Page 52 of Ever Dark Academy: Vol. 4

She’s sick?

Cancer,Balthazar was almost curt as he said that word.

Deadly?

Very.She’s stable at the moment, but…

But it won’t last?Then that explains why she’s here like this,Grayson said.She wants to impress while she can.Climbing buildings and being bold?That’ll attract attention.

And falling on her head and breaking her pretty little neck will too,Balthazar replied.

Did you pick her because she’s dying?

Not just because of that, no!There are so many people in that category.You should have seen the applications for dying children!Balthazar sounded sad, but also horrified.

They want you to turn their kids into Vampires?

Anything that will save them,Balthazar admitted.There is some benefit to Vampire blood on keeping cancer at bay.But it’s highly addictive and what it would do to a growing child…

He left that unanswered though Grayson was sure that someone, somewhere, sometime had likely tried.

But that’s not why I chose her.She’s a brilliant artist and poet.Her oils are astonishing,Balthazar said.

She’s a known artist?Not that I would know–

She’s not.Totally unknown, but I can see how amazing she is.And we should preserve that.

Okay, she must be good.

Realizing he'd been silent too long, Grayson said, “That was pretty bold, Hue.Are you on your own?”

She hesitated again, but then nodded.“You?”

“No.My roommates and I are working together,” he answered.

“Well, I should let you get back to your people.I need to look around,” she said.

The key to the room was burning in Grayson’s pocket when she said that.

There’s bound to be more than one key.Just let her get to it.The others are waiting for you,Grayson reminded himself.

Hue was already over by the nightstand, pulling out the drawer, but, unlike him, finding nothing inside, because he had the key.Perhaps the one and only key.

Am I really going to lock the door when I leave?Will I take the key with me?She climbed up here on her own power.I used my power.

“Hue, I’ve already got the key to a room down the hall… that likely has the maps.”He dug it out of the pocket and showed it to her like an exhibit.

“Why are you showing me this?”Her forehead furrowed.

“Because I saved your life.Doesn’t that mean I’m responsible for you?”he asked.She lifted an eyebrow.“The more people up here the more likely we all get caught.”

That was a lie, too.But the truth was something he couldn’t say.He guessed she was not someone who liked pity in any form, hence the climbing up the third floor on her own.Yet anyone with that kind of drive should be rewarded in his book.

She was still staring at him cautiously, but then she shrugged and gestured for him to lead the way. Grayson crept back over to the door and glanced up and down the hallway.

“Coast is clear,” he whispered to Hue.

She nodded.