I pulled my bag strap onto my shoulder as I merged into the group of students leaving the classroom. The problem with actually going to classes and putting in my time was all the work I had to do. Now I needed to go to the library and study for a paper, and somehow have time in the day to investigate.

Juggling it might be an issue—but if I find the answers I need quickly, it won't be. I just had to find them quickly . Thinking about it caused me to sigh heavily. "Gray," a male voice startled me, my head snapping right to find Jack walking beside me now. "I lost my phone number, can I have yours?"

The delivery was great in tone, but he looked to be fighting a humored smile. I fake-laughed and rolled my eyes, causing his playful smile to break through. "Smooth. You're a real Casanova, Morton. What do you want?" I asked, a bit impatiently.

"Your phone number…? Seriously, I don't have a way to contact you that's not in person," he explained, like it should be obvious.

Sighing, I dug into my pocket and unearthed my cell phone. I told him my number as we exited the humanities building. Absentmindedly, I'd headed for the library, and Jack kept walking with me while he added me into his phone.

Finally, he put his phone away when it was in. "Great, thanks. I have some things I gotta do, but I'll text you if I find out anything," he told me, to which I nodded once in a 'thank you' gesture. "What are you doing now?"

"Uh, right now? Studying. But I'm going to keep trying to figure out who killed Chelsea. Obviously, if it involves a secret society on campus, the police won't ever find out. So, someone has to," I said, thinking out loud a bit.

Jack nodded along with my statements, "Yeah, that makes sense. Just be careful, okay? Who knows what these guys are capable of, and if you go sticking your nose around in their business-"

"I could be next—I know."

"And that doesn't, I don't know...freak you out?"

I sighed. I could tell him why I wasn't worried about death at the hands of The Order, but that would entail divulging a lot of details about my family. That wasn't something I was prepared to do, especially not with someone I barely knew.

So my mind scrambled for something to replace it with. "Chelsea's family will forever not have closure because of those fuckholes," I answered, turning a bit to see him as we walked. "So, if there's a chance I get banged up giving that to them, that's a risk I'm willing to take."

"Pretty selfless of you, Gray," Jack commented, a bit sarcastically.

The corners of my mouth turned upward as I tilted my head, "You think I'm pretty?"

He barked a short laugh as his expression changed to a humored one, and I took the opportunity to quicken my pace to walk ahead of him. Thankfully, he didn't keep up with me. I assumed he'd split off to do whatever 'things' he'd said he needed to do.

I continued on to the library. It was a massive building, and the interior looked much more daunting. So, naturally, I asked the librarian at the front desk where I could find the philosophy. Ironically, I had to specify what kind.

Then the librarian pointed me in the direction I would find the books I wanted in and I was off. He seemed like a nice guy, probably only working in the library to work off debt. I would be in the same boat if my mother hadn't insisted on the scholarship application.

Working my way through college would've been my ideal college experience, simply because then I would know I truly earned it myself. With Belgrave there was no way of knowing for certain if my family's status had anything to with my acceptance.

Of course, it didn't matter. I didn't want to be here anyway. What did I really care if I didn't earn a spot in a college I didn't want to be in to begin with? Because it's dishonest, you fool , my head whispered.

I found the widespread collection of Scottish philosophy and tracked down David Hume. As a child, mom read a lot of philosophy to me. Some of it stuck with me, some of it didn't—but it was a lasting impression that lead to me minoring in it.

It wasn't my major, though. Psychology was much more appealing to me as a main source of study. It was something new, something I'm wildly curious about. So far, I enjoyed the Psych 101 class. But I can't say the writing assignments for the week were enjoyable.

My fingers plucked a couple books from the tightly packed shelf and stacked them in my arms. Then, I started walking back to the front desk. In the silence of the large and immaculate library, a loud buzz caught my attention, startling me into standing still.

I quickly dug for my phone, unearthing it from my pocket to a text from an unknown number. A thought of relief and security fell over me with the thought that it was probably Jack. Upon opening the message, my eyes focused on something different than words.

It was a dark, blurry photo with a party as its obvious setting. In the center of the photo was Chelsea, smiling drunkenly at the camera, with a handful of girls around her. I was only tipsy at the party. Therefore it was easy to recognize the girls.

They were the ones Chelsea was talking to in the kitchen, right before I ducked out to the back yard. The moment I did recognize them, another message buzzed its way in. This time it held a few simple words— I know what happened . Reading the text sent a cold rush of air along my spine.

It was the idea there could be answers that drove my chills.

A third message buzzed in below the second with directions to meet the sender for the full story at the benches in front of the library. It was cryptic as shit, but what other choice did I have? There weren't many options when investigating a magical murder.

I was already inside the library. So, as quickly as possible without looking weird, I checked out my books and walked through the exit.

I'd stuffed the books into my bag as I walked toward the benches with quick steps. There was no sign of my partner in crime, but instead a short brunette anxiously bouncing her heel.

She stood up when I rounded the end of the bench she sat on. "That was quick," she remarked, with a light-heartedness that was visibly fake.

With a quick nod, I thrusted a thumb in the direction of the library, "I was inside when you texted. How'd you get my number?"

"Oh, um, I asked someone. That's not important. I know what happened to Chelsea last night."

"Tell me everything. Don't leave anything out," I encouraged, coming to stand just in front of her.

Her head bobbed a quick series of nods before she inhaled deeply, "I was at the party, she and I- we were having fun, and then she went with Dale somewhere. I didn't see her for a while so I thought she was still with him. But I went on the back porch for a smoke and I saw her in the backyard."

"Chelsea was in the backyard? Why?" I questioned, thinking aloud as my forehead creased.

The girl took a few sporadic glances at the area before putting her hand on my arm, guiding me to turn with her as she began walking. I walked with her voluntarily, but only to get the answer to my question.

She took in another deep breath before speaking. "I don't know for sure why she was out there, but I saw her walk out the back gate and she disappeared," she finally answered.

My mind tried to find reasoning. There was a sidewalk that was a little longer for a trip back to the dorms out that direction. Chelsea could've been wasted and got turned around thinking that was a shortcut? Or, that was just her intention for some reason?

It only added more questions to the ever growing list I'd been compiling in my mind, but at least I knew better where to look for clues that could prove or disprove the Order's involvement.

"Thank you for coming forward, I'm sure it's not easy," I told her, with a casually sympathetic expression.

She nodded sadly, "Chelsea was such a good person. It's not fair something like this happened to her. You know?"

"I know."

The unfair tendencies of life were nothing new, but they never failed to leave a sting. I got her number put into my phone一her name, apparently, was Addison一and was on my way back to my dorm.

I needed to get back to the Sigma Sigma house to investigate this new lead. But I couldn't just go snooping around the backyard of a frat house uninvited.

So my disguise would be a party. I could walk in the front door and no one would bat an eye. I texted Addison when I made it to my dorm, asking her when Sigma was having their next big bash.

She texted back right away with a short message: tomorrow night . It was perfect. I had assignments due soon that I needed to study for, but this was higher on my priority list. Although, I did have a whole day before it would be inconspicuous to show up at the Sigma house.

I could make all of tomorrow's classes and lectures with no problem. For the time being, I had two hours before my next lecture, and I needed to use my free time wisely. So I gathered the necessities in my bag and headed out of the dormitory.

There were a few places on campus quiet enough for study, but they were fairly solitary. I wanted to keep one foot in the college and one foot in the high school mentalities, getting my work done and pleasing my mother while simultaneously experiencing college things.

The Blade & Chalice was a spot I wanted to check out already, so I stopped there first. It was a nice atmosphere. I could feel that just from stepping in the door. Though, as it fell closed behind me, I noticed a lack in free space.

It was a busy place. Whether that was an everyday thing or just for today, I had no idea. Either way, my eyes scanned the tables, stools, and booths for an empty spot as I took slow steps further inside.

After a moment, I found a spot. It was a booth not far from the door, along the wall holding some of the only windows in the place, with a male student actively studying in one side. The other side was empty and unoccupied.

I could just leave. I could turn around and leave, and just find a spot in the library. But, then again, I could also force myself out of my shell a bit more by interacting with someone new. There were a few nervous hang-ups. Like the fact that he was not at all ugly.

That was a little intimidating for my shaky confidence, but I forced myself to move toward the booth regardless. I inhaled a deep breath and pushed my lips into my best attempt at a casual smile. "Excuse me?" I said, stepping up beside the table.

He looked up from his open, rather large textbook swiftly. Almost immediately, his lips broke out in a bright smile, his features lighting up from the change. "Hi there," he responded, sitting back in his seat.

My smile turned a little more bubbly at the warm reception, "Hi. Is this seat taken?"

I gestured toward the open side of the booth with a hand, and he took a quick glance in the seat's direction. Shaking his head, he looked back up at me. "Nope. It's all yours," he replied, gesturing across the table.

With a curtly nod, I dropped my bag into the booth and then slid myself in. All the while I could feel his eyes on me from across the booth. Not in a creepy his excitement and intrigue were tangible. A moment after I'd settled in, he stretched his arm across the table to offer his hand.

"I'm Randall," he introduced himself.

I slid my hand into his, grasping firmly, "Gray."

"Nice, I like it," he retracted his hand, bobbing his head with enthusiasm. "Is that short for something?"

"Grasyn," I nodded, before reaching for my bag.

I pulled my notebook and pencils out of my bag, setting them on the empty space of table in front of me, before unearthing my psychology textbook. The plan was to work on psych for an hour and then work on philosophy for the rest of whatever time I had.

So, of course, I brought my philosophy notes and the books I'd checked out of the library. I put those on the table to remind myself to switch subjects after a while. Randall seemed to notice this, leaning onto the edge of the table as he nudged one of the books to better view the title.

"Oooh," he sat back in his seat after a second, smiling knowingly at me. "You're in philosophy. Krowchuk's class?"

I nodded a little, returning the smile, "Mm hm."

"I'm guessing you're a freshman, then…?"

"Right again."

"Cool. How are you liking Belgrave so far?" he asked, leaning into the backing of his side of the booth. He draped his left arm across the top of the backing as he did, taking a more relaxed position.

I'd opened my mouth to respond, paused, then closed it. My eyes averted as I thought about the question for a moment. I never liked Belgrave. But saying I didn't like it out loud drew too much suspicion. Pausing like I did was already suspicious enough.

When my eyes darted back to Randall's, he had a look of confused curiosity on his face, one eye slightly narrowed in the expression. Inhaling, I replied, "Um, i'm still getting my bearings, but it seems nice."

He nodded slowly at my response, still a bit confused by my odd behavior. Any normal person would be. I was terrible at this. A small thought crossed my mind一and I wished it hadn't. I had no idea of knowing just who was pledged.

This guys seemed nice, but he could be one of the Order's new puppets. His beginner status would explain why he didn't recognize me or my name. There was really no way to be sure unless I came right out and said it.

And I couldn't do that for fear of him not being a pledge at all. Then I would seem even more weird. Lord knows I didn't need that. I was acting like a weirdo just fine all by myself.

At least I don't need the Order for something , I thought.

"Well, if you ever need help finding your way around or you have any questions, i'd be happy to help," Randall spoke, snapping me back to the conversation. His smile bore teeth, a cheeky display that warmed the space between us.

It was a bit infectious. Or maybe I was just deprived of male interaction. I didn't know for sure, but I couldn't help returning the smile. "Are you this helpful to all the new students?" I inquired, a bit sarcastically.

His smile turned a bit smug, "Only the ones with beautiful smiles."

A small giggle bubbled up my throat. I tried not to act surprised by it but, inwardly, I was mortified. I sat back in my seat, adjusting my ponytail absentmindedly. "Damn. You're really going for it, aren't you?" I commented, with a small chuckle.

"That depends一am I getting there?"

"Maybe. Where are you trying to go, exactly?"

"I was hoping for a phone number," he cocked his head, giving me eyes that were almost puppy-like. Yeah, I was melting a little.

Still that small thought remained in the back of my mind, pushing me to be careful. I couldn't trust anyone just yet. The only one I could work with, that I knew for sure was on my side, was Jack. Branching outside that bubble could set me up for pain.

But that smile...something inside me wanted to believe nothing that pure could be evil. That optimism, that hope, might get me in trouble later. Though, for now, I held out my hand, "Give me your phone."

Randall dug his phone out of his pocket and eagerly handed it over. I took the device and entered in my number as a new contact. As I did, I tried to remember the last time I did something like this.

I gave Jack my number this morning, but that wasn't exactly the same thing. That was for the investigation. This was purely for pleasure. There was a difference, right? Right. Once I was added in, I handed the phone back.

As he took the phone from my hand, I tried not to dwell on the slight brush of fingers, turning back to my textbook the moment my hand was empty. I opened the book and readied my notepad and pen.

My eyes flickered between my book and his. I was trying not to make it obvious that I couldn't tell just what he was studying, what with the book being upside down from my point of view. But I failed the second I squinted. "You get three guesses," Randall said, suddenly.

I lifted my eyes from the books to see his smirk of an expression. It was obvious that he was talking about the subject of study. So, I sat back a little in my seat, pretending to think hard about it with knitted brows and quirked lips.

"I don't know...you're fit but you don't seem like a jock type, so I'm going to guess it's something that takes up a lot of your time. Probably a difficult field, something stereotypically selfless一especially considering how smug you're being about it," I went through my thought process aloud with a sarcastic tone.

He chuckled, grinning, "Perceptive. I like it."

"You're either trying to be a lawyer or a doctor, and that's probably as close as I'm going to get."

"Well, you got pretty close, actually一doctor. I'm pre-med."

"Really? That's awesome. I mean- not that I guessed, but that you're pre-med," I stumbled a little, awkwardly explaining myself. Let's face it, it probably wasn't necessary. But it made him smile at me, flashing those puppy eyes一and that was worth the self-inflicted embarrassment.

He folded his arms on top of his textbook, leaning into the table a bit, causing me to raise an eyebrow. "So, what are you trying to be?" he inquired, intrigued. "Wait一don't tell me. A psychologist? No…"

A bit timidly, I interrupted, "I actually don't know."

Randall's head cocked, curious. "Really? You seem like the type to have everything figured out," he said, chuckling a little as he sat back in his seat.

I sat there quietly a moment. A lot of people have mistaken me for someone that has their shit together. And I guess that was the whole point一tricking people into thinking you had it all where it was supposed to be, that everything was going great.

Thinking about my life aspirations sent another small thought across the expanse of my brain. Didn't I have a lecture soon? It caused a jolt in my nerves, sending my hand straight into my pocket for my cell phone.

When I pulled it out, my eyes found the clock. Three o'clock. I didn't have much time before the lecture was scheduled to start, and the building was a bit of a walk away. "Shit," I hissed, under my breath. Then, much louder, I added, "I have to go. I'm going to be late for a lecture."

I immediately started shoving my books back in my bag. There was no way that felt like hours of my time. It didn't even feel like one hour. "Oh, alright," Randall replied, as I packed up.

"It was nice talking to you," I commented, standing up from the booth. I pulled my bag strap onto my shoulder, and Randall bobbed his head quickly.

"Yeah, it was nice talking to you, too," he agreed, smiling brightly. "Maybe we could...get a drink sometime, talk more?"

Part of me instantly understood he meant it as a date, but the large portion of me was focused on not being late for the lecture and didn't quite catch it. I nodded, returning the smile, "Sure, sounds fun. See you around."

I turned on my heels and hurried for the door. I pushed through, speeding up the few steps to the sidewalk. If I didn't literally move like my ass was on fire, I was going to be late. A bout of anxiety was beginning to creep up in my chest.

Don't even fucking think about it , I thought.

Once again, I was sprinting across campus to meet a deadline. It was only day two. College was going to be a literal nightmare but at least I could stay fit with all this running around. I mean, really, did they have to make Belgrave so fucking big?

Another question for my mother. I took a shortcut across the lawn behind the library. When I got to the sidewalk on the other side, I heard my name called. It was only just loud enough for me to catch it before I'd gone too far to stop.

My feet slowed to a sudden stop and I whirled to see who was trying to get my attention. The feminine voice had sounded familiar. But in my haste I didn't know just how familiar. Not until my eyes focused on Chancellor Stone.

She walked toward me from where she'd been standing before I passed her, just a couple feet down the sidewalk. "And here I thought you'd outgrown sports," she mused, coming to stand just a foot from me.

I eyed her stoically as my fingers tightened around my bag's strap. "I'm late for a class, so whatever you want better not take long," I told her, a bit annoyed by the interruption.

"Well, for one, I wanted to check in and see how you were doing," she said, causing me to sigh. "You seemed pretty shaken up this morning-"

My forehead creased, and I squinted at her, "You got my roommate killed. What exactly did you expect?"

"Your roommate's death had nothing to do with the Order, Grasyn. For all we know, she got drunk and wandered into the woods, and some sick individual saw his chance."

"No," I started shaking my head, taking a step toward her as I lowered my voice. "Don't you dare try to shame her. She was a good person. And she was your responsibility. So what the fuck are you even doing about this? Did you catch whatever's killing the pledges?"

The Chancellor shifted her weight from heel to heel, exhaling as her eyes swept to the space over my right shoulder. An unreadable emotion flickered across her features, and I knew一she wasn't doing a damn thing.

I leaned back on my heels as the realization hit me, her hesitation in answering only fueling my assumption. "You don't even know what it is, do you? I questioned, rhetorically.

Her eyes snapped back to mine, and she took a firm stance. "Our practitioners are taking care of the issue," she finally said. "My concern, right now, is making sure you're protected. Have you had any odd encounters?"

"I don't know. Are you asking as Chancellor Stone...or Aunt Vera?"

"Grasyn Olivia, I promised your mother I would keep you safe一and I can't do that when you'd rather be a smartass than be alive. Answer the question."

My shoulders relaxed slowly as I gave a heavy exhale, eyes remaining narrowed as I returned her stare of minor irritation, "No. I haven't."

"Good. Wear this, and let's keep it that way," she said, holding out her hand.

In her palm was a small leather pouch on a rope cord. I knew what it was, and my head tilted in disappointment. "Seriously?" I questioned, rhetorical in my annoyance. "Those things fucking stink."

"I'm sorry, did I not enunciate?" Vera's head cocked slightly as irritation flared in her tone.

A sound reminiscent of a growl escaped my throat as I begrudgingly took the leather pouch from her hand. Never in my life had I encountered one of these that didn't smell like rotting garbage. No wonder it kept the supernatural away.

With a stench that strong, there's no way something with heightened smell could get anywhere near it. Let alone the magical properties that scared away much more. I pulled the rope cord around my neck and let the pouch hang against my chest.

I tried not to gag as a whiff of the contents reached my nostrils. "Good god," I wrinkled my nose, coughing once. "How long am I supposed to wear this?"

"Until we're sure we've taken care of the problem," Vera answered, a bit more calm. "I've tasked a student with keeping an eye on you for the time being. If I hear so much as a word of you trying to get rid of him, I will call your mother. Understood?"

My blood was about to boil right through my skin. A morbid analogy but it gets the point across. "Am I free to leave, Chancellor?" I asked, through gritted teeth.

She eyed me for a quiet second before giving a singular nod. I turned quickly and walked away from her, gaining a few feet before checking my phone for the time.

Three thirty. I was late. Fuck you, Vera.

Time was working against me, and so was everyone on this godforsaken campus. The thought crossed my mind that maybe this was just another sign I wasn't supposed to be here. But I sighed it away.

At least, until yet another roadblock presented itself. Jack fell into quick step with me with an abrupt, "Hey."

I startled slightly, caught off guard by his sudden appearance. "Oh my god. Whatever it is can wait, I'm late," I told him, glancing sporadically as I walked.

"Actually it can't. The Order gave me a list of things to get-" he explained.

"What the fuck does that have to do with me?" I snapped in my irritation.

Jack sighed, "There's something I need your help getting."

My feet stopped abruptly as my shoulders dropped, and Jack turned to face me as I glared at him. He was unwavering in his hopeful stare.

I had to ask myself what was more important一focusing on what my mother wants, or taking the hit to get more information on Chelsea's death. Ultimately, I chose Chelsea.

Sighing, I nodded, "Okay, fine. What is it?"

"That's all for today."

The class was dismissed. All the students picked up their bags and left the room in a steady flow. But I gathered my things and rounded the long tables to get to the Professor's desk. "Excuse me? Professor Duke?" I spoke a bit timidly, though I wasn't trying to.

"Hm? Oh-" he did a double take in my direction, giving an innocent laugh after the second glance. "I'm not the professor. I'm simply Professor Krowchuk's assistant. But I'm very flattered."

His pleasant smile was borderline smug.

Looking back on the whopping two classes I'd been able to attend, that revelation made a lot of sense. I hadn't even questioned the name difference when he'd first introduced himself to the class, or when Randall asked me about it yesterday.

It was obvious now just how in shock I've been. Thanks to Chelsea's murder, college got off to a really bad start and it was already leaving a bad taste in my mouth.

Slowly, I bobbed my head with my lips pulled tight, taking a sarcastic approach to an otherwise awkward and embarrassing situation. "I probably would know that if I'd gone to the lecture," I reasoned aloud.

He nodded once, "Probably. Is there something I can help you with, though?"

"Yeah...I didn't go to the lecture. I was hoping you could shed some light on the talking points?"

"Of course. Which ones?"

I smiled sheepishly, "All of them."

His lips pulled tight in an expression that said he half expected that answer. I did feel more guilty for skipping, but it wasn't like I had a choice.

This was all such a fucking mess. Yes, I was close to getting some real answers for Chelsea's family. But I was also close to neglecting school. I needed a strong running start in order to get through the semester with good grades.

You can't get good grades anyway if you fucking miss every lecture一regardless if it was for a good cause or not. Hamish sighed lightly before making a gesture toward the tables.

"Take a seat," he said, as he gestured.

"Thank you so much," I said, my tone apologetic as I scurried back to the tables. "I swear I was going to the lecture- I was on my way, but an emergency came up."

He gave a small, airy chuckle and came to take the seat beside mine. "It's alright. This is why I'm here一to make sure you understand the material and answer any questions I can," he said, as he lowered himself into the chair.

I nodded a little, "Right, right..."

I grabbed my notebook and turned it to the next available page, and readied my pen. Most of what he'd talked about in class made sense, but only because of my mother's previous attempts to educate me on these topics.

It was a weird thing to try bonding with your child over. But, for some reason, it worked rather well and I remember most of what she'd told me. The only problem was the professor was not my mother. He was teaching a different curriculum and I needed to be able to follow along.

Hamish began speaking, "Alright. Let's start at the beginning. In Part One, Cleanthes accuses Philo of attempting to erect religious faith on philosophical skepticism. Cleanthes means to expose what he believes are flaws in philosophical skepticism. And philosophical skepticism is…?"

"The belief that human reason is fallible and therefore cannot be used as a benchmark to determine the reality of established truths," I answered, recalling the term from memory.

"Correct," he nodded once, with the corners of his mouth loosely upturned. "Philosophical skeptics doubt whether they can ever obtain enough convincing evidence一or justification一to support popular assumptions. Philo maintains that human reason alone is insufficient to determine the validity of religious claims."

Of course, I already knew this. But I wrote a few things on my notebook paper to remind myself just where we were at in the book. I'd read all one hundred and sixty pages of the Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion paperback in my mother's library.

I picked up a copy of it from the library yesterday just in case I needed it. Though, simply writing notes while Hamish talked about it was turning out to be an equally enjoyable alternative.

Just as I'd finished writing down my last note for what had been said, I felt a short buzz from my back pocket. My cell phone. Pursing my lips, I dug quickly into my pocket to pull out the device, checking the screen briefly.

It was a text message from Jack.

Apparently he'd gotten through the induction process far enough to take the final test, and he wanted me to meet him behind the library at the garden to discuss it. This was the worst possible time to want to talk.

What was I supposed to say? Sorry I wasted time you didn't have to spend because I said I needed help, just so that I could cut out after five minutes ? Rude.

Investigating probably would've been easier had I just stuck to doing it alone. So far, partnering with Jack has done nothing but put me in awkward positions and crushed my attendance rate. "Everything okay?" Hamish suddenly asked.

"I'm really sorry, I need to go," I begrudgingly replied, as I slid my phone back into my pocket and closed up my notebook. "I have to follow up with yesterday's emergency."

He nodded again and began to stand up from his chair, "That's alright, I can write up a list of points to focus on with a few references for tomorrow."

"Oh, you don't have to do that-" I stood up, shaking my head rather quickly.

"It's my job to make sure you don't fail this class," he explained again, letting some air out of the apologetic balloon over my head.

I pulled my bag strap onto my shoulder with a heavy exhale. Sure, it was his job. But that didn't make me feel any better about wasting his time. "Okay...thank you," I conceded. After pushing in my chair, I headed for the exit.

"I hope all is well with your...emergency," Hamish said, as I reached the doorway.

I'd paused, turning a bit in my stance to glance back. He stood at his desk, hands slid in his pants pockets, only his head turned in my direction. I smiled a little, giving a small nod, "Thanks. See you tomorrow."

That's when I felt a second buzz. Jack, no doubt. Probably wondering why I hadn't responded. Even with the little I'd interacted with him, I knew he was most likely thinking the worst right now. So I tried to walk a little faster as I exited the classroom and crossed the length of the hall to the stairs.

As I walked, I texted him back, telling him I was on my way. Then I put my phone back in my pocket and focused on speed-walking to my destination. The library wasn't too far from the humanities building. It took me only a handful of minutes to get there.

I made it around the back of the library to the garden in good time. When I approached the garden, I noticed Jack was talking to a tall blonde. Her back was to me but I had a strong assumption of who she was.

Jack's eyes flitted in my direction after a moment and he excused himself from the conversation as soon as he'd noticed me. He walked past her and didn't stop until he'd met me halfway. I slowed to a stop and so did he, about two feet from each other.

He exhaled heavily, "So? What should I expect?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "It's a different test for every initiate."

"Well, that helps a lot. I wish I could just see into the future, so I could...know what was going to happen."

"There's magic for that."

Jack's head tilted quizzically, vaguely skeptical, "Really?"

"Yeah," I nodded, pulling out my cell phone with a straight face. "What's your zodiac?"

His eyes rolled so far back into his skull, I genuinely feared they would get stuck一or possibly get lost on their way back. "Ha ha," he fake-laughed, mockingly.

In a split second, it clicked. My features dropped yet tightened at the same time as it hit me just what words he'd thrown at me. "Hold on-" I spoke suddenly, holding up a finger. "Why the hell did you ask me what to expect?"

Jack tilted his head with an expression of 'isn't it obvious?' and my stomach dropped, "I met another member一an actual member一and when I mentioned your name-"

"What the fuck, Morton?"

"What?"

"You can't just go throwing my name around whenever you feel like it!"

He looked more confused than anything, "I thought you weren't scared about what they might do, that it was worth getting answers for."

I exhaled a short, huff of a breath. My hands came up, making a motion to display my desire to strangle him, before dropping to my sides as I turned away from him. If I looked any longer I would just become more angered.

No, he had no idea why he would need to keep my name out of it. But it still made no sense to me why he would bring me up in a conversation with someone in the Order. We're trying to investigate them一we can't do that very easily if they know we're onto them.

"Gray, talk to me. What's going on? Are you in the Order? Are they out for you or something? Just tell me," Jack hit me with the questions I was expecting based on the progression of this conversation.

Inhaling, I turned back to face him in a jerk, matching the frustration rising inside me. "Jack...the less you know the better but, no, I'm not in the Order一and I never will be," I answered, as calmly as I could manage. "Telling someone on the inside you know me could ruin your chances of getting in."

Jack raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

"Because I know people in and around the organization. It's cheating, I could give you all the answers," I threw out the words quickly, ripping off the band-aid.

He sighed, shoulders dropping as he turned his head to look somewhere to my right. As long as he didn't ask any more detailed questions, we could get past this. Although he asked another question, it一thankfully for me一wasn't too bad.

"Why didn't you tell me you knew people on the inside?" he asked, his gaze returning to mine.

Again, I shrugged, "I didn't know if I could trust you. I just met you, Jack."

His head nodded like he understood, but his eyes looked a bit vacant, like he was thinking it over pretty hard. Suddenly, he snapped back, asking, "Do you trust me now ?"

"Honestly, I think you're more trouble than you're worth," I told him, calmly. "But, yeah, I guess I'm willing to give it a shot."