Page 31 of Alchemy of Souls

I lock eyes with him. “Where were you this morning? Because I seem to remember you making a huge deal about not letting me out of your sight, and now you’re suddenly leaving me alone in our room?”

His face shows no shame whatsoever. “Maggie’s in the dining hall looking for you,” he says, and I know it’s just another distraction, but this time I don’t care.

Maggie ishere.

All I want to do is get to my best friend. I run through the halls, outpacing Grayson, and push though the arched dining room doors.

I don’t have a chance to look for Maggie, because she knocks me off my feet with a bear hug, squeezing so tightly I can hardly breathe. “Nothing less,” she says into my hair, and I immediately tear up. Our promise. Our pact.

“Nothing less,” I say back, and we hold each other for a good thirty seconds before letting go.

“Eloise, don’t ye ever scare me like that again!” Maggie says. “That level of worry is criminal. You had me biting all my beautiful nails off!”

“Me? What about you? Wherewereyou?”

“Questioned by the Council about the Lawless attack,” Maggie replies, and my stomach drops. Were they harder on her because she’s my best friend?

She must read the worry on my face because she adds, “Nothin’ I couldn’t handle, though—ye know full well I’m notoriously resilient.”

Maggie finishes her sentence as Naomi and Grayson appear. And true to her crappy nature, Naomi says, “Less resilient and more cockroach, if you ask me.” She slides her gaze from Maggie to me. “I see you managed to cheat your way in.”

My jaw clenches, but I don’t get a chance to reply because Grayson beats me to it.

“Naomi, I’d like to introduce you tomy new roommate—Eloise Belrose,” he says smoothly, and I swear Maggie loses her footing even though she’s standing still.

“Roommate?” Naomi says in shock, which also surprises me. Didn’t he complain about it to his friends last night?

“I guesssuitemate is more exact, but you get the idea,” Grayson continues.

I think the jerk is actually enjoying this.

Naomi looks like she might pop a vein in her pretty forehead. “Back up a second. You’re being forced to room with Labor girl after she sabotaged you? How could your uncle let this happen?”

Maybe it’s the hair trigger of the past forty-eight hours or maybe it’s once again the implication that I aided the Lawless. But whatever the reason, I feel magic tingling in my fingertips.

Only the sound of Maggie’s voice stops me. “Aye, here we go, then. Did ye stay up all night stretching those two brain cells of yours to spin this story? Because I have to say, you’re a bit of a letdown.”

Naomi’s expression sours. But when she lifts her hand to cast, I step in front of Maggie, blocking her. Only before Naomi can react, Grayson grabs her wrist.

Naomi whips her perfectly wing-tipped eyes toward him, her silky hair following the motion.

“Leave it,” he says, and it feels like a command.

Whatever Naomi sees in his eyes must make an impression because she swallows and drops her hand.

“I’m starving anyway,” Naomi says, pride stung, and turns on her heel.

Maggie shudders as they walk away. “She was sayin’ horrible things about you at the Academy, Eloise. Claiming Laborers are nothing but Lawless sympathizers—”

I interrupt, not wanting anyone to overhear us. “You said they interviewed you? They didn’t… mention my family at all, did they?”

She raises an eyebrow. “Yer family? Whatever for?”

“It’s not like Naomi is the only one to think those things about Laborers,” I whisper.

“Privileged gobshites,” she agrees, but hesitates. “Although, there is something I need to tell you about yer family…”

My heart smacks into my ribs and I reach out for Maggie’s wrist. “What happened?” I ask, imaging the worst.