School of Deaths (27 page)

She glanced at the East Tower again. The massive pillar of writhing stone stretched far into the clouds, covered in tiny windows. Gnarled fingers of stone pointed skyward from every level of the gigantic stalagmite tower. The enormous doors were open, but a white-haired Death she’d never met stood at the entrance.

She turned to Billy. “What time is it?”

“Eleven thirty-five. Still haven’t learned how to read an hourglass, even after all this time?”

She looked at the enormous hourglass built into the side of the courtyard. She counted the lines. Yes, it was a little after eleven-thirty. They’d start in five minutes.

“You ready?” asked Billy. No one paid any attention to them.

“Tell me honestly, do you think this will work?”

“It’s hard to say,” he replied. “A lot depends on luck. You’re a smart girl, Suzie. I think it’s a good plan, and if anyone can pull it off, it’s you. You’ll do great.” He looked her in the eyes, and she felt that familiar tug as her mouth approached his. At the last moment, she turned and kissed his cheek.

“After this is over, I’m going to miss you,” she said. “If other Deaths found a way to sneak to the Living World—”

“Your grandfather was a ’Mental, not a Death. Even if I did find a way out of this world, I’d keep losing weight. I’d become skeletal and die. Besides, nothing’s left for me in the Living World.”

“I’d be there,” she said.

“Yeah.”

“It can’t be over for you. What if you ripped your contract?”

“Suzie, this isn’t the time to worry about that.”

“The Final Test is only two weeks away. I still want to go home, but I don’t want to leave my friends. I don’t want to abandon you and Frank and Jason.”

“We’ll be fine,” said Billy. “Whatever happens, Suzie, I’m glad I had the chance to meet you.”

“Me too.”

“You should go now,” he said. “You have five minutes to get into his office. Then you have fifteen minutes before the ’Mentals come.”

“Are we still doing what we planned?”

“With that guy at the entrance, I think we need to.” He gave her a wink and counted down from three on his fingers. They’d been standing in a corner, now she screamed and ran into the courtyard.

“Leave me alone,” she yelled.

“You’re a stupid girl,” said Billy in a loud voice. A few heads turned. “You don’t belong here.”

“Your face looks like someone puked acid. Why don’t you go away?”

Billy shoved her. He pushed her lightly, but she fell back as if he’d thrown her with all of his might. She staggered away and ran to the entrance of East Tower.

“Please,” she said to the white-haired Death at the entrance. “This guy’s been teasing me, like all the other boys. Headmaster Sindril told me I could come to him for help. I’m sick of the taunts.” Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Billy turn and run away, pretending to be scared of retribution. She was on her own now.

“You are the female Death,” the white-haired Death said. He adjusted a pair of glasses to stare at her. “Yes, yes, who did you want to see?”

“Headmaster Sindril,” she said. “He told me to come to him for help.”

“The Headmaster, yes? Hmmm, doesn’t sound much like the Headmaster. He told you that you—”

“May I go to him?” she asked. This was taking too long; she needed to get to his office now.

“Yes, yes. Fine, go ahead.”

“And which office is his?” she asked.

“Didn’t you say that he sent for you?”

“He told me to come to his office. This is my first time. Please, which office is it?” Was this Death stupid or senile?

“Hmmm. Yes, yes. Hundredth story, below the Council chamber.” The Death adjusted his glasses and continued to stare at her as she walked around him and through the double doors.

She went to the elevator, trying not to sprint. She pressed the button and waited. Glancing back, she noticed the white-haired Death still watching her. He smiled a disturbing, half-toothless grin.

The elevator arrived with a ding, and she got on, pressing 100. It rose for a full five minutes, higher and higher. The doors opened on to a dark hall. White flowers started to glow, and soon an enormous golden chandelier filled with the flowers lit. A solitary pair of doors stood at the end of the hall. They were dark red, bordered by ornate gold carvings. Door knockers in the shape of human skulls stared at her with ruby eyes. Beneath the left skull, a small sign said
Mark
L
.
Sindril
,
Headmaster
of
Deaths
,
Junior
College
and
Senior
College
.

She looked back at the elevator. It was now or never. Did she still want to do this? She remembered her first time in the library and pictured Sindril’s voice.

“And
what
of
the
girl
herself?”

She remembered the sentence, and the chill that’d gone through her spine. He is planning something, something about me. He might even want to kill me…

She pictured Athanasius. He’d told her that she was important.

“
Susan
,”
said
Athanasius
, “
is
far
more
precious
than
you
realize
.
She
is
—”
He
stopped
suddenly
and
turned
his
head
,
but
it
was
too
late
.
A
scythe
flew
through
the
air
and
landed
in
his
neck
.
Athanasius
fell
to
the
stone
floor
in
a
pool
of
blood
.

Athanasius had died for her. Sindril had murdered him in front of her. The blood, the golden eyes, and her own scream echoing in her ears. She clenched her fists and reached for the knocker.

Yet she hesitated. The man behind these doors terrified her. He killed Athanasius himself, he could kill her too. He was too powerful. She’d be gone in a couple weeks anyway. She’d never have to worry about Sindril again. Maybe she should leave.

As she paused the gold on the door seemed to melt, and the red paint turned to red flames. A pair of green eyes stared at her; eyes like Giri’s.

“You are strong,”
said the eyes.

She felt their heat, and the comfort of the flames.

“Plamen?” she asked in her mind.

The eyes looked surprised and they vanished. The flames disappeared.

Suzie reached up and grasped the knocker. She knocked a single time and the door opened. Sindril stood on the other side, pulling up his monocle. His angular face frowned and then opened into a smile as he scratched his beard.

“Susan Sarnio,” he said, “what a surprise. Come in.”

He led her inside a luxuriously decorated suite. Lush oriental carpets covered the floors, and large, intricately-carved sculptures of birds and Dragons surrounded her as she walked forward. A wooden screen separated a smaller room with couches, and doors painted bright colors led away from her in either direction.

Sindril led her to a massive oak desk and sat down. He gestured for her to sit in one of the large leather chairs in front of it. Large bookcases, filled with hundreds of books, and reminiscent of her secret library, stood on either side of the room. Behind the desk, a large circular window looked down on the College like a massive eye. Three golden telescopes pointed to different parts of the window. The top of West Tower rose in the distance, but below them, the ground was a blur beneath the clouds. An eagle flew by.

Sindril leaned back in his chair. The room was dim. The bright window behind him surrounded Sindril in a halo of glaring light. The effect was intimidating. He moved a few sheets of paper on his desk, pulled out a black cloth, and started polishing a crystal ball.

“Well, Suzie, what brings you to my office?”

“I’m sorry to interrupt you, sir.”
What
time
is
it
? She’d taken too long to get here; the revolt could start at any minute. Yet, did she have to stall? “I was teased again today, this time by my own housemate.”

“Teased?”

“At the beginning of the year you told me you’d help if the Deaths bullied me. I wanted to come sooner, but I’ve been afraid. I’m sick of it.”

“And you come
now
, two weeks before your Final Test?”

Sindril tossed the cloth onto his desk, folded his hands together, and frowned. She looked away and swallowed hard. He wasn’t buying it.

“I was nervous,” she said. “You’re male too.” His eyes narrowed, and she hoped she hadn’t crossed a boundary. “I didn’t know who to trust.” She dug her fingers into her leg, hating what she had to say next. “But after you saved me from that terrible ’Mental, I realized you were on my side.”

“All right,” he said.

“It’s probably too late, but I wanted to come here and get away. I doubt I can get through these next two weeks at this rate. And many people fail—”

“Which housemate bullied you?”

She bristled. This was a mistake. She didn’t want Billy to suffer.

“He said one thing,” she said. “But it wasn’t a problem. Punishing him won’t matter. It’s Luc, one of my classmates. He’s been the worst. He even interfered with my last Reaping and had to be sent back early. He’s bullied me every day since I arrived. I hate Luc.”

Sindril’s eyebrow rose. He glanced at some of the papers in front of him. “Luc is the reason you came here? You’re tired of him picking on you. He’s Francois’s brother, isn’t he? How has his brother been?”

“Frenchie was rough at first, but he’s changed, or so he says. He stopped picking on me after that Reaping. It’s Luc who’s the bigger problem.”

“Interesting,” he said. “I will take care of Luc. He won’t bother you for the rest of the year.”

“Thank you,” she said. That phrase again…
take care of
…what exactly did he mean?

Sindril neatened his papers and looked at her, pausing as they studied each other.
What
does
he
see
?

“Anything else?” he asked. Oh no, she hadn’t taken long enough. She wanted to go to the window, but couldn’t. Where were the ’Mentals?

“I was wondering what will happen at the final exams.”

“I can’t discuss that with you, Suzie. I can guarantee Luc will leave you alone until then, but it’s all I can do.”

“What will you do to him?”

“That’s not your—” He broke off as a sound like thunder exploded far below them.

“Excuse me for a moment,” he said. He stood and walked to one of the telescopes, adjusting the dials. Suzie’s heart pounded hard against her ribs, echoing in hears like thunder. Sindril would hear her fear. Someone knocked on the door behind her.

“Come in,” said Sindril, peering through his telescope.

“Sir,” said a Death Suzie didn’t recognize. “It’s the ’Mentals. They’re attacking the College.”

“I see that,” said Sindril.

“Only, sir, it seems to be—”

“Yes?”

“It’s women, sir. Women ’Mentals.”

“Gather the Council,” said Sindril. “And ready the defenses, we’ll deal with this.”

The Death bowed and hurried out of the room.

“You should wait in the Tower,” said Sindril, turning to her. “Go to the first floor.”

“Are the ’Mentals attacking again?” she said, her voice shaking. “I don’t want to go anywhere. I’m scared.” She stared ahead, forcing her eyes to tear.

“Don’t cry,” he said. For a moment, his expression softened. He walked to one of the doors and opened it, pulling out a large scythe.

“I won’t touch anything,” she said. “I don’t want to be near the chaos if it’s anything like Styxia.” That part at least was true.

“You can go to the lower floors, nothing will happen—”

“You had to rescue me from those awful ’Mentals,” she shouted, through her tears. “I can’t take that again. I swear I won’t even move until someone comes for me, or I’m absolutely sure it’s over.”

He stared at her as another crash thundered outside.

“Fine,” he said. “Stay here until the chaos ends. This shouldn’t take long. Keep away from the windows, and don’t touch anything. Stay put and I’ll deal with this.”

He gave her a hard look and then walked out, slamming the doors behind him. A third boom rang out, and the entire Tower shuddered. For a moment she froze, fearing Sindril would come back. After a minute, she eased herself off the leather seat and walked to the window. She tried to peer below, but all she made out was clouds and smoke. She peeked into a telescope without moving it, by standing on her tiptoes.

Deaths ran from roaring balls of fire as ’Mentals strode calmly through the campus. She recognized Kasumir’s white hair; the ’Mental raised a hand and two Deaths fell to the ground cowering. A Death ran toward Kasumir with a raised scythe. Another ’Mental raised his hand and a geyser of water burst beneath the Death’s feet, knocking him down. Suzie turned back to the room. She didn’t have time to watch the melee, though she hoped her friends wouldn’t get hurt.

How would she find anything? Where should she even start? The suite was massive, probably taking up most of the entire floor. Six closed doors, not counting the ones leading to the elevator, stood around the room, perhaps leading to other doors. And what if Sindril discovered she’d been spying?

Suzie took a deep breath.

“You are strong,” she said aloud, echoing the words she’d heard in her visions.

She walked to the bookcases first, skimming the titles of the books. She didn’t recognize any of the names. She slid a thin book down: “MacFarlen’s Guide to Growing Flower Lights.” No help. She tried a thick volume near the bottom: “Boskery: The Complete Rules.” She pushed it back onto the shelf.