Page 46 of Dig Your Grave

My heart fluttered at the invitation.Part of me wanted to run back to my dorm to maintain some semblance of normalcy.But the caretaker’s cottage was turning into a second home, a space where we could hide from prying eyes.I gave a nod.

We lay down on the narrow cot, pressed close for warmth and reassurance.The hush of the pre-dawn hours enfolded us, turning each heartbeat into a shared promise.Sleep claimed us in a tangle of limbs, the plan and the dangers overshadowed by the comfort of not being alone.

Chapter 17

I awoke mid-morning to sunlight slipping through the dusty windows of the caretaker’s cottage.Anubis was already up, rummaging for fresh clothes in a duffel bag he stored here.His hair was rumpled, eyes still heavy with sleep, yet he flashed me a small smile when he noticed I was awake.

“You were out cold,” he said gently.“Figured I’d let you rest.We have a lot to do tonight.”

I sat up, hugging my knees.“Thanks.”

A pang of worry lanced through me.What if Margrett or the police discovered us tampering with the system?The repercussions could be huge, academically and legally.But I remembered Toccara’s face and steeled myself.

This is for a larger purpose.We can’t blow our cover.

We parted ways for a few hours.He needed to show up for a mandatory row team practice to avoid suspicion, while I returned to my dorm to shower, change, and at least glance at my neglected homework.On the walk back, campus life buzzed around me.Couples strolling hand in hand, study groups on the lawn.None of them had any idea what lurked beneath Edenvane’s polished veneer.

After a long, hot shower that somewhat eased my tension, I texted Anubis:

Let’s meet at the cottage at 9.Library at 11.

He replied instantly:

Got it.But meet me at 6.The party.

I pulled the hood of my sweater tighter around my shoulders as we stepped out of Anubis’ car.Music throbbed from the mansion perched on the hill, the entire facade lit up in vibrant neon colors.I could already smell the tang of spiked punch drifting on the evening breeze.If I hadn’t just been told to commit computer sabotage in the library’s server room, maybe I would’ve had more energy for a normal college party.But nothing about this night felt normal.

Anubis slid out of the driver’s seat, scanning the row of luxury cars parked along the winding driveway.Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and more vehicles I couldn’t name sparkled under floodlights.The property’s lawn was crowded with clusters of students dressed in sleek designer outfits.Everything screamed money, quiet, but in-your-face all at once.

“Come on,” he said under his breath, offering me his hand.“Row team’s inside.We’ll make an appearance, see if we can glean any info on who’s really backing this hack job.Maybe one of the upperclassmen in the Skulls will slip up, say something to us.Then we’ll slip out.”

I nodded, still reeling from the watchers’ commands.Hack the library, sabotage the campus security feed.The threat of blackmail hovered over both of us, promising dire consequences if we refused.The videos of us getting out.My stomach twisted.One more illicit mission, I told myself.Then I’d figure a way out.But first, apparently, we had to attend a party that would make me feel all the more out of place.

As soon as we stepped inside, I was assaulted by the heady mix of perfume, cologne, and top-shelf liquor.Expensive drapes covered the tall windows, massive crystal chandeliers swung overhead.Everywhere I looked, I saw laughter, shining champagne flutes, people in custom suits and designer dresses.A little too reminiscent of the last party I’d stumbled into here.All invitees had money, status… or roped in by those who did.

“Suede!Anubis!”someone called, waving from across a marble-floored foyer.One of his rowing teammates, Rowan, I remembered, from the Boathouse, beckoned us with a grin that bordered on manic.“Glad you came.We’re out back!”

I cast a questioning glance at Anubis, who shrugged.We followed Rowan through glass doors to a sprawling patio.A giant hot tub, more like a miniature pool, bubbled in the center, steam curling into the cool night air.My jaw dropped when I noticed the color of the water.A deep amber, glinting oddly under the patio lights.

“Is that…?”I whispered, incredulous.

“Straight whiskey,” Rowan confirmed, laughing.“Or maybe whiskey with some mixers.Who knows?”He leaped over a low stool and snagged a bottle off a table.“Get in, you two.We’ve got towels somewhere.”

A bizarre sense of unreality washed over me.People were literally soaking in a tub filled with alcohol.A few girls in designer bikinis lounged at the edges, leaning back as though this was the height of normal.My chest tightened with that familiar sense of not belonging, but Anubis’ hand on my elbow grounded me.

“You okay?”he asked softly.

I forced a nod.“I’ll manage.”We’d come this far.I might as well see what these absurdly rich kids were doing.Maybe I’d pick up a lead on who orchestrated our library hack assignment.

A half-dozen more row-team members hailed Anubis, cheering for their captain.It was easy to forget he was integral to Edenvane’s star crew, until we were confronted with them chanting his name, brandishing top-tier liquor like water bottles.

“Captain, your domain awaits,” one of them joked, gesturing at the swirling whiskey tub.

Anubis’ mouth curved into a polite smile, but I sensed the tension in him.“We’ll hang for a bit,” he said.“Have you seen Sophie?”

The mention of her name made my skin prickle.Sophie Mence, the Dean’s daughter.She’d orchestrated so many twisted games, lording power over scholarship students like me.She’d threatened Toccara before her death.Now she was part of the watchers or maybe she had her own agenda.My stomach churned at the thought.

Rowan shrugged.“Think she’s around the bar area.You know how she is.Always making an entrance.”

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