“I’m meeting with her again in a few days. I’ll do a reading. Make sure that we have every piece of the truth,” Orion replied with a firm nod.
“And then?” Darius pressed, seeming to need an answer before he’d allow himself to be turned from the path he’d pictured.
“And then… well then we'll do what we have to before anyone finds out it was us.”
“Good,” Darius replied and his face lit with a smile sharp enough to cut glass.
He didn’t bother with farewells before turning and striding away from Orion. My heart leapt as I recoiled further into the shadows but thankfully he chose a different alley and I waited as his footsteps beat a path away from me.
Orion stood there in the moonlight for several seconds, his gaze locked on the alley Darius had taken long beyond the time when he must have moved out of sight.
Eventually he released a curse beneath his breath before turning and marching away too.
I let the minutes tick by as I hid in the shadows. There was only one way back to the Academy from here and I wasn’t going to risk bumping into Darius on the way. If he found out that I’d followed him, he’d probably incinerate me on the spot.
By the time I eased out of my hiding place and crept back into the woods, Darius was long gone. I hurried back along the twisting paths as quickly as I could, aiming for my bed and my Atlas so that I could call Darcy. I wasn’t sure exactly what I’d just overheard but one thing was clear. Darius and Orion were keeping secrets. And if there was even the slightest chance that they involved my sister and I then I intended to get to the bottom of them.
I WAS JUST drifting off to sleep when my Atlas starting pinging. I took it from the nightstand, finding Tory calling me.
My heart beat harder as I tapped the screen to answer, fearful that something had happened to her.
“Tory, are you alright?” I asked.
“Yeah, I'm good. But can I come stay with you tonight? I heard the Heirs plotting to jump me in the morning and…well there's something we need to talk about too.”
“Sure I'll meet you outside Aer Tower,” I said, sitting up with a yawn.
“I'm already here,” she said with amusement in her tone.
I grinned, springing out of bed as the line cut out. I grabbed my sports sweater and pulled it on, heading quietly out into the corridor. My bare feet grew cold against the hard stone floor and I started tip-toeing to save my heels from its icy touch.
Moving into the stairwell, I hurried down at double speed, the tower achingly quiet around me. I made it to the ground floor, only receiving two glares from a couple of students on their way to bed. Win!
I tugged the large iron door open and stepped outside, searching for Tory as the chilly night air blew around me.
“I’m here,” she said, stepping out from behind a bush that clung to the wall. She gave me a frown that said something was bothering her. “If Seth catches me, the game's up.”
“He won't. Come on.” I raised a hand, casting a gust of wind at the Aer symbol above the door to open it again. I led the way inside and Tory kept on my heels as we hurried up the spiralling staircase.
I nearly tripped over a step as I veered into my floor, muttering a curse at myself as I hurried along the corridor to my room. I jammed the key in the lock and a second later we were safely inside.
I gave Tory a triumphant smile but she didn't return it.
“Darcy, something really weird is going on,” she said, dropping down to perch on my bed and planting her bag by her feet.
“What do you mean?” I grabbed the desk chair and turned it around to sit before her.
She pulled her hair over one shoulder, knotting her fingers in it. “I followed Darius tonight. He split up from the Heirs and was acting all shady so I went after him. And he led me right to Orion.”
“Orion?” I breathed in confusion. “Why?”
“They were hiding something.” Tory relayed everything they'd said and my mind snagged on the worst of it all. That it very much sounded like Darius and Orion wanted us dead.
I chewed on my lip as I willed my heart to settle. “Maybe you misunderstood?” I tried and Tory nodded slowly.
“Maybe…but I'm pretty sure.”
“Then what do we do?” I asked.
“What about Falling Star?” she suggested. “Didn't they say something about Orion? That he wasn't telling us everything. Maybe they have the answers.”
I frowned, my gut knotting. “We don’t even know who they are. They could be an Heir messing with us for all we know.” I didn’t like the idea of placing our trust in some unknown source. “What if we’re just playing into the Heirs’ hands by responding to that account?”
“Seems like a weird game to play,” Tory encouraged. “They haven’t exactly said anything to hurt us. Just…confuse us.”
I remained quiet, lifting a hand to wrap my hair in my fingers.
Tory’s brow wrinkled as she looked to me and a flash of pity entered her gaze. “You don’t have to trust them, Darcy. Just see what they say.”
I nodded, giving in as I took my Atlas from my bag. I jumped onto the bed with her, sitting cross-legged as I lay the device on my lap.
I brought up the chat window and tapped out our question to Falling Star as my heart hammered violently beneath my ribcage.
Darcy Vega:
You said there were things we didn’t know about Orion. Care to explain?
We waited in tense silence and I wondered if we shouldn't expect an answer until tomorrow. It was past midnight and most students were in bed by now.
A moment later, three dots appeared at the bottom of the screen, telling me Falling Star was writing a reply.
I shared an anxious look with Tory as we waited in tense silence and finally the message came through.
Falling Star:
I don’t like the company he keeps.
Darcy Vega:
Do you mean Darius?
My heart was fit to burst as we waited on their reply again.
Falling Star:
Yes.
“Holy shit,” Tory breathed in my ear.
I tapped out another question, my teeth clenched together.
Darcy Vega:
Do you know what they’re up to?
Falling Star:
No.
I sighed, lowering the Atlas when another message came through.
Falling Star:
But I do know this…
Anyone in allegiance with the Acrux family is bad news.
Don’t trust them.
Darcy Vega:
But why?
Tory's shoulder pressed against mine as she leaned in closer, both of us hanging on their reply. I was now convinced this couldn’t be the Heirs messing with us.
The three dots taunted us as we waited with bated breath.
Falling Star:
I believe the House of Acrux was involved in the death of your birth parents.
And I have my suspicions that the other Heirs’ families assisted.
I turned to Tory in alarm. “Do you believe this?”
Tory gazed at me, her eyes wide as she thought on it. “I don't know. We don't even know who this Falling Star person is.”
“But if they're right and Darius and Orion are coming after us then…” Fear crackled in my chest.
“Then we're so screwed,” she whispered.
My Atlas pinged as another message came through.