Hathor was knocked from her feet moments after entering the apartment.

Imogene pinned her to the ground and, were Hathor alive, would have choked her. Imogene didn’t seem to care as she continued to squeeze her, the two laying awkwardly on the floor.

“Im,” Hathor said, poking her friend’s shoulder. “I’d like to get up before you burn me.”

Imogene squealing, hurrying to move away.

Hathor pushed herself to her feet, frowning at the scorch marks on her pale blue t-shirt. “Well, there goes this outfit.”

“Sorry! I was just so glad to see you’re not dead! Er. Deader.”

Hathor sighed. “You and me both, though I’d very much like to know who poisoned me.”

You will not believe what happened after Troy and Jay took you to the hospital.”

Imogene flopped onto the lounge, her flaming hair flaring red as she entered what Hathor called ‘Gossip Mode’.

“So, me and Mads totally flipped out but weren’t allowed to see you ’cause of questioning. Same with that girl, Ella. Sky was shitface-drunk so only found out what happened this morning. Isaiah did that thing where we glares and everyone and makes them freeze if they come near him. Then there was Dex who just vanished—”

“Wait,” Hathor said, interrupting her friend’s rambling. “He vanished?”

“Yah!” If the lounge wasn’t fireproof, Imogene’s energy would have set it alight. “No one saw him all day. It’s like he made a run for it!”

Hathor glanced at her phone. It was strange. Why would the boy who took her to the party make a run for it after she was poisoned? Why hadn’t he checked up on her like any decent friend would? Unless . . .

“I know that face,” Imogene said, concerned. “What are you thinking?”

Hathor waved a hand, calling Dex. It went straight to voicemail. She left a message saying she was okay and would like to meet up sometime before hanging up. Still looking at her phone, she said to Imogene, “Call it a hunch.” A hunch that was hopefully wrong.

The Firebringer pouted. “Don’t tell me you’re gonna do some dumb shit because you think Dex was the one who poisoned you.” She gasped. “That’s exactly what you’re doing!” Her shock turned to a grimace. “Look, Hathy, I’m totally on board for finding out who did this, but you’re being kinda reckless.”

“Reckless is a family trait.” Hathor tossed her phone onto the lounge. “I gotta know if he did it. I have a plan, promise.”

“How do you know he won’t lie or play you?”

“I have my methods.”

Knowing further arguing would get her nowhere, Imogene sighed a fiery breath. She grabbed the remote and begun flipping through channels on the TV.

Hathor turned away, thinking. She liked Dex. She thought he was a friend. To think a friend was after her . . . to say she didn’t like the idea was being nice. If Dex was the one after her, the that would lead to more questions than answers. Hathor had no idea why he’d want her dead. Then again, there were a lot of reasons, most of them revolving around her mother, why someone would want her dead. Hathor couldn’t shake the feeling that this was something much bigger than a simple murder.

Hathor picked up her phone, fingers flying across the keyboard as she wrote out a lengthy text to her mother, explaining her concerns. Hathor then saw the time. She gaped. Class was starting in ten minutes! She cursed and ran to her room. Hathor stuffed books, pens and a tablet into her satchel. She was about to run from the room when she spotted the silver-blue polished dagger on her desk. A gift from her mother.

“Oh, what the hell.”

Hathor grabbed the knife, sheathing it on her thigh and extending the strap on her satchel to cover it. She grabbed a few snacks from the kitchen and called goodbye to Imogene as she left the room.

Running from the building’s main room, Hathor glanced at her watch. She would have to move fast to make it to the Towers—

She ran straight into someone’s chest, falling to the ground. “Hey! Oh, hi.”

“Hi,” Dex said with a small laugh. He helped her to her feet. “Got your call. Figured it was safe to check on you.”

Hathor tilted her head curiously. “Why did you run away?”

Dex rubbed the back of his neck. “Not all that good with the questioning thing. Decided to wait until the others left before saying my bit.”

Liar. “So long as you’re okay,” Hathor said with a smile. “I was worried someone might’ve come after you, too. I mean, you were the one who took me to the party.”

“I’m fine,” he assured her. “Promise.”

There was clearly something he was leaving out. Hathor could see it in his eyes. Instead of calling attention to it, she glanced at her watch again. “I’ve gotta go,” she said. “I’ll be late.”

“Alright. Perhaps we can get dinner later?”

“Sure.” Hathor spread her starlight-silver wings. “Call me.”

Before Dex had the chance to answer, Hathor was soaring above the Academy, making her way to the Towers.

It was one of the few evenings where everyone returned from class at a reasonable time. Hathor was the last to arrive, opening the door and immediately being overwhelmed by the smell of spice. Delicious smelling spice. It made her mouth water.

An outraged cry of “Gods damn it, Isaiah!” made her laugh.

Maddie was giving Isaiah yet another crash course in cooking, glaring at the Glacis every time his natural frost formed on the counter. Isaiah gave Hathor a wave as she passed while his ‘teacher’ was too busy muttering to herself to notice.

Hathor dumped her bag in her room before returning to the main area. She climbed onto the lounge, putting her head on Troy’s lap and stretching out. Imogene read a textbook close by, Sky sitting beside her and tapping away on his computer. Whatever he was doing, it involved a lot of fast-moving lines on his holographic screen. Hathor was curious but knew better than to distract Sky when he was in the moment.

Imogene, who had deemed her Charms textbook too boring, didn’t. “What are you doing?” No answer. She started poking his arm. “Sky. Sky. Sky. Sky. Sky. Sky—”

Sky slammed his hands on the keyboard. “WHAT?”

Imogene’s hair burst white with surprise. “What are you doing?”

“Something very important that I can’t do with you distracting me!”

With those words, Sky gathered his things and stormed to his room, slamming the door shut behind him. Troy, Hathor and Maddie burst into uncontrollable laughter. Imogene flipped them all off.

Sky didn’t come out when he was called for dinner. Or dessert. Or when his favourite show came on that night. Hathor decided it was time to check on him, Troy close on her heels as per usual.

“You dead in here?” Troy asked as they entered his room.

“Nope,” Sky answered.

Hathor walked over to the desk and slid a tray in front of Sky. He looked over his glasses at it, at her, and at Troy. Sky pulled the tray closer, putting his glasses aside before devouring the large bowl of paster and two slices of bread.

Hathor laughed. “This is why you don’t skip dinner! Only Troy gets to eat that badly.”

“Oi!” Troy pulled her hair. “Rude.”

“Sorry,” Sky said around his last mouthful. “Doing something important.”

Troy leaned against the desk, looking at the screen. “Looks like a bunch of gibberish to me.”

Sky shook his head then took a bite of apple. “Trying to get into the Restricted Section.”

“You’re what?” Hathor yelped.

“Just the cameras! I thought it would be a good place to start.” When the pair gave Sky confused looks, he explained. “If I can get into the cameras and any of us need to get into the R.S., one of us can stay here and keep lookout. That way, we won’t have to sneak everyone in and out.”

“Genius!” Troy slapped his back.

Hathor cooed, “Aw, does this mean you no longer love me?”

Sky smiled at that. “If you two love birds are willing to leave me be, I’ll call you when I get something.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Hathor took the now-empty tray with her. Troy opened the door, the two calling out their goodnights to Sky.

Deciding she wasn’t tired, Hathor helped Maddie finish washing up then went to take a bath. She was in there long enough that Imogene knocked on the door, asking if she’d drowned herself. By the time she tried and changed, Hathor found everyone but Troy and Sky—going from the light coming from the gap under his door—were asleep.

“You look tired,” Troy said.

Hathor stifled a yawn. “What is this ‘tired’ you speak of?”

“The thing you’re feeling right now.”

“Ah, that.” She cocked her head with a smile. “I’ll sleep if you sleep.”

“Well,” Troy said, taking her hands, “I’ll only sleep if you sleep.”

“Then it would appear we have a problem.”

“It would.”

There was little space between them. Any closer and they would’ve shared breath. They leaned closer, making to close the distance between them—

“Would you two go to bed! I can smell you from here! Stop it!”

They jumped apart at Maddie’s yell, laughing quietly, nervously.

“We should probably do as she says,” Hathor whispered.

“We should.” Troy reluctantly turned away. “Goodnight, Hathy.”

“Goodnight.”