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I found a sunroom with ivy curling through cracked windows, and a closet full of fur coats. Old fur coats with the scent of history. I almost wanted to push my way through the wardrobe to see if there was a cult-run version of Narnia on the other side.

I’m conflicted by how much I’m enjoying myself. On the one hand, it’s a good thing—I’ll only uncover Thornecroft’s secrets if I’m curious enough to keep looking. But…should I really be having fun? This place is dark. Corrupt. I shouldn’t be this at ease. I should be consumed with fear. I should be thinking about Rhett and whether he’s truly safe.

But maybe that’s the problem with people like me. I hold myself to this impossible standard, like it’s immoral to feel anything but fear in the face of danger. Like curiosity is abetrayal. But I’m still human. I get pulled in by beauty. By mystery.

And speaking of mystery, I haven’t even started looking forThe Book of Shadowsyet. I’m almost certain that once I find it, my exploring privileges will come to an end.

Damian said it keeps a list of people who betrayed Thornecroft—and what happened to them. And he said it like it was the most normal thing in the world.

What an odd thing to tell me. It didn’t just confirm that Thornecroft is more than a fraternity. It made it feel like something bigger. Not just a cult. Something older. Institutional.

The kind of thing that doesn’t just punish betrayal—it archives it.

He might have been toying with me—yet again—but I can’t dismiss it outright. I’ll look for the book eventually. After I’ve explored a little more.

Now, I wander down a big hallway lined with tapestries. Based on their faded fabric, they’re probably older than the US. My brain is buzzing with a need to understand this place. To make it all make sense.

The back of my neck prickles suddenly.

I don’t think I’m alone.

I turn around slowly and see Kane standing at the end of the hallway. He’s half in shadow. Not saying anything. Just watching. When our eyes meet, he doesn’t even pretend to look away. I turn back and start walking quickly.

I don’t like Kane. I mean, I don’t like any of the Big Four, but Kane is something else…

I think he would kill a person for fun.

Where did that thought come from? Being in this strange situation is making me morbid.

I round a corner too quickly and nearly slam into Lucy. She grabs my wrist. “There you are! Damian is looking for you. He’s—” she lowers her voice, “He’sfurious.”

My pulse speeds up. “Why?”

“He’s been looking for you for the last hour. The staff is searching the grounds.”

Oh no.

My stomach sinks as I follow Lucy back through a maze of corridors until she deposits me at one of the great rooms and promptly vanishes.

When I step inside, Damian’s pacing the room like he’s trying to wear a path through the wood. His jacket’s off, and his sleeves are rolled. He stops when he sees me.

“Where have you been?” His voice is low, taut.

“Exploring. Am I not allowed to explore in my new home?”

Something flickers in his expression. A beat passes. Two. Then his shoulders lower a fraction. He walks toward me, slower now.

“Go get your things.” He brushes a hand through his hair. “Whatever you need to study.”

I frown. “Why?”

“We’re going to the Ashford library.”

“To…study?”

“No, to start a rock band.”

I giggle unexpectedly. He sure is peeved. And over my being missing for an hour, when all he wants to do is study?