She laughs. “You really shouldn’t break into other people’s rooms, Ember, unless you’re prepared for the consequences.” There’s something joyfully threatening about her tone, like a psychotic clown in a horror movie.

I keep walking.

“Kiss kiss!” she yells after me.

Chapter Twenty

I WALK DOWN the hall to my room, my brisk pace fueled by my uneasiness. “Layla?” I say as I unlatch the door and walk in, but there’s no response.

I close the door and head for my bedroom.

“She’s in the library,” says a voice, and Ash steps out from behind my door, sending me flying two fast steps backward.

“Geez, Ash. You almost gave me a heart attack!” I say.

“Then stop being so easily surprised,” he says, and I cringe inwardly. An image of him telling me to leave Aarya’s room last night flashes in my thoughts.

“You’re right. You’re totally right. I need to stop being so jumpy. I need to stop being a lot of things,” I say, and head for the window, patting the curtain with my hand.

“I already checked there,” Ash says, and I walk toward Layla’s room. “And I checked your bedrooms.”

“Oh,” I say, and stop.

He takes a good look at me. “You’re practically shaking. This isn’t just about finding me here. Something happened.”

“Aarya knows I was in her room,” I say. “She claims she found a piece of my hair.” I look at him for some sign as to whether Aarya might be bluffing, but he gives nothing away.

“I warned you about covering your tracks,” he says.

“Believe me, I definitely learned that lesson. Not that I think I can stop hairs from ever falling from my head. But I agree on the grass. I won’t be making that mistake again. Or hesitating the way I did, either,” I add, frowning. “I could have gotten us caught by Aarya. I did get myself caught.”

“Mmmm. I see. And you’re scared of her?”

“She’s completely unpredictable.”

Ash shrugs. “True. But Ines is a better fighter. If I were you, I’d be more worried about Ines.”

“This really isn’t a joke.”

He plops on the couch. “Welcome to Academy Absconditi, November, where the scheming never stops, and where someone is always trying to push you off a ledge. You’re in a dangerous situation. You’re taking calculated risks to get out of it. But risks are still risks.”

I rub my hands over my face.

“You need to get yourself together,” he says, his voice serious once more. “I’d like to think that this is just you getting out your emotions in private. But I’m here, so clearly it’s not. Unless this display means you’ve decided to start trusting me, which as of yesterday I would say wasn’t the case.”