Page 52 of Dig Your Grave

I massaged my temples, dread gnawing at me.“Every task they give us is more corrupt than the last.”

Anubis’ face was grim.“The Skulls want to ensure Edenvane remains their playground.Carlisle’s research likely exposes shady donations or hush money.”

I shook my head.“He’s probably a good guy trying to fix a broken system.We’d be wrecking his career.”

Anubis nodded, expression torn.“We can’t fully sabotage him if we want to keep our souls.We have to fake it.”

We stared at each other in the lamplight, the weight of these forced betrayals pressing down.I could see the same conflict in his eyes.

“What if we warn him indirectly?”I asked.“Let him stash his real research somewhere safe, while we only steal decoy notes.”

A glimmer of hope passed over Anubis’ features.“That could work if we can contact him discreetly.Or maybe, like with the library infiltration, we stage partial sabotage while letting him proceed in secret.”

“Yes,” I said, latching onto the idea.“We can’t blow our cover by not doing anything.But we can do it carefully, leaving Carlisle a way out.”

Anubis exhaled in relief, pulling me into a loose embrace.“We’ll figure out the details tomorrow.For now, let’s at least try to rest.”

I nodded, though my heart still hammered.Each day, the Skulls twisted us further into complicity.But with the scrap of Toccara’s logs, maybe we were inching closer to justice for her and for Edenvane.

The next morning, I sat in the back corner of a bustling campus cafe, waiting for an opportunity.I’d discovered that Professor Carlisle held open office hours Monday afternoons, but he also frequented this cafe around lunchtime.

Sure enough, he ambled in, a well-dressed man in his late forties with gray at his temples.He ordered a black coffee and sat down to read something on his tablet.

Nerves twisted in my stomach.I needed to warn him, subtly, about the threat.But how?If I approached him as a random student, might it tip the Skulls off?

I summoned my courage, stepping up to his table.“Professor Carlisle?”

He glanced up, polite curiosity in his eyes.“Yes?”

I cleared my throat.“I’m Suede.I was hoping to…ask about your upcoming paper.I’ve heard rumors it challenges the donors behind Edenvane’s endowment.”

His eyes narrowed slightly, studying me.“You’re not in my class.Who told you about that paper?”

I managed a faint smile.“Word gets around.I’m…someone who believes in transparency, especially for scholarships.Could I see your research?”

Carlisle exhaled, leaning back.“It’s not finished.And I’ve encountered…pushback.Why do you ask, Ms.Suede?”

I felt the weight of the Skulls’ threat, the envelope in my bag.Careful.“Look,” I whispered, leaning in.“I don’t want you to get in trouble, but there are powerful people here who won’t let that paper come out unscathed.I’m worried you might face…reprisals.”

Suspicion flickered in his gaze, but also a hint of alarm.“Are you warning me, or threatening me?”

My cheeks heated.“Warning you, sir.Please keep your notes safe.Maybe store them off campus, or have a decoy in case anyone tries to steal them.”

His mouth parted in surprise.“Steal them?My goodness, child, you sound serious.”

I nodded tightly, feeling half his words bristle at me—child.But I had bigger concerns.“I am.I’m just a scholarship student who wants justice.That’s all I can say.”

Carlisle studied me for a long moment, then sipped his coffee.“Very well.Thank you for the heads-up.I’ll…take precautions.”

I gave him a quick nod, then scurried away, heart thudding.I hoped I hadn’t just made everything worse.But I couldn’t sabotage an honest professor without at least giving him a fighting chance.

Three nights later, we put our plan into action.According to Carlisle’s schedule, he left campus by 7 p.m.on Thursdays, rarely returning until the next morning.The perfect window for a break-in that the Skulls demanded we do.

With a stolen passkey, Anubis had a friend in campus facilities who unwittingly “lost” a master key, plus the lock pick set for emergencies, we approached Carlisle’s quiet faculty office.

We wore black hoodies, trying to blend into the dim corridors.

Anubis turned the key softly.“You sure the building’s empty?”

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