Page 132 of Kingmakers, Year Two

“There must be something down there,” Miles says.

“Who cares, let’s go eat,” I say, dismissively.

I don’t want to think about that particular cliff, having had too close a view of it myself.

Understanding me at once, Miles takes my hand and turns toward the dining hall, saying, “Hope they have fresh bread.”

“I’m not feeling well,” Cat says, in a small voice.

“All the more reason to eat,” Miles says, taking Cat’s arm as well.

Rakel is still gazing up at the wall.

“Somebody climbed up,” she says.

Irresistibly, I turn back. Someone has indeed scaled the stairs, and now they’re bending over the parapet, peering down. Silhouetted by the sun, I can’t be sure who it is, but by the lanky frame and the uncut hair, I think it might be that Senior Spy—Saul-something.

He shouts down to the students at the base of the wall.

“What’s he saying?” I ask Miles, unable to hear.

“I think . . . I think he said there’s someone down there,” Miles says.

Cat turns and vomits on the grass.

26

MILES

The body at the base of the wall is Rocco Prince.

The rumor flies around the school long before the professors confirm it.

And though this information is not publicly shared, one of the grounds crew tells me that Rocco was found with a noose around his wrist. On the other end of the rope, a canvas bag of stones.

“A noose around hiswrist?”I ask, confused.

“That’s right,” the crewman says, shaking his head grimly. “This shit is gonna kick off a whole other round of fuckin’ headaches.”

The students are confined to the dorms while the death is investigated. The staff bark orders at us with a new level of tension. This is the first time in Kingmakers’ history that two students have been killed in a matter of months.

Nothing can stop the speculation.

“I think he killed himself,” Simon Fowler says to me. “He was always off his rocker.”

I don’t believe for two seconds that Rocco would voluntarily jump off that wall.

Still, I feel an immense relief knowing that he’s dead. The only problem is the suspicion bound to fall on my head.

For the first time in my life, I’m actually innocent. But nobody’s going to believe that.

Even Simon seems wary.

“If I hadn’t been standing right next to you all day, maybe I’d think you pushed him . . .” he laughs, giving me a sideways glance.

“I wish I could shake the hand of the guy that did,” I reply.

I suppose it’s possible Rocco tied himself to a bag of rocks and pushed them off the ramparts because he lacked the courage to jump. But I just don’t fucking believe it.

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