“Maybe not,” I say quickly, and stand, spreading my hands out to show her I’m not challenging her. “But as long as the Lions have a strong network within the Academy, people like Ines are in danger. I’ll do everything I can to stop them, but I need you to keep Felix off my back.”

She starts to laugh, and I’m so surprised by her reaction, I almost fall off the branch. Except there’s nothing humorous in her laughter; instead, it has an undercurrent of viciousness. “I’m shocked. Didn’t Ash tell you I would never make that deal? Not in a million years. And whatever fantasy world you’re living in that made you think I would give you information is amusing, but completely warped—which, coming from me, is saying something.”

I maintain eye contact and don’t back down, even though I’m a ball of nerves. “Ash told me exactly that. And I told him he was wrong about you. Ines saved your life that night in the teachers’ lounge. She cares about you. And you care about her, too. I don’t know why everyone in this crazy school acts like that’s a bad thing. You should care about her. That’s what friends do. And yes, you’re definitely off your nut, but as far as I can tell you’re also one of the few people who haven’t bowed to the Lions. You’re brave and you do give a shit, as much as you pretend you don’t. Even Conner—”

“If you think you can stop Conner when even Blackwood can’t stop him, then you’re completely unhinged,” Aarya interjects. “This Pollyanna cluelessness is getting old. Find a new act.”

My eyes widen. Conner? For a moment I’m speechless, considering I was about to say that Conner had warned me about trusting anyone. But that’s not what Aarya’s saying at all—she’s suggesting that Conner’s in league with the Lions. I mean, if some of the faculty members were trying to send me warning signals, others—like Conner—might have had altogether different, maybe even malicious intentions. I look at Aarya, wondering if she could possibly be telling me the truth. Conner was helping to inspect swords the day Nyx tried to skewer me. And the day that Charles stood accused at the assembly, I swear Conner looked at me like I was to blame. In fact, when I stop to think about it, he’s somehow been involved with everything that has gone wrong since I got here. The weight of the realization shakes me.

“Oh, great, now I have to suffer through waiting until you piece together what a shit Conner is?” Aarya sounds like she might push me off the sky bench. “Let’s get on with this. You say Felix tried to kill you. Then what’s the reason? There must be a reason.”

I don’t hesitate. “Revenge. Felix’s father was sent to assassinate my parents and my parents killed him.”

Aarya snorts. “That’s not a reason—everyone knows the risk they’re taking when they’re sent to assassinate someone. I find it hard to believe that Felix would help the Lions because his father failed at his duty.” She sounds angry. She watches me and licks her lips. “No, I think there’s more.”