Chapter 78: Blake
Blake felt like the world was crumbling around her.
Her heart beat wildly. Her ears stood on end. Her lungs tried and failed to get in enough oxygen. She felt lightheaded, and sick to her stomach, and terrified.
Secrets, secrets are no fun…
The most recent date card from Jaune had thrown everything into disarray. He knew. He knew what she was. He knew why she had come. And he was prepared to unmask her, publicly. Her secrets would be revealed in front of Ruby, in front of Weiss, in front of Yang. And if she was discovered –when she was discovered– what then? Would she be imprisoned? Banished? Executed? All three of those potential fates paled in comparison to the horror that awaited her when she had to confess to Adam that she'd failed.
A knock on her door pulled Blake out of her spiraling and into action. If she was imprisoned, banished, or executed, she would not go quietly. For too long, she had seen Faunus take the enslavement and oppression of the SDC without a fight. She would not go without a fight.
Blake grabbed a book from her bedside table, her breathing shallow. Slowly, she crept to the door, her knuckles white against the book's spine. She flung open the door, holding the book above her like a weapon, but stopped short when she saw who stood in the doorframe.
"Ilia?"
"Were you going to hit me with a book?" Ilia raised an eyebrow, a sardonic grin creeping across her freckled face.
Blake put the book beside her back, embarassed. "What are you doing here? Don't you have a date to be at?"
"I might ask you the same." Ilia stepped into Blake's room, and stopped short when she saw the bags on Blake's bed. "You're leaving?"
Blake nodded. She opened her mouth to explain herself, when Ilia said.
"Again?"
To this, Blake had no response. She remembered the disappointment on Adam's face when she'd been caught trying to leave the first time. He hadn't let her see Ilia then, telling her that her friend was too angry to speak with her, that she never wanted to see her again, that she was lucky he was still willing to see her.
"The date card," Blake said, knowing it was a sorry excuse for abandoning her cause, her friend, and her mission. "Jaune knows about the White Fang. It's over, Ilia."
"Maybe," Ilia shook her head. "But maybe not. There are eight girls on the date, Blake. Tyrian thinks we all have secrets, but if we can keep him distracted with the others, maybe we can get away unscathed. If he's not onto us, we can still complete the mission."
Blake looked despondently at the neatly packed suitcase of clothes on her bed.
"We have a responsibility to still complete the mission."
She thought of her parents, her house, the beaches of Menagerie that she hadn't seen in years.
"Blake."
She tore her gaze away from her suitcase, met Ilia's eyes and nodded.
Blake dressed quickly, a long purple dress that came down to her ankles. She adjusted her bow, and then she followed Ilia out the door and towards the ballroom.
"You'll have to have a cover story for why you're late," Ilia said.
"I was reading," Blake said. Already, her voice sounded hollow. Her heart felt hollow. For one, bittersweet moment, she had allowed herself to wonder what would happen if she had been caught. She would be in trouble. Adam would be mad. But Jaune, Yang, and the rest of the contestants would be safe.
They were the last two contestants in the ballroom. All eyes turned to Blake as they walked in, and she looked down, hating to be the center of attention.
"Sorry," she muttered. "I was reading."
Jaune looked relieved, but Tyrian chuckled. "No worries, Lady Blake. We were just beginning to explain the rules of tonight's murder mystery masquerade."
Blake nodded, not meeting Tyrian's eyes and instead sliding in beside Yang.
"You okay?" Yang whispered.
"Mm-hm," Blake lied.
"The rules of our little game are simple." Tyrian giggled. "Over the course of the night, you will be asked a series of questions. Those who answer one way will dance with Princey Prince over here. Those who answer the other way will dance with me."
"As bad of a dancer as Jaune is, he is by far the more attractive option," Coco muttered from behind them. Yang snorted.
Tyrian's eyes flashed, and he continued. "Our goal tonight is to discover who killed this woman." He pulled out his scroll and projected a picture of a white-haired woman. She was short, with piercing blue eyes and thin, sallow skin.
Blake allowed herself an exhale. She had never seen this woman before. In front of her, Ciel and Penny stiffened.
"Ooh! I love murder mysteries!" Ruby squealed.
Tyrian's grin sent shivers down Blake's spine. "Then let the game begin."