Page 128 of A Liar's Twisted Tongue

“What? If you knew I was from the septic, would I still be the good Folk to you?” I shout, shaking my head. “Do you really think I’d believe that? Even if it were the truth?”

“I don’t know.” He looks at me for a split second before averting his gaze. “But I also don’t care.”

Great. I knew I’d be hated for just being who I am—what I am. This still feels kind of absurd. Am I that different from them?

I guess I am. I mean, that’s what I’ve been telling myself from day one. I’m not pampered and polished. But they’re certainly not good. Not in the way they think they are.

They may be poised, but they’re not pleasant.

The first thing I do when I go back to my room is rifle through Aralia’s drawers until I find her stash. Then I smoke a joint, and I swear if anyone tries to break into my suite to kill me, I might actually burn this place to the ground.

When my head is a little fuzzy, I do the only rational thing I can think of. I throw my new knives at shit. I challenge myself with any little mark on the wall I can find, hitting almost all of them.

Seventeen holes in the walls later, I collapse to my bed. I want that dagger back that I sunk into Jermoine’s shoulder.

The door creaks open and I’m on my feet, wielding a knife behind the entrance in a second. It’s just Aralia. She walks in without even seeing me and ducks, grabbing something from under her bed. It’s only a book.

“Hey,” I say softly.

“Hey,” she says, frowning. “I have to get back to class.”

She passes me on her way to the door. “Are you serious?” I say while she reaches for the knob. She twists it, and I put my hand on top of hers. “Aralia!”

She takes a deep breath and tips her head back so she’s looking at the ceiling and not me. “What?”

“Can we talk?” I wait for her to say something, anything. When she doesn’t, indignation prickles through my body like the Folk’s electrical attacks. “Jermoine and Breck almost killed me today, and all you did was watch!”

She finally turns to me, both her hands lifted into fists at her ribs. “It’s not personal?—”

“He was going to kill me!” I’m pretty sure the entire wing can hear me now.

“No he wasn’t.” Aralia shakes her head. Like she has any reason to feel exasperated by this conversation.

“Are you kidding me?” She looks down, and I have to clench my fists to keep from strangling her. “You know that was the second time someone tried to attack me today? Call me paranoid, but they were both going for the kill. Jermoine will be fine, a healer will fix his pretty little shoulder and he’ll go about his day. But if they killed me, I’d just be dead. And no one here would give me a second thought.”

My hands start shaking again, and I shove them into my pockets, only to realize my throat is sore.

“It’s not personal,” she says again, with more emphasis on each word. “I’m the daughter of the head advisor of Lorucille. I can’t be seen with someone from the septic.”

“So if my life was in danger, you’d just watch?” I say, looking at the door. That’s the reality of the situation. I’m septic scum—and I’ll be treated as such. Even from someone who declared me her best friend less than a month ago.

I reach for the door knob and shove the door open while I eye her down. She ducks her head and walks out, holding the book she came to grab.

I slam the door on her back.

She doesn’t come back at the end of the school day, and I don’t care. I go to the kitchen to get dinner—beef with roasted red berries. Eudora asks how I’m doing, and I tell her I’m fine. Because I am. I still have a plan. I know where my mom is, and I’m gonna find out how to get there. Then I’m gonna get her and get home.

On my way back to the suite, I have a strange feeling that someone is watching me. I turn behind me and hear footsteps but see nothing. No one on the top floor either. I leave the dining hall, past the class hall, and turn toward the suites.

Someone steps in front of me. The first thing I notice is the long sword dangling toward the floor. There’s no way my little knife could fight that. Then I see the face.

Jermoine.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

I turn around and lookie here, there’s Breck. What a joke.

“Are you guys serious?” I say. It’s been a long day. “What, you’re gonna stab me?”

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