort here. At the school. With everything that’s happened since my arrival, finding the time to make friends has been more difficult than I expected.

Except Moriah. My friendship with her was always natural, organic. Like one way or another, the universe was set on making sure we found each other in this life.

“It’s easy to get lost in the midst of all of this. Especially given your situation and under the circumstances…I don’t blame you for keeping your distance.” Zara’s understanding makes me feel better, but at the same time, a bit…guilty. “It’s a lot to take in, and if you take into account that you had no clue about any of this? I bet it was overwhelming to say the least.”

My chest sinks with relief because, for the first time, it feels like someone might understand what it feels like, maybe not to the magnitude, but a small part. “You have no idea how refreshing it is to hear you say that.”

“Trust when I say, I’ve been there. We’re all just here learning, trying to survive. And that’s all we can do.”

Survive. It seems like such a simple word. But when you’re thrown into the seven rings of hell, it suddenly seems unobtainable. “Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself, and let you know you’re not alone. I’ve been here for a while, same with Azalea.” She points to another girl across the room. Curvy hips and raven black hair and a smile that could light up a room. “If you need a guiding light, don’t hesitate to reach out.”

She turns to walk off, but before she gets too far, I call out, “Actually, I do have a question.” Her brows rise with surprise, probably not expecting me to say anything else. But she quickly tries to hide it. “Do you have any idea what we’re doing today?”

Zara beams ear to ear, chest deflating a bit like she’s relieved it’s something simple. Can’t blame her, I doubt she meant we could have a heart to heart right here in the middle of class. “We’re going over elements. How to hone them, harness the power and tell our magic exactly what we want to do with the most natural part of the world. Azalea and I are mostly here to help, we did this a few years ago.”

“No spells?”

“You need to learn to walk before you run,” she tells me, loud enough for any prying ears to hear. With a quick glance around the room, she leans in closer, her words suddenly hushed. “But between us, I heard about what happened in town. And I must say, I’m quite impressed you held your own against a pack. You have my respect, that’s for sure.” She throws me a wink before sauntering back over toward Azalea.

Sloane, one of Naomi’s minions, stands just a few tables over. Her short, honey blonde hair brushes just over her shoulders, and her light hazel eyes look as though she wants to welcome me, but knows better. I haven’t seen much of her since the bonfire, and truthfully, I forgot that she was even part of this. “You’re a hard girl to track down these days,” Sloane exclaims, crossing her arms over her chest, her right brow rising expectantly.

“Didn’t realize you were trying to track me down.” My dismissive tone apparently isn’t obvious enough—she doesn’t take the hint. “But please, I’m itching to know what you so desperately needed me for.”

Sloane takes another step forward, not as a threat, but as if she’s seeking privacy to tell a secret I’m not yet privy too. “Have you seen Naomi?”

Her question catches me off guard, knowing damn well she made it back well before I did after the wolf attack—Lacey in tow. It’s strange they wouldn’t immediately go fill in their third musketeer. “Unfortunately. Why? Think she’s avoiding you?”

“The last time I saw her, she was going to hunt Bastian down, and with how he’s been toward her recently, and given…the circumstances...” She waves a subtle hand around the room. “I’m worried.”

I weigh on the side of caution, not knowing if she’s baiting me, because one thing I’ve learned about her group of friends? They can’t be trusted.

Not even when it’s life or death.

On the other hand, I don’t care how cruel and calculated you are, you can’t fake this type of anxiety wafting off her. “Long story short, she went with me to find Lacey. Spoiler alert, we found her, and they left me for dead when we got blindsided and led to a pack of werewolves.” Fuck even saying it aloud seems outlandish. But that’s the truth—well the synopsis of the truth.

Whatever she was expecting me to say, it certainly wasn’t that. Her eyes grow wide, her lip popping out just slightly from where it was being held captive between her teeth. “Oh my god.”

“As far as I know, they’re back, but I wouldn’t expect to see them anytime soon.”

She quirks a brow. “What do you mean by that?”

I shrug my shoulders. “They left me for dead. The guys found out. You do the math.” She takes it for what it is, not saying anything else before turning around like a wounded animal.

As if summoned, Eldritch finally makes his appearance. “Sorry I’m late, class. Got held up, but let’s not dwell on it.” He quickly finds his place at the front of the room, throwing his briefcase on the desk and shrugging off his jacket.

He examines the room, eyes tracking each of us until he lands on me. I’m not sure if he was expecting me to bail again, but there’s a hint of gratitude on his features. “Today, we’re going over the most natural and easy thing for you to control. The elements.” Collective nods appear throughout the room. “No spells that can be easily mispronounced or misconstrued. Just you, your powers, and the natural elements. Fire, water, air, and earth. Thankfully most of you know what you’re doing, but for the one who doesn’t, good luck.”