Crimson

Chapter 32: The Gang Returns

"Stop!"
The girl pleaded.

Her porcelain arm was a canvas of red ink. Streaks of blood tangled her dark hair as he ripped the scissors out of her skin.

"Stop!" She tried to scream. The tears were beginning to blur her vision but to her horror, no sound came out.

The shadow grew over her as the night student studied the blade, the candlelight reflecting off it and into his stare, before crimson eyes swallowed her whole.

~
"The one from the night patrol?" Cadere asked. The man spoke with a concerned Lucian in the night class library. Y/n knew it was her place not to listen, but she did so anyway.

When the group returned from Delwood, everyone seemed to disperse. Lucian stayed with you and- having you wait outside- seemed to be convincing Cadere that 'she was compelled' by Leyla and it was too early for her to go back to the day class. Of course, the next day would be Sunday, the final day of your weekend.

And then things would be fine.

"I'm going to have a word with her."

"Bel took care of... you know."

"Thank you for your sensibility Lucian."

You heard footsteps approaching the door and quickly fled.

"Y/n?" You heard Cadere call. You peered behind the wall and he gestured for you to follow him. Up the stairs he went, and so did you. Lucian eyed you anxiously as you left. His stare didn't leave the door, not even as it closed, leaving you and Cadere inside it.

"Where are you from?" He asked, placing his hat on the desk between you.

The dimly lit room was kept alive by a lantern on the wall, and a stone window view of the rest of Arcadia... but the interior was dead. The cold stone walls and stone cold man in front of you drummed his gloved fingers on the wood.

"I live six hours away, in Aldershaw." You answered.

"What do your parents do?"

You began to wonder if this was where Cadere brought Eleanor.

"I don't see them very often," you said uneasily. "They travel a lot because of their work- anthropologists."

A long, uncomfortable silence filled up the room like a dense fog. His unreadable violet eyes didn't leave yours.

"I live with my aunt," you added.

"You're a second year, no?" He asked. You nodded. "Where did you go to school last year?"

"I was homeschooled." You confessed. "My aunt Mel taught me everything."

"Everything?"

"That's right."

More silence. You swallowed.

"Would you mind staying the night here, while we address the issues you've told us concerning your room?"

"Yes- I mean, no, I wouldn't mind." You said. You wondered if he saw through the apprehension in your voice.