“Your father could definitely be a Lion. That would certainly have complicated their entire relationship and would explain why your parents chose to raise you off the grid. In fact…your mother may have been a Bear with decent status, and your father may have agreed to join her Family when they married, which in turn gives us a better idea of why you were able to get into the Academy so late.” He’s speaking fast and his eyes are bright.

“Maybe my mom’s status got me considered for admission here, but why would they make an exception for me when I lack all the training everyone else has been getting since birth?”

He looks at me like he’s considering the question. “Maybe you weren’t brought up steeped in Strategia culture, but you’ve clearly had training. You bested Nyx in the dark, you’re a phenomenal climber, you picked out my lie on instinct, and you managed to save both Aarya and my sister in your last challenge. Not to mention your skills with knives and swords. You’re a perfect candidate to come here, even if you’re behind in our strategies and history. But why you were sent in as an upperclassman midsemester…” He leans back on his elbow. “And then there’s the fact that Matteo seems to recognize you, and has some sort of mysterious grudge against you.”

“Do you think the Bears killed my aunt?” I say, and my tone shifts.

He frowns momentarily. “I couldn’t say. But clearly you think that’s a possibility or you wouldn’t have done those acrobatics in the dining hall to tackle the most prominent Bear here. But there are a lot of unknowns in this scenario, such as what reason Bears would have for killing one another and holding grudges.”

I shake my head and avoid his eyes, not ready to admit how dark my fears are. That my dad and Aunt Jo must have known they were being hunted and so Dad sent me here. And now Aunt Jo is dead, which means the only person left to find is Dad. I get up and start pacing. They could be closing in on him right now. The gravity of the situation hits me hard.

“Yes?” Ash says.

“I’m acting like a selfish wallowing baby. We need to figure out who I am and stop whoever keeps killing people in this school. And fast.”

“You’re just coming to this conclusion?” he says.

“No. I mean, yes. I mean…whether Bears or Lions are responsible for killing my aunt, it’s all connected to what’s happening here. I’m sure of it. And there is no way I’m waiting around for someone to take out my family one by one.”

He gives me a knowing smile. “Took you long enough.”

“I’m serious, Ash. Tell me what we need to do and I’ll do it,” I say.

“Well, first, we need you to go to the dining hall and eat some dinner without attacking anyone. We’ve got a long night ahead of us.”