Page 273 of A University of Betrayal

So he wasn’t transparent after all... At that moment I also knew that he didn’t trust me, at least not to the extent that he would ever say a word about Alice.

“The only incriminating thing that seems to keep finding its way into my office is Rebecca Harlow. Now this woman wants to have the Winter Ball organized in a classical stylewithin a month.”

That fucking witch.

I realized my uncle had almost managed to distract me.

“They are dangerous. That’s all I want you to keep in mind.”

Alarik laughed and lowered his pen.

“A boy who lost his mother in a car accident; two siblings who found each other again; one of the quietest girls in town; and the daughter of a former acquaintance of mine? I don’t think these young people aredangerous.”

I swallowed.

He wasn’t naive. I hadn’t believed it until now, but now I knew that he had been involved with people like that. He wasn’t gullible, but he was too stuck in the past.

“It’s aboutwhatthey are,” I tried to clarify.

My uncle lowered his pen, pushed back his ancient wooden chair and walked to the window.

“It’s always aboutwhatyou are. It has always been more importantwhatyou were.” His thoughts seemed to be spinning. “But it only matters the moment someone who actually cares is present.”

His words were a kick in the gut.He meant me. He didn’t just mean me, he also defended the others, saw no danger in them and blamed me... for what? For common sense? For caution?

“It feels like you’re not teaching them a lesson because youwantthem to come again,” I huffed.

Alarik turned to me, looking at me calmly, as he had earlier when he had come in and looked at the others.

“You’ve always been clever, Emely.”

My jaw dropped a little.

I didn’t know what to reply to that.

Alarik turned back to the desk.

“You should go to sleep now, so you’ll be more or less fit in the morning.”

I remained silent.

He had confused me so much that I no longer knew what I could or should ask, or whether I should leave this office and not ask my uncle any more questions from now on. I chose the latter because I realized whose side he was on, even if I didn’t want to admit it.

Nothing seemed to have changed in his attitude since back then.

“Good night...” I said, suddenly feeling so alone in my world of sanity.

All the people who were important to me didn’t seem to see what wasreallyright. What were they thinking? Did they want to risk a war? Was it naivety? And why couldn’t I open anyone’s eyes?

“Sleep well, Emely.”

I looked one last time at my uncle, who seemed to be living in his own little world. His smile was warm and sincere, as always, but for the first time it didn’t reach me.

Chapter 47

Miles

Change is in the Air

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