Page 122 of Just One Bite
It’s bad. The weight of it is smothering.
We can’t run from this. It’s inevitable.
“I did what you asked.”
I swallow the lump in my throat and grip the sink inside the girls’ restroom. It’s the one in the courtyard that’s covered in moss and surrounded by a huge garden that’s riddled with bees and snakes.
My fingers clutch the file folder in my hand, holding it up to the mirror to test it. I can see the contents clearly but in the mirror's reflection they're blank.
I awoke this morning, refreshed and eager to talk to Mrs. Vix, when I noticed a folder sitting in a sweeping of dust on the ground by my door. The front was labeled:For Rabbit. Love, your biggest fan.
Inside the folder is a detailed account of Parker’s life littered in red.
What would you believe?is typed in red at the top of the report. The truth is in black, and the lies are in red. It details doubt surrounding Parker and his rise to team captain: vague accounts from faked sources detailing Parker’s family using money to get him the position on the team and how they’re using that to get him in the pro Rage league. There’s a picture of him patting Ryker on the back, and notes on Ryker’s family’s involvement in gambling, and a formal news storywith eyewitnesses attesting to the story that Parker and his family are involved in some illegal gambling scheme. It’s all fabricated to ensure the reasonable doubt of the public.
And it would work.
Parker wouldn’t be allowed on a pro team, and whoever this is could ensure that.
At the bottom it reads:This file is enchanted for your eyes only. Tell him or anyone else and this goes out on immediate release. Don’t test me, Rabbit. This is a win-win situation for me. Check your phone for the next instruction.
The first thing I tried to do was type what was happening into the notes in my phone when an anonymous text popped up:
I see you got my present.
The number was already programmed in asYour Biggest Fan.
It was convincing enough for me to follow the instructions to call the anonymous number and receive my next task: break up with Parker in a public space and admit to the fake relationship immediately or the file will go out.
An unidentifiable, robotic voice speaks on the other end of the phone. “Good. Your next step is to take the ferry to The Hunting Grounds tomorrow. They’ll be expecting you. The details of The Hunt are in the back of the folder.”
“Fine.”
I stop and stare at myself in the mirror, wiping the smudged mascara from the corner of my eyes. Parker being targeted is my fault. If he’d never stuck his neck out for me and my sisters, none of this would be happening to him. I don’t know who it is. Parker has enemies coming from every angle. Another tear falls when I think of the look on his face in the common room. There has to be a way around this.
“But only if I have assurance that this will be over once I do. I’m not playing this game with you forever,” I say, hardening my words.
“I’m just glad you’re playing. After The Hunt, you’ll be someone else’s mate, and it should be the least of your concerns … but yes, I can provide you assurances. At the west corner of Languid Lake, there’s a tower of quartz you won’t be able to miss. Come alone. If you don’t, I’ll know. And bring something sharp.”
Someone’s else mate.My stomach sours as the plan comes into view. It’s about more than humiliating Parker. This person wants to separate us. I’mso numb I don’t contemplate the thought of another man’s teeth on my skin.
“What is it?”
“You’ll see.”
The sun is past the high point in the sky by the time I make my way back to the trail that leads to the courtyard. I suck on the blood on my thumb.
“Place your blood on the stone. And secrets done will be yours alone.”
The Secrecy Stone is riddled with blood smudges from the top of the magical stone to the bottom. I almost thought it was a joke when I showed up, but marked with a black marker was a place for my fingerprint on top of another. It’s smudged on purpose. A quick search of the stone on the forums and school newspaper brings up stories spanning from the start of the university.
The founders first used the stone to keep the location of Doxlothia a secret until it was safe to share.All secrets have a beginning and an end point with the stone.
I stared at it for a full five minutes, fighting the urge to turn back. Whoever did this is thinking steps ahead of me. Could I risk Parker’s entire reputation? I played through all the scenarios I could think of before placing my bloody fingerprint on the stone. Nothing is worth risking more harm coming to Parker because of my actions.
“How do I know it’s your blood?”
“It won’t work if not,”the voice hummed on the other end.
