Ash raises an eyebrow, like something I said was off. “You need to pick your allies for yourself. But as Layla has already told you, it’s generally not smart to trust a Jackal, especially coming from an influential Family like the Bears. There aren’t many Jackals here, but they always seem to make their presence known. And their alliances are unpredictable.”

I measure my voice to hide my flurry of concerns. The only thing worse than the upside-down feeling of potentially being a member of a deadly secret society I know nothing about is these assassin-trained kids finding out how ignorant I actually am. “What about Felix?”

“Ah, Lion. His immediate family used to be quite powerful, from what I hear, but lost standing some years back—hence his alliance with Aarya and that Fox.”

“Ines?”

Ash reaches up and rests his arm above his head. “Right. Those three aren’t the norm. No one is quite sure what the long-term goal of their alliance is. But if you ask me, Felix has been in love with Aarya for years, even though that’s never going to happen. And Ines uses Aarya as a mouthpiece so she doesn’t have to deal with the rest of us.”

“Makes sense,” I say, even though sense is the last thing any of this makes. I need time to think over that game I played with my mom, figure out what else I know that I didn’t realize I did. I remember the Family descriptions perfectly, but not all of the complexities of their relationships.

“And your Family?” I ask.

He gives me a quick look, like I’m asking an obvious question. “You know I’m a Wolf. But look, I think I can simplify this. Instead of going through all hundred students one by one, why don’t you just tell me where you stand?” He says this last bit casually, but I have a gut feeling that it’s significant.

“Stand?”

“For, against, or neutral?” he says, emphasizing each word in such a way that I’m sure he’s asking me something important, something I should know.

“You’re going to have to spell it out,” I say carefully, aware that he’s watching my every move. Although I don’t know why I’m surprised that Ash had an ulterior motive for inviting me up here. Everything about him screams strategy, and the worst thing is, I knew that the minute I laid eyes on him. I could kick myself for thinking otherwise.

“Are you trying to make me think you’re not involved in Family politics?” He’s still lounging, but his eyes are focused.

“I’m not. I mean, not that I know of,” I say as neutrally as possible, wondering if I’ll regret my answer but not seeing a safer alternative.

His voice is smooth and steady. “That makes no sense. You came in late, midsemester. Aarya sought you out. Brendan challenged you. Matteo punched you.”

“See? Your guess is as good as mine,” I say.

He’s silent for a second, studying me. “Either you’ve suddenly become a good liar or you’re telling the truth. I don’t know which is more unbelievable.”