Page 53 of Vicious Knight

Chapter 11

Ivy

“I feel so awful,” Isabelle mutters. Her voice joins the chorus of crickets around us, hopping in the grass.

“Don’t feel bad. Tiffany was bullying you. I had to say something.”

Isabelle, Mackenzie and I are walking through the murky woodland area way, way, way on the other side of campus. Our flashlights and the faint moonlight are our only sources of light.

This is the extra special thing Tiffany had planned for me. The way to it. I won’t know what the actual thing is until I reach the hollowed-out willow tree.

“It’s just a shame it had to come to this.” Mackenzie waves her flashlight around.

We’re following a pebbled path but it’s clear that no one has used it in a long time. Unlike the rest of the campus, this area is unkempt, unruly and creepy.

“Thank you for coming with me for this part.” They can only accompany me to my destination. They have to head to Erebus after.

“Of course.” Isabelle glances at me. In the faint moonlight I can just about pick her black hair from the shadows.

“My advice is do what you have to do and get the hell out.” Mackenzie waves the flashlight again. “Call us once you’re done.”

“I will. What’s down here anyway?”

“Tunnels and all kinds of shit. My dad has always told me to keep away from this place. The frat boys love it because there are no cameras past a certain point, so if anything happened to you no one would know.”

Mackenzie’s father is one of the judges. “I feel even worse that you guys are here.” And I’m even more creeped out.

“As if we’d allow you to come down here by yourself.” Mackenzie shakes her head at me. “I’m sure Tiffany knows about the cameras. That’s why she chose this place.”

“It makes me wonder what she’s planned.” Isabelle winces. “I should have kept my big mouth shut and just worn the stupid costume. Given that I have to wear it anyway.”

“Tiffany’s a bitch. You were both right to stand up to her. Despite the punishment you have to put people like her in their place sometimes,” Mackenzie says with conviction. “She still won today but I know she’ll be worried about other people standing up to her in the future.”

She’s right, but I can’t help but feel like I made things worse. Isabelle still has to wear this costume, I have to do this shit, and both Isabelle and I have to clean Myrddin House for the next two months.

“We’re here.” Mackenzie shines her flashlight ahead, lighting up the willow tree.

My God in heaven, it looks like the demented hell tree from Sleepy Hollow where the headless horseman’s body was buried. The only difference between that one and this is the hollowed-out trunk of the tree.

Even with my fascination for dark, edgy things, my skin still crawls at the sight of it.

Isabelle looks like how I feel—totally creeped out.

Mackenzie keeps going and after a moment we follow.

She walks up to the tree and shines her light over a white envelope pinned to one of the low-hanging branches with my name scrawled across it.

I take it and open it. Inside there’s a note which says:

I left something in a blue bag in the tunnel ahead of you.

Bring it to me.

Tiffany.

I show the note to Mackenzie and Isabelle, and they both exchange worried glances.

“Don’t do it.” Isabelle grabs my arm. “It feels like a trap to me. She hasn’t given you any directions or anything.”

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