Page 49 of Reign

“Okay, so let’s back to the part where your mom was murdered because you’re Rose Briar’s missing great-great-great-grandchild and stand to inherit the entire fucking society.”

It also means I’m left with Emma as my ride-or-die.

“How didn’t you know I’m a Briar descendant?” I ask her as we crowd into the handicap stall at the end of the girls’ bathroom. After checking that all other stalls are vacant, Eden comes in and locks the door behind us.

“Ivy knew,” I continue. “Chase was made aware God knows how long ago.” I flick a hand in Eden’s direction. “Eden’s the one who clued me in. I thought I was the last to figure it out.”

“It was obvious there was something special about you,” Emma says, “considering how much Father and Sabine were focused on your every move, but no, I was never given that information.”

I study Emma quizzically. It’s safe to say that out of everyone, I expected her to harbor the most information about me—well, her and Chase.

He pops into my mind without permission, and I squeeze my eyes shut to rid myself of the image. I don’t need him now. I can’t have him.

“If you’re robed,” Emma says, “that makes it official. You can show your copy of the birth certificate the Nobles have kept hidden and claim my position. Here, send it to me.” She pulls out her phone at the same time I do, and I airdrop the photo to Emma and Eden. Safety in numbers, after all. Tempest can’t rob all three of us without one of us finding out before he’s finished. I’ve never proven it was him to who stole all my evidence, but process of elimination isn’t difficult.

Eden says, “That’s cool and all, but we should probably figure out why Sabine would let you get this far. She’s not the type to just let you become a Virtue with that kind of claim over her.”

“Sabine’s the one who tapped Callie as an initiate in the first place,” Emma counters.

“So she could control her,” Eden says. “Callie coming back from break despite Ivy being killed pretty much splatters that whole plan.”

Emma pushes her lips to the side, conceding Eden’s point.

“You’re quiet, Callie,” Emma says after giving me the once-over. “Why?”

The bathroom door pushes open, brisk footsteps following. We clamp our mouths shut and freeze, all of us well aware that if whoever’s in here so much as glances down, she’ll see three pairs of feet and get curious.

But the girl goes about her business, the toilet flushing, then the faucet running, as she finishes up. I relax, remembering that this is Briarcliff Academy—three girls conducting a hush-hush meeting in the bathroom isn’t exactly prime time news.

Her footsteps don’t slow as she passes our stall and the main door shuts behind her.

“We better hurry,” Eden mumbles. “Three minutes before second period starts. The caffeine addicts are gonna start coming in here to pee.”

“Well?” Emma asks me. “What’s wrong with flashing the birth certificate around once you’re one of them?”

“I can’t prove it,” I say. Emma’s chin jerks back. Eden makes a sound of unfortunate agreement. “Not until I have Sabine’s files and prove she killed my mom to end the Briar line.”

“She left you alive, though,” Emma says. “The Briar line didn’t end with your mom.”

“Could’ve been an accident,” Eden says. “Contrary to movies, It’s difficult to order a hit and get away with it. You said you were supposed to be there for dinner, right?” Eden asks me. I nod. “But you were late, and after all that planning, the hit had to go through—it’s better to get one than none.”

“And knowing Sabine,” Emma adds, warming to Eden’s argument, “she’d adapt immediately. Instead of killing you another time, which would look suspicious after your mom was just killed, she invited you to Briarcliff Academy, thinking it was better to have her enemy close than not at all.”

I should shudder at such matter-of-fact talk regarding Mom’s horrible death, but the truth is, I’ve been thinking the same thing. Maybe I wasn’t meant to survive that night. Perhaps, despite Mom’s best efforts, I was never meant to live my life free of Briarcliff.

But I can rip free of the chains.

“I’ve always been told what to do, who to be,” I say, drawing both of their attention. “I’ve felt out of control for years, and now I’m finally getting answers. It’s time for me to take charge and take away Sabine’s power. If I can get back into the temple and into the princess bedroom, I can get those files. She’s vain—if she succeeded in killing my mom, she’ll have something to remember that by. I know it.”

Emma nods. “We can start there.”

“I’m not finished,” I say.

Eden perks up. “I like this new Callie.”

“I need both of you to go to the public library and steal some of Rose Briar’s DNA.”

“Excuse me?” Emma asks, at the same time Eden pumps her fist excitedly.

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