Oliver spent the rest of the period filling Aithne in on the previous year. He hadn't expected Aith to be so easy to talk to, or so calm about all the killing. It was a lot to take on in just one hour. Yet, the entire time he was telling his story, her face was of stone. She occasionally made some "oh, poor dear" comment, but for the most part said nothing.
"Do you want to eat with Sky and I at lunch?" he asked as the bell rang.
"Yeah," she replied, genuinely happy. "That'd be great." Ollie felt more than happy to get so much off of his chest. How much he'd been hurting since Dylan was gone. His jealousy of Jack. His growing feelings for Schuyler. Schuyler knowing how he felt. Becoming her Conduit. Becoming her familiar. Being attacked by Kingsley. Sky going to live with the Forces. It was all so much to keep in. He would've talked to Sky about it, but things were so awkward between them now. He felt somehow that Aithne really cared about what he felt. She didn't judge him for his jealousy and blaming. She seemed almost surreal, how accepting of his faults she was.
When Aithne entered her next class, she immediately found Schuyler there. This was Ethics.
"Hey, you're Schuyler, right?" Aithne asked, putting on a friendly smile while taking the desk next to hers.
"Yeah," Sky stated, a confused expression upon her face. "Do I know you?"
"I met Oliver last period and he told me that he was friends with you." Sky smiled tightly, wondering who the heck Oliver had met. "My name's Aith." Sky relaxed a little bit, by simply knowing the girl's name. Sky couldn't put her finger on it, but for some reason, she felt close to this person.
Aithne also felt the closeness. Something connecting the two of them. "You're a half-blood, correct?" Aith asked. Sky was taken aback for a moment, then regained composure.
"How did you know?" she questioned.
"I'm not sure…" Aithne needed to think an explanation through. "Maybe it's because you're not in my memories?" Sky nodded at this.
"That's how Mimi found out. Do you know Mimi?"
"Heard a lot about her." Sky let out a sigh.
"She's exhausting, especially when you live with her."
"I'd imagine so," Suddenly, Sky broke eye contact with Aith. Aith immediately knew that her eyes were upon Jack Force. Suddenly, he was in the desk on the opposite side of Schuyler.
"Hey. Did you sleep well?" he asked her gently, pushing loose hairs behind her ear. Aithne felt herself start to gag.
"Yeah," she replied shyly.
"I'm really glad that you're staying with me," he told her. Again, Aithne felt the urge to gag.
"I'm glad to spend time with you, I really am. It's just…I want to be with my grandfather," Sky explained. "I need to know how to defeat the Silver Bloods."
"The Committee will take care of it," Jack insisted.
"You always say that and they never do anything!" Sky snapped.
"She's right, you know," Aith added.
"And who are you?" Jack inquired.
"Aith."
"And how do you know about this crap?"
"Because, the same kind of crap is happening back home," she informed him. "And my family and I waited, and waited, and the Committee did nothing."
"Well your Committee isn't ours," Jack insisted.
"You tell yourself that," Aith commented. "But after months like these continue, you'll realize that your Committee is just like everyone else's." Suddenly the teacher began to speak, and the three turned their attention toward him, but Jack couldn't help but feel unsteadied by her words.
