Page 80 of The Stone Initiation
I’d wanted there to be a reason. A conspiracy. Anything to make his loss make more sense than it did.
But now that I had my answers, it was time to face facts.
There was no conspiracy.
Just a cover-up to save the Basque name, and Romi… He was still gone.
Nothing would bring him back, but Icouldmake him proud. I could become a guardian and walk in his shoes.
His home would now be mine, and in that way, I’d always be close to him.
I’d kept my identity a secret so I could get to the truth, afraid that if the gargoyles knew who I was they’d be more close-lipped about Romi, but there was no need to hide anymore. I could tell everyone who I was. Fuck-up Basque’s name by coming out as his halfblood offspring, but…I didn’twanthis name. I didn’t want the special treatment that would come with everyone knowing who I was. If I was going to do this, then I’d do it for me. Without the Basque banner.
I’d do it for meandfor Romi.
There was no coffee waiting for me this morning. Melanie was probably still wiped out after her filing room break-in. I couldn’t sense her presence, but I called out a thank you just in case she was here.
Although classes didn’t start for a couple of hours, lounging in bed didn’t appeal so I showered, dressed, then headed down to the kitchens for coffee. It was coming up to midday, and the dorm was silent and sleepy. It felt weird being the only one awake, but it was also comforting to have the place to myself. I’d just poured myself a drink when someone stomped into the room behind me.
The little man who’d taken me to see Miss Carter, stood in the doorway. “For you.” He held out a package.
I took it gingerly and heharumphed, his gaze going from my mug to the coffee pot behind me.
“Would you like one?” I held up my mug.
He snorted. “You think I have time to sit around and drink coffee?” He sounded like he wished he did.
“One second.” I reached into the cupboard above the coffee pot and pulled out a travel mug and filled it with coffee. “Milk? Sugar?”
“I like it black and bitter,” he snapped.
Like his soul, obviously. “Here you go.” I popped on the lid and handed him the mug. “Now you can drink it without having tosit around. And thank you for the delivery, I appreciate it.”
The angry wrinkles between his eyebrows smoothed out a fraction. “Yes, well. Bye.”
He stomped off with his coffee to go, and I sat down with the package. My name was on the padded envelope, handwritten in beautiful cursive. I tore it open and tipped out a mobile phone and a note in the same gorgeous script as on the envelope.
Dear Cameron,
This is for you. Keep it hidden in your room. We don’t want the other cadets to ask questions. And call me after seven p.m. tonight so we can talk.
Serath x
He’d touched this envelope.Written this note himself. I lifted it to my nose and inhaled his woodsy scent. There was a hint of floral sage to it too. My stomach contracted and warmed.
I was so fucked.
* * *
The dorm was wakingup by the time I was done with coffee, so I filled two travel mugs for Shar and Touron then headed back upstairs.
“Look, Curi, you brought this on yourself,” I recognized Dayn’s voice.
“Fuck you Lowther,” Curi said. “You have no right to judge me. None of you do. You eat my food, sleep in my fucking mansion, come to every fucking event my family throws and now you fucking shun me?”
“You froze,” another voice says. Minion number two no doubt. “What would you have done if it was one of us who froze?”
Curi was silent. “Selas and I…we have history.”
