Page 56 of The Bleak Beginning

“I know, but I swear I heard something,” Chancellor Maxwell insists.

Mentally, I was calling Cam every expletive in the book for being so reckless earlier.

Her flashlight beam sweeps across the room, illuminating dusty shelves and gleaming trophies. “See? Nothing here,” the gruff voice—which I now recognize as belonging to Mr. Simmons, the groundskeeper—says impatiently.

“I suppose you’re right,” Maxwell concedes, but her tone is uncertain. “Still, I could have sworn…”

Her voice trails off as the beam of light settles on the trophy we’d been examining moments ago.

I exchange a quick glance with Sly, his eyes widening in the darkness, pupils like two full moons.

“I told you, nobody’s here. You worry too much.” Mr. Simmons’ gruff voice says, impatience clear in his tone after a few long seconds. “Probably just the wind or some old pipes settling.”

“Fine,” the Chancellor agrees, hesitating a bit more, before finally giving in.

As they start to leave, she pauses and bends down to pick up the item that Cam had knocked over. She glances back one finaltime before placing the silver ball back onto the shelf where it belongs.

“That was way too close,” Sly says as his shoulders relax in an exhale, his voice barely audible in the confined space after we’re sure they’re gone.

I’m about to berate him further for getting us to go on this stupid excursion when he holds up a hand, silencing me, and a growl slips past my teeth at the disrespect. I strain my ears, listening for any sign that the Chancellor or Mr. Simmons might have lingered. After a full minute of silence, Sly carefully pushes aside the tapestry and peers out.

“Coast is clear,” he mumbles, slipping out of our hiding spot.

We follow, our movements careful and deliberate. The trophy room seems different now, more ominous as we make it back outside. The stars twinkle above us, oblivious to our near miss. I shiver, not from the cool night air, but from the lingering adrenaline coursing through my veins.

“That was reckless,” Cam hisses at Sly as we make our way across the shadowy courtyard. “We could have been caught!”

Sly just grins, his teeth gleaming in the moonlight. “But we weren’t. And now we know.”

“Know what?” he snaps, his patience wearing thin.

“We know what we receive for our win.” Sly smiles cockily. “Come on, you can’t tell me that doesn’t get you amped for the games.”

I scoff, but I can’t deny the thrill that courses through me. The games. The whole reason we risked sneaking into the trophy room in the first place.

“It’s not just about winning,” I remind Sly, “it’s about reminding everyone else of our place versus theirs.” It was our responsibility to remind the people of Altair of our family’s dominance and their inferiority.

“Exactly,” he agrees, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “And now we’ve seen what we’re fighting for. Isn’t it great?”

“Whatever,” I say. “I’m heading back to my room.”

“You going back down to the beach?” Sly asks Cam. “Maybe your girl will still be there by the time we get back.”

“My girl for the night, you mean,” he corrects him.

“Yeah, yeah. So you coming with me, or what?”

Cam shrugs, his carefree attitude never wavering. “Sure, let’s go.”

I shoot Sly a warning look. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

He gives me a mock salute. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll be on my best behavior.”

As I make my way back to the dormitories, I can’t shake the uneasy feeling in my gut. Sly could be reckless, but he was smart…usually.

I reach into my pocket and grab my cigarettes, tapping at the box before I tug one out and light it, filling my lungs with the familiar smoke. The surprise visit from Chancellor Maxwell had put a damper on my buzz, but I was still feeling a bit tipsy.

I take another drag, watching the smoke curl into the night air. The campus is quiet, most students are down at the party along the shoreline, enjoying the start of their weekend.

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