Page 106 of Snake

Nim

Ihad every conviction in Mason’s words until I step out of the car. My head falls back, back, and snaps into place, unable to go any further.

The house sits on the top of the rise like a piece of dark origami. The black glass that clads most of its severe lines is a reflection of the landscape around it—the shiny black rock making up the Littlerock Mountains.

This town’s black heart. Now I get it.

Mason takes my hand and leads me toward the poured concrete slab surrounding the front door of this starkly minimalistic house.I’m sure an architect was paid a pretty penny to build this place, but I would never have commissioned something like this. There isn’t a soft line or a warm color anywhere in sight. Even at dawn, I’m sure the light thrown back by the black glass looks tainted.

“I don’t want to go in,” I murmur, pulling back on Mason’s hand.

He lets out a quiet chuckle. “Don’t let Silas get to you. I’ve heard it’s much nicer on the inside.”

“Heard? You’ve never been inside?” I turn to look at Knox and Silas over my shoulder. “None of you?”

They shake their heads. For a moment, they’re both scowling. But then my eyes move past them, and I can’t clap a hand over my mouth fast enough to stop a gasp from spilling out.

I thought the view from Hart Falls was spectacular...but this?

Mason rumbles quietly in the back of his throat. “Jaysus,” he whispers. “King of the fucking Hill.”

Cinderhart looks like a town made of toy blocks, the surrounding forests like bits of colored cotton on toothpicks. Now I understand where the name truly comes from when I look at Scarstone Lake. From here, it’s a rough, black scar torn out of the land by a dragon’s claw. And just past that, far in the distance, I swear I can see the tops of Cinderhart Academy’s black spires.

“Nim! You’re here!”

I spin on my heel, throwing Vicky a flabbergasted look as she draws me into a tight hug. Her perfume fills my nose, too soft and feminine against such a harsh backdrop.

She holds me at arm’s length, eying my dress with surprise. “My goodness, that’s an exceptional choice.” Then her eyes snap over to Knox. “Why do I get the feeling you had something to do with this?”

Knox rolls his eyes at her. Vicky scans me again, her face collapsing when she sees my hair. “Oh, Nim. I heard what happened on Friday. I’m so, so sorry.” She makes as if to touch my hair, but when I move back, her hand falls to her side.

I’m glad she’s also wearing a dress. The guys are dressed casual as anything. Mason’s even wearing his letterman’s jacket. Now I don’t feel so out of place.

Vicky claps her hands together. “Right. Are you ready?”

My skin crawls when a flicker of uncertainty crosses her face. But it’s gone in an instant, and then she’s gesturing for us to follow with an almost impatient flick of her hand. “Come, come. You’re already late.”

I try to move, but my feet are locked to the earth. It’s not until Mason grabs my left hand, Silas my right, and Knox’s fingers press into the small of my back that I can finally start up the wide concrete steps leading to the front door. It’s open now, Cinderhart’s crest split down the middle as the two halves fold away from each other.

Vicky stands just inside the threshold, the midnight blue fabric of her dress gleaming faintly when the sun catches it.

As soon as the doors close behind me, it’s like we’ve been transported to another world. Light pours down from slanted skylights hidden in the creases and folds of the roof. They cast crisp shadows over the walls and floor, which are mostly bare, as if the play of light was the only decoration these owners required. The same stark colors—black and white and pale gray—are carried through to the inside of the house.

But thankfully a bright splash of color appears up ahead.

An oak tree, the biggest I’ve ever seen, commands every bit of my attention where the sun blazes down on it inside its courtyard. Its leaves are a symphony of colors—greens and reds, oranges, and yellows.

There’s a big black ribbon around its base, its ragged edges fluttering as a breeze toys with the oak’s leaves.

Vicky slides open a glass door and steps into the courtyard.That’s when I notice the people outside. They’re seated on a curved concrete bench that hugs a huge, unlit fire pit.

Vicky turns to look at me, beckoning when she sees I’ve come to a stop. “Here, Nim.”

I recognize the couple that gets to their feet when they catch sight of me and suddenly my heart is in my throat. I don’t think I’ve been this nervous in my entire life. The Serpents are the only thing keeping me from fleeing right now.

There’s a strip of concrete laid between the gravel that makes up the floor of this courtyard, and somehow, I manage to keep on that instead of twisting an ankle.

“Nim. It’s so good to finally meet you.” The man walks up to me and thrusts out his hand. “I’m—”

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