Page 48 of Foresyth Conservatory
It was comforting that she only suspected I was overwhelmed by the academics. “And nobody knows about Initiation until it happens, so don’t feel too bad. It’ll happen when the Meister thinks you’re ready—and then you’ll know everything.”
Know everything.If the Meister really wanted me to solve Julian’s murder, why wasn’t I already made aware of everything? The secrecy and lies were enough to make my head spin. I looked down at the locket on my neck, the one my father had given me the year he died.
“Was there a particular reason you showed me the Tramping Ground?” I asked. I was too exhausted to be slyerabout my questioning. But as it stood, I didn’t know why Nina was letting me in on her secret. If secrets were currency around here, why was she sharing hers?
“I wanted proof that I wasn’t going mad. But by your sorry state, it seems like it must have been real.” She shrugged.
Real. I was the least certain of what was real anymore.
“It’s going to entirely shake the Spring Symposium. I can’t wait,” she mused, back to scribbling in her notebook.
I forced myself to return Nina’s smile with one of my own—thin, but passable. I couldn’t afford to worry her, and I certainly couldn’t risk revealing any more of what I was feeling.
Emotions were dangerous here. They made you visible. And visibility meant vulnerability.
“Thanks, Nina. For letting me in.” My exhaustion was settling into me like paralysis. I stretched my legs out and set my cup of tea to the side. It was almost too heavy for my weak grasp, and I splashed a few drops setting it down.
“I should go to bed,” I said, standing.
“Goodnight, Dahlia,” she said, hesitating on the last word. “And just for the record, we don’t all believe in the same thing.”
“The history of the Council of Foresyth is veiled in obscurity, yet it is believed to have come into being three years after the consecration of Foresyth Conservatory, coinciding with the graduation of its first Advisor. As the Conservatory’s academic contributions flourished, a governing body was deemed essential to discern which findings might be safely shared with the world and which must remain in secrecy. Today, the Council stands as the initial arbiter of what may be published, determining what knowledge is deemed fit for public consumption.
Anecdotal accounts from former students suggest that only half of submitted papers ever reach publication; the rest are sequestered within Foresyth’s private archives. Beyond guiding the flow of knowledge, the Council holds the esteemed power of appointing Advisors—a distinguished cadre of Foresyth graduates entrusted with applying their knowledge beyond the Conservatory’s walls, guiding figures of influence through decisions that may shape the world’s future. Additionally, they hold the authority to dismiss any student who does not meet Foresyth’s high standards—a power they have not hesitated to wield.”
—Foresyth Conservatory: A Complete History, Unabridged, 1891
Chapter 17: The Council
The following morning I woke up with a stiff neck. It had been the longest uninterrupted sleep I’d had since my arrival at Foresyth. My mouth felt like it was filled with cotton, prompting me to reach for the water on my nightstand. Blinking, my eyes scanned the walls of my bedchamber. Being outdoors the previous night had emphasized the oppressive nature of the House’s walls. Were they collapsing, or was my mind deceiving me? They appeared to have an unsettling slant.
I blinked away my morning haze, looking through the window. An overcast sky obscured the forest, and a murmur of thunder threatened in the distance. Beyond the hidden tree line, I knew there was still that barren plot of land. I buried my head back into my pillow, squeezing out the memory of Nina and her hand dripping blood.
The memory ofmagick.
In the weeks that I’d been here, I felt like I’d only unearthed more questions about this place than answers. And I still was not anywhere closer to finding out who killed Julian.
You’ve felt like a fraud your whole life. This is your opportunity to discover the truth.About Julian and what you’re capable of,a voice resounded in the back of my head.
The Meister had said something similar to me, the first night we met. Failure, I thought, is what I was capable of. My father would have been disappointed in me.
I untangled my locket from the back of my neck, coaxing myself out of bed. Slipping into a black sweater and trousers, forgoing the dress code, I readied myself for the day ahead.
The Council meeting was this evening. If answers were what I sought, then that’s where I would find them.
*
Circle that night featured Aspen and his doctrine on political effigies. I stopped myself from rolling my eyes on more than one occasion. I had too many things on my mind to entertain Aspen’s self-righteous research prompts. As Circle concluded Nina reached across her chair and tapped me on the back.
“Good luck tonight. I’m sure you’ll be great.” She smiled and I returned the gesture.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Aspen stealing a glance at us. I kept my eye on him as he and Sequoia left the room. Was he still warning me about Nina or Leone? Ignoring his gaze, I held back while the other students exited the room. The person I had to talk to wasn’t any of the students. It was the Meister.
“We need to talk,” I said to the Meister, as soon as the other students had left. “You’re not telling me everything,” I said.
The Meister looked up from his cane, green eyes sparkling in the firelight.
“I do regret that I’ve been traveling and have missed our mentorship meetings. Perhaps we can catch up on our way to the Council tonight. Have you made any progress?”
