Read Online Privilege 3 - Perfect Mistake by Kate Brian - Free Book Online
Authors: Kate Brian
Ads: Link
Snapping branches. The other members were out there watching. She was certain of it. And now they were on the move. "Y are not to share what you've heard here tonight. Y are not to speak of this night to anyone outside your circle of five. Betrayal is
ou ou a sin that is not taken lightly by the brotherhood. If you turn your back on Stone and Grave, if you malign Stone and Grave, if you allow civilians to learn the secrets of Stone and Grave, you will be dealt with. We take these crimes seriously. Dead seriously."
Ariana's throat closed over. She remembered how freaked Lexa had been that day when she'd slipped and told Ariana about the society. What, exactly, did he mean by "dealt with"? Ariana glanced around at
65
Kaitlynn, Brigit, Tahira, and Allison, all of whom looked as uncertain as Ariana felt.
"Your time to impress the brotherhood starts now," Miss Temple said.
Then she and Lear snuffed out the fire, pitching the clearing into darkness. The movement in the trees intensified for a moment, and then all was silent. Ariana's breath came short and shallow. She couldn't see a thing.
"We suggest you start walking before the black bears get a whiff of you." Lear's voice carried back to them through the night. "Good luck!"
66
TREK
"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Allison demanded, her German accent thicker than usual, probably due to panic.
"This is a well--worn path," Kaitlynn pointed out for the tenth time. "And this is definitely the direction we came in from."
"Doesn't seem like much of a path to me. It's too narrow," Tahira said with a sniff. Her high heels kept sinking into the soft earth, so she was lagging behind. "And how do you know which direction we came from? We were all blindfolded."
Ariana and Brigit, who were walking side by side in the dark, occasionally grabbing each others hands when they stumbled or tripped, shot one another an amused look. Tahira was being Tahira. As always.
"If you want to go off on your own, I'm not stopping you," Kaitlynn replied. "Woods, meet Tahira; Tahira, meet the woods. Go ahead."
Tahira crossed her arms over her chest. "You don't have to be such a bitch about it."
67
Kaitlynn paused and dropped her arms. "I'm sorry, T, okay? It's just I want to get back to campus and get started on my task just like you do. So let's just work together."
Ariana smirked. She knew that Kaitlynn would have loved to tear into Tahira, but Lillian couldn't turn Tahira into an enemy, just in case she needed her later.
"Fine," Tahira said finally, walking ahead, her ankles wobbling. "What is your task anyway?"
Allison shoved a pine branch aside. "I don't know if we should be sharing tasks."
"She's right. I think I'll keep mine to myself, thanks," Kaitlynn said.
"What does yours say?" Brigit whispered to Ariana, leaning close.
"It's too dark out here. I can't make it out," Ariana replied.
"Here," Brigit said. "You can use this."
She lifted her wrist and pushed a few rubber bracelets away from her chunky watch. With a click of a button, the face illuminated big and bright. Ariana stopped walking, pulled out her card, and tilted the watch face toward it. There, in silver ink, was her task:
MAKE A SPECTACLE OF YOURSELF
Ariana's heart dove. "What? Are they kidding?"
Brigit snorted a laugh when she read it. "Mine says, 'Embarrass the crown prince of Jordan at the NoBash.'"
"But I thought--" Ariana paused, unsure how many of her theories and how much of her knowledge she should reveal. Then again, Brigit
68
had obviously been tapped before. She had to know even more than Ariana did.
"You thought what?" Brigit asked as they speed walked to catch up with the others.
"I kind of thought Lexa was in Stone and Grave," Ariana whispered. Not to mention Palmer, whom she had assumed was president or leader or grand poobah or whatever they called the number one Stone and Graver. She couldn't believe he would set her up to embarrass herself. "Couldn't
ou ou a sin that is not taken lightly by the brotherhood. If you turn your back on Stone and Grave, if you malign Stone and Grave, if you allow civilians to learn the secrets of Stone and Grave, you will be dealt with. We take these crimes seriously. Dead seriously."
Ariana's throat closed over. She remembered how freaked Lexa had been that day when she'd slipped and told Ariana about the society. What, exactly, did he mean by "dealt with"? Ariana glanced around at
65
Kaitlynn, Brigit, Tahira, and Allison, all of whom looked as uncertain as Ariana felt.
"Your time to impress the brotherhood starts now," Miss Temple said.
Then she and Lear snuffed out the fire, pitching the clearing into darkness. The movement in the trees intensified for a moment, and then all was silent. Ariana's breath came short and shallow. She couldn't see a thing.
"We suggest you start walking before the black bears get a whiff of you." Lear's voice carried back to them through the night. "Good luck!"
66
TREK
"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Allison demanded, her German accent thicker than usual, probably due to panic.
"This is a well--worn path," Kaitlynn pointed out for the tenth time. "And this is definitely the direction we came in from."
"Doesn't seem like much of a path to me. It's too narrow," Tahira said with a sniff. Her high heels kept sinking into the soft earth, so she was lagging behind. "And how do you know which direction we came from? We were all blindfolded."
Ariana and Brigit, who were walking side by side in the dark, occasionally grabbing each others hands when they stumbled or tripped, shot one another an amused look. Tahira was being Tahira. As always.
"If you want to go off on your own, I'm not stopping you," Kaitlynn replied. "Woods, meet Tahira; Tahira, meet the woods. Go ahead."
Tahira crossed her arms over her chest. "You don't have to be such a bitch about it."
67
Kaitlynn paused and dropped her arms. "I'm sorry, T, okay? It's just I want to get back to campus and get started on my task just like you do. So let's just work together."
Ariana smirked. She knew that Kaitlynn would have loved to tear into Tahira, but Lillian couldn't turn Tahira into an enemy, just in case she needed her later.
"Fine," Tahira said finally, walking ahead, her ankles wobbling. "What is your task anyway?"
Allison shoved a pine branch aside. "I don't know if we should be sharing tasks."
"She's right. I think I'll keep mine to myself, thanks," Kaitlynn said.
"What does yours say?" Brigit whispered to Ariana, leaning close.
"It's too dark out here. I can't make it out," Ariana replied.
"Here," Brigit said. "You can use this."
She lifted her wrist and pushed a few rubber bracelets away from her chunky watch. With a click of a button, the face illuminated big and bright. Ariana stopped walking, pulled out her card, and tilted the watch face toward it. There, in silver ink, was her task:
MAKE A SPECTACLE OF YOURSELF
Ariana's heart dove. "What? Are they kidding?"
Brigit snorted a laugh when she read it. "Mine says, 'Embarrass the crown prince of Jordan at the NoBash.'"
"But I thought--" Ariana paused, unsure how many of her theories and how much of her knowledge she should reveal. Then again, Brigit
68
had obviously been tapped before. She had to know even more than Ariana did.
"You thought what?" Brigit asked as they speed walked to catch up with the others.
"I kind of thought Lexa was in Stone and Grave," Ariana whispered. Not to mention Palmer, whom she had assumed was president or leader or grand poobah or whatever they called the number one Stone and Graver. She couldn't believe he would set her up to embarrass herself. "Couldn't
Similar Books
