“Miss Silby,” he says, stepping aside so I can slip past him into his office. Mr. Val stands there looking out the window.

Mr. Rivera closes the door behind him. “Please, sit.”

I glance at Mr. Val as I do, but he acts like I haven’t even entered the room. I guess he’s here because he decided to take responsibility for me yesterday.

Mr. Rivera takes a seat behind his desk.

“My daughter made me aware of a post on Roundtable that compromises your safety.”

I bet she did.

“We have managed to shut the site down and are working on gathering the IP addresses of everyone who’s accessed it. Still, until we’re sure this leak is under control, you are in danger, Eurydice.”

“Roundtable has put a lot of students in danger. The Order could have, and should have, shut it down. Why didn’t they?”

I suspect I know the answer to that question—the Order needs Roundtable for intel. They don’t want to shut it down. It’s only a problem now because it’s me. Because my soul somehow makes me more important than anyone else who fell victim to Roundtable.

“We’re not discussing other students. We are discussing you,” he says. “We have already made arrangements for you to stay at Temple through the weekend. Just as a precaution, until we can neutralize this threat.”

I blink. Did he just say what I think he said?

“What’s Temple?”

“Temple is home to several Valryn and the temporary home to others. It’s far more accommodating than the Compound. Indeed, there are no cells, just bedrooms.”

Ironic they think to disguise a prison with comfort. I’m not buying it. Thane warned me about this. Besides, I have more important things to do. I need to find out who posted my life on Roundtable, who reanimated Lily and took my coin, but I know their argument: I’ll have plenty of time for that at Temple. Alone. In a room that’s not my own.

“What about my mom?”

“We’ll post guards at your house.”

It doesn’t feel right, to be stuffed away in some sort of supernatural sanctuary while my mom is left out in the open.

“Can’t I just go home? You’ll have guards there anyway.”

“We can protect you better at Temple. Rest assured, no harm will come to your mother.”

What he’s saying doesn’t make sense in my head. If that’s true, why can’t I just stay home? But I get it… It’s a way to control me.

“And what happens if you don’t contain the threat? Does a few days turn into a week, then a month, then a year?”