Page 44 of Dig Your Grave

His features softened.“Yeah.Let’s talk.”

We made a makeshift dinner of leftover snacks from a campus cafe run earlier—protein bars, fruit, and bottled water.Not exactly romantic, but it felt oddly comforting to do something so mundane together.Then we settled side by side on the worn couch, the single lamp casting a warm glow.

“You never told me much about your father,”I said, hesitant but curious.Anubis had mentioned in passing that his dad was a powerful figure at Edenvane, even if not physically present most of the time.

A flicker of tension shadowed his features.“He’s…complicated.He travels a lot for business.Technically on the Board of Trustees, but rarely attends in person.We used to be close when I was a kid.Then, the older I got, the more distant he became.I guess once I was old enough to be shaped into a future Skulls member, everything got…formal.”

I touched the back of his hand, imagining a lonely childhood in that big gothic mansion overlooking our small hometown.“Must’ve been hard,” I whispered.

He gave a tiny shrug.“I learned not to show weakness.My mother left when I was ten, so it was just the two of us and a series of tutors and staff.”A wry smirk crossed his lips.“But hey, I got this fancy name out of the deal.My father insisted on something Egyptian.Family tradition.”

I managed a small smile.“Anubis suits you in a strange way.Mysterious, a guardian of hidden things.”

He leaned in, pressing his forehead gently against mine.“So you’re not scared of me, then?”

Memories flickered: how he’d once been the tormentor in high school, how he’d teased me about my cheap bike.Then how he’d carried my trash bags of clothes on move-in day, the gentler side overshadowed by his swagger.

“Sometimes I am,” I admitted quietly.“But maybe I’m more scared of what’s around you than you yourself.You make me feel…alive.Even if it’s terrifying.”

His breath caught.For a moment, we just hovered there, the hush of the caretaker’s cottage wrapping us in its secretive warmth.Then, as if pulled by an invisible chord, our lips found each other’s.A tender, careful kiss turned deeper, hungrier.

I think it’s time I scare you again…

It was time for more of Anubis’ punishments.My pussy wept with anticipation.

A soft alarm on Anubis’ phone woke us from our doze.I found myself curled on the couch, legs entangled with his, my head on his chest.My heartbeat quickened in realization.

He exhaled, reluctant.“It’s time.”

We quietly gathered ourselves: a jacket for me, the flashlight in his pocket, the lock pick set.We left the caretaker’s cottage in near silence, heading for the tall silhouette of the Clock Tower that dominated Edenvane’s old campus square.

Nighttime had turned the college paths into winding corridors of faint lamplight.Statues of old benefactors and academics dotted the manicured lawns.In the distance, I heard the hush of the Edenvane River, that sinister presence always lurking.

By the time we reached the Clock Tower, I was shivering.Partly from the cold, partly from nerves.The massive stone structure loomed overhead, its enormous clock face illuminated by dim lights that made it look like a ghostly sentinel.

A small, wrought-iron gate blocked the entrance at the tower’s base.Standing by it, wearing a black coat belted at the waist, was Sophie Mence.Her blonde hair gleamed in the moonlight, and a smug half-smile curved her lips.

“You’re on time,” she remarked, voice echoing in the hush.

“We’re nothing if not punctual,” Anubis said dryly.

Sophie eyed me with a slight curl of her lip.“Feeling comfortable in your new role, Suede?Or should I call you Nubia?”

The use of that code name, the one forced on me, made my stomach twist.“Either,” I said softly.

She turned without further preamble, unlocking the gate with an old brass key.“Follow me.”

We ascended a narrow spiral staircase that wound around the tower’s interior.Dust motes danced in the beam of a small overhead bulb, and the air smelled of old stone and mustiness.Each step echoed louder than it should have, heightening my sense of foreboding.

Eventually, we emerged into a cramped landing near the mechanical workings of the clock.Gears and pulleys, all well-maintained, whirred softly behind a mesh barrier.Another Skulls member, hooded, face mostly hidden, waited there.

“Go inside,” Sophie commanded, pointing to a low doorway.“Do not touch the gears.Stand in the center.”

The hooded member opened the door for us.Anubis’ grip on my shoulder gave me a brief sense of comfort, then we stepped through.

Inside, a ring of small LED lights flickered on, revealing a circular space.The mechanical heart of the clock whirled on one side, ticking away the minutes.I realized with a jolt that the clock face was directly in front of us, a huge glass circle tinted from the inside, providing a shadowy view of the campus lights below.

Sophie joined us, her expression triumphant.“Now we begin your first real test as novices.The instructions are simple: sabotage the library’s security system.”

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