“ASH?” I SAY, when I’m back in my room. I wait a beat, but there’s no response.

I check the window and under the beds and return to the empty common room. On the floor in front of the fireplace, written in ash, are the words Be back soon. I smile at the cleverness and rub out the message with the bottom of my boot.

My conversation with Matteo cycles through my thoughts. My parents were next in line to lead their Families. They were the best in this school. I can’t even imagine what their lives were like before they had me and before they became the Romeo and Juliet of the Strategia world. I need to talk to my dad. I have so many questions, so many missing details from Matteo’s story to fill in.

Sending me to the Academy makes no sense at all. My family was in hiding—why put me in the one place where I’d be exposed to the very people who are a threat? Matteo was right that I resemble my mom: if he could pick me out, surely others can, too. I keep thinking about what Blackwood said, that strange things happen on purpose. Matteo said Blackwood knows who I am, which she must if she attended the Academy at the same time as my parents. But why let me in? She must have known that the shit would hit the fan as soon as the Lions and the Bears recognized me.

I head for the breakfast table and pull out a chair.

But Blackwood also gave me information about the glass and the match, and she quoted my history teacher. Plus, Ash told me that she’s a Bear herself. I tap my fingers on the table. There has to be a specific reason, a message she was trying to communicate. Strategia aren’t random; I’ve learned that much. So I’m just missing the pattern, some subtle difference, as my dad would say.

I think back to my first history class, when Kartal said strange things happen on purpose. She was talking about coincidences in historical contexts and how people love to believe them and exaggerate them. And she said that if you could pull off a crime and make it look like a coincidence, it was a brilliant achievement. Was she trying to tell me something? What if she was hinting about the murder happening just after I arrived, and people wanting to link it to me and exaggerate the details—which, as it turns out, wound up being true?

Then there was the story of the decoy body being dropped to the Spanish during World War II with fake plans to invade Greece. The entire plan relied on the fact that the people who found the body wouldn’t do the inspection they needed to do. Just like I didn’t examine Stefano thoroughly when I discovered his body, not like Layla would have. And it wasn’t until Layla asked the right questions that we figured out Stefano had been killed hours earlier and planted in that hallway, eventually leading us to his room, and to the fact that Charles was actually after Matteo.

My pulse begins to race. Then there was my poisons class. Hisakawa said that poisoning is truly great when there’s no evidence left behind. And that if you can manage them, the best poisons of all are emotional and psychological. Was she talking about me and Matteo? Someone had clearly been trying to pit us against each other from the beginning. And if I hadn’t forced myself to talk to Matteo, I still wouldn’t know who my parents are, which is obviously key to understanding how this whole mess started.

I hit my fist on the table. Why hadn’t I been paying closer attention? Ash had made it clear to me that the Academy wasn’t about academics, it was about learning to read the signs. But I was so caught up in my own fears and frustrations I couldn’t see what was right in front of my face.

I put my head in my hands. Moment after moment comes flooding back to me. Kartal talking about the sultan who sent the letter to those knights, and how he gave them the opportunity to act differently, to change what everyone assumed couldn’t be changed.

I chew on my thumbnail angrily. What or who is the inflexible thing in this situation that needs to be approached differently? There’s the hatred between the Lions and the Bears, but that’s not something I can fix in this school. It has to be something more specific.

My door opens and I look up at Ash.

“Oh, good. You’re here,” Ash says, and I can see the concern leave his eyes.

“I spoke to Pippa,” he says, and takes the seat across from me. “At first she said she didn’t see anyone and took the glass immediately down to the kitchen to be disposed of. But when I pressed, she acknowledged that she actually stopped a couple of times to check on other rooms. I made her walk me through her route, and I’ve got to say that there was ample opportunity for someone to steal a piece, even though she claims she kept a close watch on it.”

“My money is on Felix,” I grumble.

Ash pulls back and looks at me. “What do you know that I don’t?”

“This has all been about killing me, right?” I say. “Charles killed Stefano to pin it on me, and if it had worked, I would have been the one executed. Then Nyx tried to skewer me with a sword. Then someone came to slit my throat with a piece of glass but wound up having to confront the guard instead. Like Layla said, Brendan rarely does things himself. And of all the possible suspects, Felix definitely has a reason to want revenge. My parents killed his father.”

Ash’s eyes widen. “How do you know that?”

“Matteo told me.”

“Matteo told you,” Ash says like he doesn’t quite believe it. “Matteo went from punching you to suddenly telling you secrets?”

“Not that this makes it any better, but he was told to punch me,” I say.

“He was what? Why would…Maybe Dr. Conner? It could be some kind of new assessment tactic,” Ash says, and a hint of concern reappears in his tone.

“Maybe,” I say. “But that punch earned Matteo a third mark and landed him in the outer perimeter—a punishment orchestrated by Blackwood that just might have saved his life. My guess is that she was trying to keep him out of harm’s way. Maybe trying to keep him safe and test me at the same time.”

Ash looks at me questioningly for a second. “He told you more, didn’t he?”

I nod slowly. I’ve barely begun to process it all myself.

Ash waits for me to say something, and when I don’t he says, “Did he tell you who you are?”

“Yes. My dad is a Lion, like we suspected,” I say, stretching out my sentence and trying to figure out how to approach the rest of my answer. “And considering what my parents did, it makes sense that the Lions want to kill me badly,” I add. I want to tell Ash that I’m Matteo’s cousin and explain why I’m a target, but I need to think it through first. If I’ve learned anything from Ash, it’s that personal information is dangerous and should be shared precisely and with caution.

He half laughs. “Look who’s guarding Family secrets now. You’re becoming more of a Strategia by the minute.”

“It’s not that I’m not going to tell you,” I say. “I plan to tell you. I just haven’t made sense of it all myself yet.” I pause. “Besides, aren’t you more worried about getting Layla out of the dungeon?”

“As far as I’m concerned, they’re related,” he says. “And just because I don’t flaunt my emotions doesn’t mean I’m not worried. You know that.” He leans back and shifts his weight. His voice has a tightness to it, like I’ve offended him.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that,” I say. “I’m just on edge and I can feel that we’re running out of time. I mean, how long do you think it’s going to be before someone tries to kill me again? Tonight? Felix is still out there. Brendan. God knows who else is part of this.”

Ash takes a breath. “Understood.”

I crack my knuckles. “What about Aarya?”

“What about her?” Ash says.

“Felix is likely involved. But something tells me that Aarya isn’t, at least not the same way. In fact, from everything I’ve seen of her interactions with Brendan, I’d guess she hates the Lions.” I pause, considering the situation. “And then there’s Ines,” I say.

Ash looks at me like he’s not sure where I’m going with this, or maybe he is but he doesn’t like it.

“The Lions are killing off the top students, right? And Ines is one of the best. She’s also Aarya’s closest friend. Won’t Aarya want to protect her best friend? Maaaybe we can convince her to take a stand with us, help us get a grip on what she knows about this whole situation,” I say.

Ash is already shaking his head. “Aarya wouldn’t do that in a million years,” he says. “Believe me, if I thought there was any way she would cooperate, I would have asked her by now.”

“But you can’t know that for sure until you try,” I insist. “I didn’t think there was any way Matteo would talk to me, and I managed it.”

“Matteo and Aarya are fundamentally different people. Matteo has a temper and is too emotional, but he’s a good person. I wouldn’t have let you go to his room alone if I thought otherwise. But in my two and a half years at the Academy, I’ve never once seen Aarya do anything for anyone but herself. She would take whatever opportunity you give her and flip it on you,” Ash says, and all at once I’m reminded of the knights and the sultan.

“The inflexible one…,” I say under my breath.

“The inflexible what?” Ash asks, but I’m already on my feet.

Of all the people who could appear immovable, stubborn, and ready to fight to the death, Aarya is the most fitting. I don’t know why I didn’t think of her as a possibility earlier.

“I know this sounds crazy, but my gut is telling me that getting Aarya on our side is important,” I say, and take a deep breath. My voice has gone from frustrated to excited. “I can’t put my finger on what she might contribute; I just know I need to convince her to tell me what she knows.”

Ash groans. “I don’t know how else to make this clear: Aarya will not help you. She’ll only find a way to hurt you,” he says with a serious tone. But of course he would be serious. If Ash weren’t completely convinced that she was inflexible, Aarya wouldn’t be a contender for being able to act differently. It’s like Kartal said: a fresh perspective is needed.

I stop pacing and look at Ash. “Would you say that Aarya cares about Ines more than she does about Felix?”

“November…,” Ash says, and stands. I can see it written all over him that he’s going to try to talk me down.

“You told me once that Felix was in love with Aarya but that it was never going to happen. So answer the question. Does she care about Ines more?”

“If I had to guess, I would say she does,” Ash says.

“Okay. Good,” I say, and run into my bedroom. I pull a piece of paper out of my bedside table drawer. On it I write:

Ines is in danger. Meet me in the trees right after curfew and I’ll explain.

Ember

I figure if I sign that ridiculous name she’ll know it’s really me who wrote the note. I hand it to Ash. “Can you slip this to her? I know you’re good at this sort of thing because of that game you and Layla played when I first got here.”

He looks at the paper and glances up at me. “You’re not seriously going to do this, are you? If someone’s going to talk to Aarya, I should be the one to do it.”

I shake my head. “You can’t, Ash. It has to be me. You don’t see her the way I do.”

“No, I don’t,” he says, and he’s getting more frustrated by the minute. “I see her for exactly who she is. I can read her. I’ve known her for years. I’ve seen people go up against her over and over, and she always wins because she’s ruthless and because she’s talented. You’re too forgiving. You’re too trusting. Layla warned you that you weren’t good enough to go up against Aarya, and I’m telling you that meeting her in the trees after dark is a fast way to get yourself killed.”

I take a deep breath, willing myself to be calm. “I know you think all that, which is exactly why I have to be the one to talk to her. I’m not saying there’s not a risk, but if there’s even a slim possibility that she has information we need, this can’t wait,” I say. “I get that you’re trying to protect me, and I appreciate it. But I have to do this.”

“Seeing Aarya in a more forgiving light isn’t a reason,” he says.

“Blackwood had me in her office when she punished Layla for no reason that I can tell other than to give me information about the glass and the match,” I say. “And—”

“You’re saying you think Blackwood is trying to help you? Why would she lock up my sister to help you? She’s toying with you,” Ash says.

“Helping or toying—it really doesn’t make a difference. The point is that she gave me information. And Blackwood’s not the only one. That guard who protected me. Kartal and Hisakawa. They all said things that directly related to the murder and the situation with me and Matteo. And in Kartal’s last class, she said something about taking people for granted. Not in the typical sense, but in the way that if you see people as ruthless and vicious, you can’t unsee them behaving that way. She said sometimes having a fresh perspective on a person is the only way to influence change. If you ask me, that sounds like Aarya,” I finish.

Ash is quiet for a long time, and emotions dance in his eyes like lights on a pond. “So let me get this straight. You’re going to risk your life because you think your teachers are giving you hidden messages in their classes?”

“Yes. Exactly. And if I were anyone else, you wouldn’t doubt what I was saying. You’re only questioning me because I wasn’t raised the way you were. But that doesn’t mean I’m wrong. So if you won’t deliver my note, I will,” I say, and hold out my hand so he can give the note back to me.

His eyes flash anger. “You know she’s not going to come alone,” he says. “So even if by some miracle Aarya doesn’t try to kill you, someone else might.”

“I know,” I say. “That’s why I chose the trees—they’re my best terrain. It’s the only advantage I can give myself. Well, that and I could really use you there with me.”

His eyes widen slightly like he can’t believe what I’m saying. “You thought I wouldn’t be?”

“I hoped you would be,” I say.

He rubs his forehead. “How is it that sometimes you understand so much and other times you understand nothing?”

“Look,” I say, “if it doesn’t work and Aarya throws me out of the tree, then I’ll admit I was wrong and you can call the shots for the rest of the night. But you’re wasting time right now and we need to deliver that note.”

He folds the note up and looks at me like he wants to say something, but changes his mind and walks out of the room.