Page 2 of In Prey We Trust

I’m nothing more than a set piece or an auction item, but they enjoyed taking my freedom.

“Apex has five years of students, as you know, and the classes always get smaller towards the end because people don’t make it. So the Council split up the students and staff among the other four major academies for at least the first term, though it’s likely going to be the entire year. Some of the staff are heading to Bloodstone, the fourth and fifth years are going to Zhuan xing U&M, the third years are headed to Académie des crocs et des griffes, and the second and first years are going to Capital Prep.”

My heart leaps into my throat, and I swallow hard as tears spring to my eyes. How is that fair? There’s no way Lucille didn’t arrange this, so I’d get separated from the only friends I’ve ever had. That doesn’t bode well for how they’ve divided the staff. “Guys, I can’t… What will I do without you? What about the guys? Goddess, I hate my fucking mother!”

Rufus gives me a cagey grin. “Aw, Coco, she loves us!”

“Apparently,” she teases with a soft smile. “Don’t worry, Dolly. Someone pulled some very sketchy shit from the background. Both of us got letters separately from the general ‘Welcome to your new reality’ letters from Apex. They informed our parents we would not be attending Académie des crocs et des griffes like the other third years. It said they selected us for a mentoring program to help develop the arts programs at the brand new Shirdal Arts Center at Capital Prep.”

I blink. Holy shit. “Who the hell convinced the Shirdals to create an entire program at another school? How did they get you two exceptions from what the Council decreed?”

“I can only assume a group of powerful men with deep pockets and strong connections to people who could sway our former headmistress to circumvent the edicts,” Cori says. “Notice no students are being sent for a stay at Bloodstone; I’d bet they were involved in making sure that didn’t happen, either.”

Pulling an annoyed face, I mutter, “Would have been nice to ditch the fucking Heathers and my ex there, though.”

They both laugh and it makes everything feel like it’s going to be okay again. Being locked up here all summer has been soul crushing, but the few moments I get with the people I care about have helped me survive it. Despite not being able to see them in person, the few minutes on video chat or the times I’ve felt Fitz watching from afar kept me afloat. If my mother had them all scattered to the wind next year, it would have been devastating.

“Where are all the professors going?” I ask as Rufus applies Cori’s polish to the nail form. “I hate thinking anyone I like is getting sentenced to that hellhole.”

“Ha! Well, your guys obviously finagled their way to Cappie. Professor Balena is going to the Académie and Sarabhai requested U&M because it’s close to her homeland. They scattered a bunch of the English department to the wind, but Cormac is coming with us, as are the saucy Professor Leonidas and our fearful leader. I don’t know any of the ones who they say are going to Bloodstone, except Abel—which we know isn’t true,” Rufus says thoughtfully. “Maybe they all died in the explosions and this is a cover-up.”

I ponder that for a moment and nod. “That makes sense. Lucille knows no one will confirm or deny anything that goes on there. Hiding any casualties as transfers would keep the death toll down in the press.”

“Do we know for sure any of the professors supposedly being transferred survived? It hit the staff housing pretty hard. Maybe all of them are gone.” Cori frowns as she looks at me. “They rushed us out of there so fast after the bombs that we only saw your guys because they wouldn’t let anyone near you.”

Remembering the limp form of Chess in Felix’s arms makes me suck in a deep breath. I’m still not sleeping well since that night.

The vision of Clarice and Bettina haunts my dreams—the two of them working on him until he showed signs of life. Argyle bitched at the rest of us while tending to our wounds, but he was so still for so long that I was sure he was gone. Fitz nearly tore the place apart while we watched him in the coma. His drug tolerance made it impossible to sedate him, so I stayed with him while Felix watched the nurses check him over that night.

“Oh, Dolly…” Cori’s voice cuts into my thoughts, rousing me from the pain. “If you could see your face, girl. It’s okay; he’s alive and we’re all going to be together. We survived.”

Licking my lips, I nod. “I know, Coco, but it's a trauma. It’s not going away soon; I just have to work through it. Seeing people die has been a regular part of my life since I was little, but never anyone I care about. The acceptance I have for killing those who deserve it doesn't extend to you and my guys. And fuck knows Lucille wouldn’t let me talk to anyone, so I’m internet therapy-ing the hell out of myself to work through the pain.”

Rufus growls, baring his fangs for a minute. “Hermes on a pole dancing, Dollypop. Even my asshole gang member relatives had me sit with a headshrinker a couple of times when I got back. I may be crazy as a bedbug, but they’d prefer it not be white coat crazy.”

“Yes, it’d be a shame if the future leader of a criminal organization were to be truly insane,” Cori quips. I laugh and she shrugs. “My folks sent me, too, but we’re hippie dippy for preds.”

Uh, yeah, they are.

“I did my best, guys. I’m not sleeping great, but I don’t cry at the slightest trigger anymore. And my bunny is talking to me again, which, as you know, was a problem for the first couple of weeks.” That was scary as hell and I don’t know if her silence was about fear of losing a fated mate or my separation or the weird blue shit the night Apex exploded. She’s back, but it’s with no sort of explanation for the absence, even in my gut.

“Good,” Rufus says as someone yells in the background. “We were worried about that, especially with our new home next year. Apex is the most vicious school on a pred level, but Cappie is going to be a nightmare of politics and leverage and violence. They bred every motherfucker who goes to school there with the attitude of your exes, D. You need to have every bit of your strength.”

“Why? I mean, I thought Apex was the cream of the crop where all the Council heirs go,” I ask in confusion.

Cori chuckles. “It was. But now all of them are going to Cappie, which was full of the children of diplomats, international rich fucks, society mavens, and celebrities. You’re headed to a place where the entire population has a minimum of several million, not just the chosen few. And they’ve all been raised to think their shit doesn’t stink—Spiderella, The Sphinx, and the Real Housewolves all have kids who go there.”

By Poseidon’s salty balls, that’s the worst news I’ve heard all day.

“So you’re saying I won’t just have my old enemies, I’ll have to navigate a full student body of people who hate me either for what I am or who I’m related to?”

“Yup,” they chorus.

Another yell sounds out, and Rufus rolls his eyes. “Okay, Dollypop, we gotta go. Aunt Brandine needs us in the salon again. Start packing up your shit. We’ll send snaps of what we received tonight, so you know what to do to prepare.”

“Thanks, guys. I miss you,” I say as I blow a kiss at the screen.

“Ciao, bella!”

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