“Unknown condition?” My eyes narrow. “I thought you said he was having stomach problems.”
“I… yes,” she says. “Yes, stomach problems. But we don’t know what caused them,”
There’s a pause.
“I want to speak to President Hawthorne.”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” says Samantha.
“Why not?” I demand, face flushing. “Is he suddenly not taking visitors?”
“There’s no need to get angry,” Samantha says, her patience unnerving. “President Hawthorne is a very busy man, and this isn’t a matter of concern to him.”
“What do you mean, it’s not a matter of concern?” I ask desperately. “What aren’t you telling me? Where’s Silas?” I can feel my heart hammering in my chest as we size each other up for a moment. Part of me wants to push further, but another part already knows it would be a waste of time. She knows something, I think. There’s something she’s not telling me. Samantha just keeps watching me with that unnerving look on her face, to the point where my shoulders slump and I let out a defeated sigh. “I guess I’ll just wait for him to get better, then.”
“You should do that,” says Samantha, still with that wan smile on her face. “And Millie,” she adds as I turn to go, “you should really relax. It looks like the stress is starting to get to you.”
“What do you mean, he’s missing?” asks Hunter, his arms still crossed in front of his chest. The four of us are standing in the shade of the dormitory building, a ways away from the other students.
“That’s what you’re worried about?” counters Landon. “Not the part where we were all experimented on as kids?”
“Come on,” says Shade. “Silas has always been paranoid. It runs in the family. Millie, I’m sure whatever he found wasn’t--”
“No, listen to me,” I protest. “He said he found proof--documents. Records. And now he’s vanished off the face of the earth, and the faculty won’t help me. Doesn’t that strike you as a little suspicious?”
“Maybe a little,” Shade admits.
“Are seriously none of you worried about the fact that, if he wasn’t lying, this means the five of us were part of some kind of… conspiracy?” Landon asks, sweeping his arms out. “Does that not bother any of you?”
“Obviously, it does,” snaps Hunter. “But if Silas is missing, then we have more urgent things to deal with.”
Landon blinks. “Damn. I think that’s more words than you’ve ever said, Hunter.”
“Not now, Landon,” I say. “Guys, come on. We need to focus here. Samantha was lying to me about where he was. Why the hell would they stop letting students into the infirmary all of a sudden?”
Shade purses his lips. “I guess you have a point.”
“Look,” I say, my tone pleading now, “I know none of us have known each other for very long. But if what Silas was telling me is true, then think about what it means for the rest of us. If we were all used by the humans when we were babies, and now we’re all here at the Academy, what does that mean for us? What if these disappearances have something to do with it?” I cross my arms. “And even if they don’t, that doesn’t change the fact that, as of this morning, another student is missing. One of us could be next. I don’t know about you guys, but I want answers. Answers that the school isn’t giving me.”
Landon sighs, scuffing his foot against the ground. “So what are we supposed to do, then? Form an angry mob and storm Hawthorne’s office?”
“Like that would help,” mutters Shade.
“Okay, thanks. Got any ideas of your own?” Landon fires back.
“I might have one,” Hunter pipes up, and the rest of us turn to look at him. He sighs, raking a hand through his red hair, and then says, “I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but… I might be able to get us into the faculty offices tonight, if you guys really want to dig deeper into this.”
“How?” Shade asks incredulously.
“My dad’s a board member,” Hunter reminds him, and thanks to a few lessons, I know board members are the leaders of our community and come from old families in the shifter world. Mostly people refer to them as royalty, as they might as well be. That’s why people call Amelia the prince and princess of the academy. “I might be able to get a hold of his keys. Might.” He shakes his head and sighs. “Amelia will kill me if she finds out.”
“Better her than the school,” I point out. “This is the kind of secret that could make the academy fall.”
Hunter just stares at me. “You don’t know Amelia.”
“So are we really doing this, then?” asks Landon. “Are we going to look for information in the offices?”
“It’s our only option right now,” I reply, turning to look at each of them in turn. “Listen, you guys… I know this is crazy. And I know it’s probably not what you want to be doing right now. But Silas needs help--I can feel it. And there’s something the Academy isn’t telling us. That said, though…” I swallow. “If this isn’t a risk you want to take, then I’ll understand.”
There’s a long pause, and none of them speak. Then, finally, Shade meets my eyes, the ghost of a smirk appearing on his face. “I don’t know about the rest of you,” he says slowly, “but I like risks.” He turns to me, straightening up and crossing his arms. “So when do we go?”
Chapter 24
Waiting for the day to end is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Even though I’m with the others for most of the afternoon, I find myself constantly looking around, seeing an enemy in every staff member I see, wondering who the next kid will be to inexplicably vanish. Most of all, though, I’m worried about Silas, and about what breaking into the faculty
