Page 91 of Possession

“He can’t know.”

Simon studies me for a moment. “Because you don’t want to let this drop,” he realizes.

“I just have to know,” I say, mildly disturbed by the insistence in my voice. It’s almost manic.

“Know what?”

You miss me.

I shake my head to clear the words away. “Everything Aris kept hidden,” I tell him and pull up my sleeve to show the sigil the Grand Mage put on my forearm.

Simon’s eyes bug. “How did you get that?” he asks, reaching for my inked skin, but I quickly cover it with my hand.

“I asked nicely,” I say, tugging the sleeve back down. “Look, I don’t know if I can trust you, but I have to trust somebody. I can’t do this on my own.”

“What about Henry?” Simon asks.

“He’s keeping things from me.” The words feel sour in my mouth, and for a second, I feel horrible for doubting him. Maybe Henry isn’t telling me the whole truth, but that doesn’t mean that he’s bad. He might be trying to protect me.

I hesitate. Would it be wrong to keep this from Henry? He used to say that he didn’t approve of the Institute, so surely, he wouldn’t have a problem defying their rules. On the other hand, if I involve Simon, I could get him in a lot of trouble.

“Just forget it,” I say. “I’m sorry I brought it up.”

Simon doesn’t respond for a few seconds, then he says, “I’ll help you.”

“You don’t need to.”

“I want to.”

My leg starts to shake with restless energy. Does he know what he’s doing? Am I horrible for asking him to take these risks? Is this a bad, evil thing, something that will have terrible consequences which will prove my mom was right about me?

I could try to do it on my own, but I don’t know how far I’d get. Maybe people will be watching me, seeing what I check out and read from the library. Simon has been here longer—he knows his way around.

“It would have to be a secret,” I say at length. I turn away from his gaze, feeling guilty. “I just need help finding a few books, asking some questions. Once I know, I can let this go.”

Simon surprises me by laughing. “You look so freaked out. Don’t worry, I can keep a secret.”

I look back at him, anxiously. “What if you get in trouble?”

“I’m always getting in trouble,” he replies with a wink.

I try to smile back, but my gaze roams over the cafeteria. No one is looking our way, but I can’t get my conversation with Aris out of my head.

Where are you? I’d asked.

Everywhere, he said.

Chapter twenty

We go to the east library. Simon can’t stay with me for long, having class in an hour, but he said that he’d help the best he could. As we walk together, I wonder what the mages teach their acolytes. What they know about the world, about the universe?

When Aris appeared three years ago, it was a surprise for me and, well, everyone, to learn of his existence. And yet, the mages and the Following of the Forewarned had known about him for hundreds of years.

Maybe I don’t need the library as badly as I think I do—not when I have an acolyte to give me answers. “So, what is Aris?” I ask. “Where does he come from?”

"No idea.” He glances at me and shrugs. If he’s surprised by the abruptness of the question, he doesn’t show it. “I mean, there are theories, but no one really knows.”

“Theories? Like what?”

---