He shook his head. “If I am, it’s not on purpose.”
I started to reply, but a loud rumble went through the tower and the floor began to shake. Beyond the wall, one of the trees fell over with an ear-splitting crack.
Eli and I both backed away from the edge. But it didn’t matter. The rumble grew louder, the stone beneath us breaking apart. It split right down the middle, right where we were standing.
We turned to look at each other, the same thought going through our minds. Then we reached for each other just as the tower began to fall.
* * *
We woke with our arms wrapped around each other, our quick breaths mingling, our panic mutual from a brush with death inside the dream.
I started to roll off him, but Eli’s grip tightened. I froze and then gave in, letting my body relax into his. For once I didn’t question it. We didn’t speak, didn’t move. Just held each other, finding comfort in the embrace and acceptance in our shared silence.
25
Loyalties
For the first time since it had started, I reported the tower dream in my dream journal. I did it as soon as I got back to the dorm. The fire and the tower falling seemed too meaningful not to tell Lady Elaine, especially not now that we suspected something would happen at Beltane. I even mentioned how the tower was originally my dream, and how the plinth that was supposed to be there was missing. Then I sat and waited for an IM from OracleGirl. Surely she would have something to say about it.
Only she didn’t. Not that night and not the next morning when I checked it again. I didn’t know if I should be relieved or worried by her lack of response, so I ignored it instead. Either there was a hidden meaning in the dream or there wasn’t. It wasn’t as if Lady Elaine had to tell me one way or the other. For all I knew, in the last few months all of Eli’s dreams could’ve been pointing to this impending doom at the Beltane Festival.
Or maybe Paul is lying.
I knew it was possible that he had made up the stuff about his uncle for some unknowable reason, but I wasn’t about to drive myself crazy worrying about the what-ifs. He hadn’t made up the stuff about Britney. I knew the key to solving this was finding out the reason she was involved.
Clinging to this certainty, Selene and I decided to make Melanie and the Terra Tribe our priority today.
“I figure we leave lunch early and try to catch her in the upperclassmen’s cafeteria,” Selene said as she ran an ivory-handled comb through her dark hair. “If that doesn’t work, we ditch gym early and wait outside of her last class.”
I froze in the process of applying my mascara, afraid I would give myself raccoon face if I didn’t. “Why not try and catch her during breakfast?”
Selene sniffed. “Would you be inclined to cooperate so early in the morning?”
“Good point,” I said, and then resumed applying my mascara.
To my surprise, Paul was waiting for us in the foyer when we came down the stairs. I couldn’t tell for sure, but it seemed like Frank and Igor were giving him the evil eye, their spears pointed a little lower than was usual. Paul on the other hand seemed completely unconcerned about them. He flashed a dazzling smile at me the moment he saw me.
I smiled back, automatically. For a brief second all the bad history between us vanished, and he was the Paul I first met—smart, handsome, and obviously into me.
“What’s up?” I said, coming to a stop in front of him.
“I just found out this morning that the Terra Tribe is holding their next meeting tonight at eight in the theater house.”
Selene frowned. “How do you know?”
Paul shrugged. “Spellbook isn’t the most secure site around. I hacked into their page and saw the announcement.”
I beamed at him, thrilled that something had finally gone right. “That’s perfect.”
“Hmmm,” Selene said, sounding less enthused by the idea.
I turned toward her, surprised. “What’s wrong?”
She folded her arms over her chest. “Nothing. I just think we should give Melanie a chance to help us first before we resort to spying on them.”
I frowned. “We’ve spied and snooped on other people, and it’s not like the Terra Tribe has exactly been innocent.”
“I’m not saying we shouldn’t go through with it, but we should spy only as a last resort. We wouldn’t want anybody spying on us when we’re doing stuff in Room 013, after all.”
I started to point out that we weren’t involved in anything potentially dangerous to other people, but then decided not to as I realized that to an outsider we probably did look like we were up to nothing good half the time. What with breaking into crypts and stealing books from the boy’s locker room.
“You’re right. We’ll talk to Melanie first.”
Selene nodded. “I hope she cooperates.”
“Me too,” I said.
But I should’ve known better.
* * *
“Why do you want to know?” Melanie slammed her locker door closed so hard, the ones next to it shuddered from the impact.
“We already told you,” Selene said, in her most patient, persuasive voice. After a failed lunchtime attempt, Selene and I had finally managed to track Melanie down after classes. Good thing Coach Fritz let us out a few minutes early. Given the look on Melanie’s face the moment she spotted Selene and me, I knew for sure she’d been avoiding us. The knowledge stung. A couple of months ago, I’d been her hero.