Heading down the staircase, I saw warm light spilling out of the entrance to the dining room and kitchen. When I reached the foyer, I stepped into the dining room and had a clear view of the kitchen. Dad was sitting at the island, hands cradling a mug of coffee. He looked up as I entered. His eyes, tight with concern, eased when he spotted me. He smiled and patted the stool next to him.
“Couldn’t sleep?”
I shook my head and took the stool next to him. “You neither?”
Dad looked back at his mug. “The Lilitu who attacked you, did she give any indication what she wanted? Why she went after you specifically?”
I bit my lip. “I’ve been thinking about that.” I’d had more than enough time since the meeting last week to mull it over. It was almost the only thing I could think about. It was like she knew me, but how? “She—it’s like she’s got something personal against me. But I never saw her before she attacked me at the mission.”
“Describe her to me.”
“She’s got long brown hair. Blue eyes. Slight build, but tall.” I looked up, hearing my words. “She looks kind of like me, I guess.”
Dad studied me. I could feel his unease.
“Did Hale figure out how she slipped past the Guard?”
“No.” Dad’s brows drew together, and his hands tightened on the mug. “Thane and Ian are investigating the mission, trying to find an explanation. It’s possible the spotters simply missed her.” Dad’s voice trailed off.
“But you think there’s something else going on?”
He nodded slowly. “There’ve been too many coincidences lately.”
“The cult.” I felt a sour lump rising in my throat.
“We just don’t have enough information about them.” Dad took a drink of his coffee.
I caught his hand and gave it a warm squeeze. “We’ll get some of the other spotters to infiltrate the next meeting.”
“Provided we can find out when and where the next meeting takes place.” Dad covered my hand with his, giving me a kind smile, but it was tinged with a deeper concern.
“Dad?” I tried to catch his eye, but he avoided my gaze. “What’s wrong?”
“This talk of the Temple. I can’t get it out of my head. Whatever this woman, Idris, knows—” Dad sighed. “Well, one thing we can be sure of; she knows we’re onto her now. If I had to guess?” He shrugged. “She’ll take her meetings underground. I doubt we’ll catch her followers passing out flyers around town again. It’ll be personal invitation only from now on.”
“We still know Carrie.”
“But she doesn’t know our spotters. It’ll take them time to forge a relationship with her, and they’ll risk showing their hand if they ask about the Cult directly.”
I frowned, unsettled. “So we follow Carrie around the clock. She’ll lead us to the next meeting, right?”
“Let’s hope so.” Dad’s gaze turned inward. “The trick will be getting inside the meeting. But Rhea’s resourceful. I’m sure she’ll figure something out.”
“Yeah. Resourceful. Among other things.” I heard my voice harden. Dad glanced at me sharply.
“Hale told me about your sparring session with Rhea. Is she still giving you grief?”
“Whatever.” I forced a smile, shrugging it off. “It’s not like I have to see her very often. And it’s not like I have to like her. Let’s just hope she can worm her way into the cult.”
Dad looped an arm around my shoulders and gave me a warm squeeze. “Right. What do you say I make something interesting for breakfast. Goat cheese and roasted red pepper omelet?”
I leaned into his hug, feeling some of my tension ease. “Sounds awesome.”
Dad started puttering around the kitchen, collecting the necessary tools for his culinary creation. As I watched him, I tried to shrug off this feeling of helplessness. Until Ian and Thane figured out how the Lilitu had escaped the mission, until Rhea got an inside line on the Cult, there wasn’t much I could do but keep my eyes open and wait.
The sun had done little to warm the day by the time Lucas and I arrived on campus.
“Another Monday,” Lucas sighed. I leaned into him. Surprised, Lucas wrapped his arms around me. “What’s this for?”
I closed my eyes, drinking in the sensation of his embrace. I felt a stirring through my core; the Lilitu storm was waking. I held it at bay, trying to savor this moment. As the storm twisted inside me, I sighed and pulled back, meeting Lucas’s eyes. They looked almost green against the cloudy sky. “Thank you.”
Lucas gave me one of his little half-smiles, and I felt my heart flutter in my chest. “You’re no end of mystery, Braedyn Murphy.”
“We never did finish that dream,” I murmured.
Lucas’s eyes sharpened on mine. “Does that mean you want to?”
I swallowed. “What I want is for us to be together without fear. Right now—unfortunately—a dream is our best option.”
“If you say so.”
I looked up at him, surprised by the note of doubt in his voice.
“Missy!” Cassie’s clear voice cut across the morning.
I turned and Lucas followed my gaze. We watched as Cassie caught up to Missy on the quad. I couldn’t hear their conversation, but Missy looked at Cassie with genuine surprise, then shrugged and wrote something down on a paper for Cassie.
“What do you think she’s doing?” I asked.
“I don’t know.” Lucas frowned, studying Cassie with a speculative look on his face.
Missy gave Cassie a hug and walked off toward North building. Cassie studied the scrap of paper in her hand, lost in thought—until Parker approached.
Even from where we stood, we could hear Cassie’s voice, harsh with anger. “Leave me alone, Parker. I told you, I don’t want to talk. I don’t want to see you. Just leave me alone!”
Parker made a soothing gesture, saying something too quietly for me to make out. Cassie shoved Parker back, growing even angrier.
“That son of a—” I growled, taking a step forward.
First bell rang out, summoning students for the start of the school day. Cassie tucked the paper into her pocket and dashed into North Hall, leaving Parker staring after her.
“What do you think he wanted?” Lucas asked.
Watching her go, I couldn’t shake a sinking feeling. “I’ll ask her in first period.” Lucas and I parted ways, each heading off to class. Cassie and I shared Mr. Landon’s history class for first period. I made my way to class, taking my usual seat. Cassie entered a few minutes later, talking on her cell phone.
“Great, thanks so much. I’m really looking forward to it.” She hung up, turned her phone off, and took her seat, flushed and smiling.
When she’d gotten settled, I leaned over and caught her eye. “What’s going on, Cassie?”
Cassie shot me a sharp look. “It’s nothing. Missy was just helping me out with a project I’m thinking about proposing for an independent study,” Cassie mumbled.
“No,” I said, “I meant with Parker. What did he—” But then I read the guilt in Cassie’s eyes. “Independent study?”
“Oh, Parker?” Cassie blushed. “Whatever. It’s been the same thing with him for a year now. Like I’m ever going to give him another chance. What does he think I am, an idiot?”
“Cassie?” I leaned closer to her, alarm rising in my chest. “What independent study? What are you talking about?”
“A psychology study,” Cassie said, not meeting my eyes.
“Really.” I kept my voice level, battling down another swell of anxiety. “I didn’t realize you were into psychology. Let me guess; you want to study the dynamics of group behavior within the context of a cult?”
Cassie’s eyes cut to my face, as good as admitting her guilt.
“Cassie.” I leaned forward, gripping Cassie’s arm harder than I meant to. Cassie winced, but I didn’t let go. “I told you to leave this alone.”
“You also told me we’re fighting a war that mos
t people aren’t even aware of. That the fate of the world rests in our hands.”
“Not your hands,” I hissed.
“No?” Cassie’s eyes flashed. “Are you forgetting what I saw? I watched an angel die, Braedyn. And the demon that killed him escaped into another world right in front of my eyes. Through a door—by the way—that could let who knows how many of them back into our world. I know I’m new to this whole thing, but from where I stand it looks like you’re losing this war. So let me help.”
I stared at her, at a loss for words.
“All right, class, let’s get started.” Mr. Landon entered, heading straight for the whiteboard. “The Battles of Lexington and Concord, April 19, 1775.” He started writing on the board. Around us, students bent over their spirals, taking notes.
Cassie stared pointedly at my hand, still clutching her arm.
“You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into,” I whispered, releasing her arm.
“Guess I’ll have to figure it out as I go along.” But after a moment, Cassie’s anger melted into something new. She glanced at the head of the class. Mr. Landon was still writing names and dates on the whiteboard. Cassie turned back to me, lowering her voice. “Look. It’s not like I want to go chasing danger. But put yourself in my shoes. Could you ignore the truth once you’d learned it? Just sit back while your best friend puts her life on the line to save yours over and over again?” Cassie studied me so intensely that I had to look away. Her voice softened. “There’s so little I can do to help. I’m not a fighter. I’m not a spotter. But going to a meeting and listening? That’s something I can do. Please. Let me help.”
“Ladies?” Mr. Landon fixed us with a stern look. “If I’m interrupting your conversation, just let me know.”
“Sorry, sir.” I sat up straighter, blushing.
“Perhaps you can answer a question for me, Ms. Murphy. Who was Thomas Gage?”
“Um…” I struggled to remember the passages I’d read over the weekend. “He headed the British forces garrisoned in Boston.”
Mr. Landon nodded, satisfied. “Correct, Ms. Murphy.” He turned back to the whiteboard, drawing a quick sketch of New England on the board. I slid down in my chair, still unsettled by my conversation with Cassie. Amber caught my eye. She was glaring at me from her seat across the classroom. I sighed. Cassie was willing to throw herself into this war without any training or skill, but Amber—with her exceptionally rare ability to spot demons through their cloaks—wouldn’t lift a finger to help us. I bent over my notes, putting Amber out of my thoughts. I had to figure out a way to keep Cassie safe, and she wasn’t making it easy on me.
By lunchtime, I was sick with anxiety. Lucas and Royal met me outside the dining hall. Lucas’s eyes narrowed with concern as soon as he spotted me.
“What happened?”
“Cassie got herself invited to a cult meeting.”
“What?!” Royal stared, stricken. “When did this happen?”
“This morning.” I realized I was chewing my nails to the quick, and lowered my hand.
Lucas’s expression darkened. “Okay, so she comes down with a cold and can’t make it.”
“You too?” Cassie joined us, giving Lucas a pained look.
“Cassie, Braedyn’s right.” Lucas turned on Cassie. “This is a terrible idea.”
“Really?” Cassie crossed her arms. “Because, unless you’ve read my mind,” and here she glared at me, “none of you even knows what my idea is yet.”
I glanced at the others. Royal kept his lips firmly sealed. Lucas’s expression was grim.
“Why don’t you tell us your idea, which just might be a brilliant one, Cassie?” Cassie asked in a lilting voice. “Oh, sure, guys, glad you asked,” she answered herself. “Let’s grab some lunch and I’ll fill you in.” Without waiting for a response, Cassie walked into the dining room. Lucas, Royal, and I had no choice but to follow her.
Ten minutes later, we’d collected our food, settled around our usual table, and served ourselves. No one paid much attention to the food; all our eyes were fixed on Cassie.
“So let’s hear it.” I stabbed a piece of broccoli with my fork. Cassie shifted in her seat, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening.
“Okay,” Cassie said quietly. “I talked to Missy, and she says Carrie’s clammed up about the meetings.”
“Missy’s interested in this stuff?” Royal looked surprised. “Seems kind of airy-fairy for her.”
“No, Missy thinks the whole thing is stupid,” Cassie said. “She attributes Carrie’s involvement to some college-girl woman-power kick. Apparently Carrie took some kind of women’s studies class last semester and Idris came and spoke. Whatever she said was strong enough to get Carrie to take a semester off from college.” Cassie shrugged. “Like I said, Missy thinks she’s insane.”
“What’s the plan, Cassie?” Lucas asked.
“I’m getting to it. Patience.” Cassie shot Lucas an irritated glance. “The plan is I go to the meetings, and Braedyn listens in.”
Royal shook his head, confused. “If these guys are as paranoid as you think they are, won’t they search newcomers for listening devices?”
“Not with a listening device,” Cassie said, glancing at me. “She’s going to listen through me.”
I stared at Cassie, surprised.
“Huh.” Lucas glanced at me thoughtfully.
Royal looked from Lucas to me. “What am I missing here?”
“Braedyn might be able to make contact with Cassie’s mind to see and hear what Cassie sees and hears,” Lucas said slowly. “She’s done it before.”
“But—” I shook my head, trying to process everything. “That was a crisis. I don’t know if I can just pop into someone else’s mind like that.” I snapped my fingers.
“Then we should practice before I go to the meeting,” Cassie said.
“Hold on.” Royal pushed his plate away. “You can mind-spy on people and I’m just hearing about this now?”
“It’s not a skill I’ve been cultivating,” I said sourly. I turned to Cassie. “You’re ignoring the very reason I didn’t want you involved in this in the first place. You’re putting yourself in harm’s way.”
“Yes, there’s some risk,” Cassie said, “but there’d be risk for anyone attempting to spy on the Cult, wouldn’t there be?”
“The spotters are trained to fight,” Lucas reminded her.
“And I’m nothing but a high school junior?”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Lucas said.
“Don’t you get it? I’m the perfect mole,” Cassie insisted. “I don’t look like a fighter. I won’t ruffle any feathers. I’m just going to listen.” Cassie glanced at me. “And if you sense any real danger, you’ll know where I am. You can swoop in and save me.”
I didn’t answer her. Cassie sat back. They all turned toward me, waiting.
“There’s one problem with that logic,” I said. “If you run up against real danger, I might not be fast enough to save you.”
“Then let’s hope we get what we need quickly.” Cassie met my gaze with an intractable gleam in her eyes. I glanced back down at my plate. Cassie was resolved to do this; that much was clear. Which meant, if anything did happen to her at one of those meetings, I’d have a front-row seat to watch my best friend’s death.
I stumbled through the rest of the afternoon, feeling off kilter and out of focus. After school, I found myself dragging my feet as I walked to my locker. The halls cleared out around me as students took off to enjoy what was left of their afternoons before heading home for dinner and homework. I pulled a few books out of my locker and loaded them into my school bag before I realized I’d left my English book behind. I headed back to Mr. Avila’s classroom. He was already gone. The lights were off, but I spotted my book still sitting on the desk where I’d left it a few minutes before.
I tucked it into my school bag and headed back for the hallway. The sounds of an argument stopped
me in my tracks.
“You’ve got to be freaking kidding me!” Ally’s high-pitched voice was strained with anger.
“What am I supposed to do, Ally? I have to get a job.” Amber’s voice rang through the halls, full of frustration.
“So schedule your burger-flipping for after practice!”
“I can’t.” Amber’s tone shifted into bitterness. “My step-mom wants me home every day by six to help with her kid. I have to figure out how to fit the job in between school and—”
“Seriously, Amber? You made a commitment to us.”
“If I don’t do this, I can’t stay at Coronado Prep!”
“Bull crap. We’re this close to qualifying for State,” Ally snapped. “You’re the captain!”
“You’ll do just fine without me,” Amber said quietly. “You’re the one with the gymnastic medals under her belt.”
“What is up with you?”
“I told you, it’s my step-mom—”
“No. You’ve been totally weirding out lately. Like, for months.”
I glanced out the door.
Amber stared at Ally, looking caught. “It’s—I’ve been dealing with some stuff lately, is all.”
Amber looked so lost, I felt an alien twinge of sympathy for her. Before I had time to think it through, I walked into the hall.
Amber and Ally saw me coming and clamped their mouths shut. Ally eyed me with distaste.
“You do realize it’s just cheerleading,” I said, giving Ally my most disdainful look. “I mean, technically your job entails jumping up and down and hollering for the football team which, correct me if I’m wrong, is what pretty much every spectator is doing, too.”
“Excuse me?” Ally’s eyes bulged, giving her horse-like face a strained look. “Like you would know anything about the discipline it takes to do what we do.” Ally turned her back on me and gave her ponytail a haughty flick. She stabbed Amber in the chest with her index finger. “You know, fine. Deal with your stuff alone. The team and I have way too much to prep for to take on your drama, too. Just don’t come crawling back to me in a month, hoping to rejoin the team. You leave now, you’re out for good.”
Sacrifice Page 8
