Page 109 of Riot Rules
It takes a second for me to figure out what she’s talking about. And then I remember—her room was turned over a while back. That’s right. Of course. And I didn’t even think anything of it. I’d blamed Damiana, thinking she was just acting out, trying to scare the new girl away from Wren. God, I am such an idiot. How could I have been so blind?
Fitz’s disturbed laughter rises up into the night. “God, you’re so self-important, aren’t you?Oh, my bed. My precious books. My things. Wah wah wah.Principal Harcourt left this in the drawer of her desk, so I took it back. I’ve had this knife a very long time, y’know. I didn’t really feel like letting her keep it for good.”
Elodie grips my hand tighter. I look at her, wondering how she’s keeping her shit together, but the fear I’m expecting to see on her face isn’t there. She’sangry. “Why the hell did you trash my room?”
“I didn’t have a choice, did I? That room sat empty for months, but then you came along. I still hadn’t found Mara’s stupid journal or Wren’s sweater. It was only a matter of time before you stumbled across them and started asking questions. So I tore everything apart. I looked high and low. I would have found them, too, but then you came back to your room. I could hear you on the phone complaining about your father in the stairwell, and I bolted.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing right now. I can’t believe how far from the path of sane Fitz has wandered. “God, you aresofucked up.”
Next to me, Elodie takes a half a step forward, her brow creasing. “You’rethe one she wrote about in her journal. Not Wren.You’rethe one she was afraid of.”
His eyes shine madly as he steps forward, extending the point of the knife out in front of him. “I may have messed with her a little, I admit. She wasn’t my type, but it was fun tricking her into thinking I wanted to be with her. I just wanted her to stay the hell away from Wren, but…she was so fucking gullible. Not like you, eh, Elodie. No, you’re smart. Pointless putting it all together now, though. It’s far too late for that.”
51
CARRIE
He ties our hands.
That’s when I realize that I’m going to die.
Dread constricts my throat as Fitz leads us through the forest, and the whole time Elodie is baiting him, trying to push his buttons, trying to…I don’t even knowwhatshe’s trying to do. I check out, my thoughts whipping around in my head like fallen leaves in a storm.
I came to Wolf Hall to escape death. Little did I know, this is the place where my life will be stolen away from me. There are eight headstones in the cemetery down by the old ruined chapel. Will there be nine after tonight? Will Alderman come and claim my body and take it back to Seattle, or will he decide he might as well leave me here? The academy has been my home for the past four years, after all. I refused to leave when he gave me the opportunity. What if he thinks I’d prefer Wolf Hall as my final resting place? There are worse places to spend eternity, I suppose. The grounds are beautiful. And I’ll still be close to Dash, for a while at least. Maybe he’ll come down to the cemetery and visit me…
“There. Up ahead,” Fitz barks, shoving me in the back. “Through that opening.”
The mouth of the cave is set into a wall of rock. I’ve never seen it before, but then again I haven’t been exploring the forest with a fine tooth comb. If I had ever stumbled upon this yawning maw in the rock, I would have run the other way. Even from out here, it looks evil. There are lights on inside—a warm yellow glow bouncing off the wet stone as I hesitantly head inside.
Elodie fumes behind me, cursing. Fitz stays quiet. I walk down the tight corridor, slipping all over the place on the uneven, slick ground underfoot, and within seconds I turn a corner and the cave opens out.
And there, standing in front of me, wearing identical masks of horror, stand Wren and Mercy. I’m actually relieved for a second. Stupid, stupid me. If Wren and Mercy are here, then Fitz can’t do anything. We’ll be able to overpower him. He’ll come to his senses and realize he’s being fucking nuts. But then I see the huge slab of stone behind Wren. And I see what’s laid out on top of it. And my heart stops dead.
Thick, dark, matted hair.
Bones, bleached white.
I see a pair of black patent pumps on the ground, discarded by the wall, like someone just kicked them off there and forget about them. And Iknow.
Bile scorches the back of my throat.
My thoughts struggle to form, like they’re emerging through tar.
Mara.
She never made it to Los Angeles. She didn’t write me that letter. She never left academy grounds. This whole time, she’s been here, decaying, her skin sloughing off her bones, and I’ve been so angry at her for something she didn’t even do. I thought she’d left without saying goodbye. I thought she’d been reckless and gone off on another of her hairbrained adventures. I knew Fitz was an evil piece of shit, but never once did I considerthis…
The altar bearing Mara’s bones is cold and wet. A spider creeps along the edge of the rough-hewn rock, and the only thought I can formulate clearly is:this isn’t right. Mara hated spiders. She hated the cold. She hated the dark. She’s been here, all alone, this whole goddamn time…
Behind me, Mercy and Elodie are talking. Their voices are raised. Wren’s staring at Fitz with horror on his face. I can’t focus on anything other than the bare bones on the altar. Months. Months and months, open to the elements. She’s been here this whole time…
“Wait. Why not just let Carina go with her? Carina’s got nothing to do with this. She doesn’t care about Wren. I’m the only one you have a problem with.”
I lift my head at the sound of my name. Elodie’s talking to Fitz. Mercy’s skirting around the edge of the cave, trying to make it back down the tunnel. I should have been paying attention. I’ve missed something, and now isnotthe time to be missing anything. Mara’sdeadbecause of Fitz.
The English teacher flips the knife he’s brandishing over in his hand, shaking his head. “You guys are terrible actors. Mercy, I expected better of you. You’ve had actualtrainingin this. You embarrass yourself. Get back with your brother. Go on, go.” He raises the knife, pointing it at Mercy, and she runs back to Wren’s side.
Fitz laughs. “We’ve arrived at an impasse, haven’t we, class? Wren, you’re unwilling to admit your true feelings. Mercy, you can’t be trusted, even though you should have your brother’s best interests at heart. Carina, you’re a victim of circumstance, and Elodie, well, Elodie just plain needs to die. So, where do we go from here?”
