Cruel Love (Privilege 6)

With a sigh, Ariana pushed herself to her feet, her frozen muscles and bones cracking and protesting. She was just about to head for the visitor’s lot when she heard a laugh that stopped her cold.

Slowly, Ariana looked up, and there she was. Reed Brennan in the flesh. She was walking with three friends about twenty yards away, tugging along a rolling suitcase, headed toward the dorm. And just in case Ariana was concerned that her mind was messing with her again, Reed was wearing a vinyl warm-up jacket with her last name emblazoned across the back in huge letters.

Suddenly, Ariana’s mouth filled with saliva. She swallowed hard, disgusted. It was amazing, the effect Reed had on her. It was all Ariana could do to stop herself from sprinting across the quad and launching herself at the girl like a wild animal. The primal beat started up inside of her all over again, this time louder than ever.

She must die … she must die … she must die …

At the front door of the dorm, Reed paused and tugged a key card out of her pocket.

She must die … she must die … she must die …

Reed flashed the card in front of the electronic pad, then reached over and opened the door for her friends.

She must die … she must die … she must die …

They all piled inside, Reed at the rear, and the door slammed behind them.

Ariana blinked, waking up from her trance. Reed was gone, and that was that. Ariana breathed in, long and slow, and felt her pulse start to slow. Reed had a key to the building, so this was clearly where she lived. Now all Ariana had to do was watch her, get her schedule down, and figure out the optimal moment to attack.

Soon, it would all be over. Soon, the balance would be restored. All the deaths—Thomas’s, Briana Leigh’s, Brigit’s, Lexa’s—all of them would be avenged.

Lifting her chin, Ariana turned and calmly strode toward the parking lot. Her heart rate was perfectly calm. Her breathing perfectly normal. This time she was going to have a plan. A foolproof plan. This time she was going to leave nothing to chance like when she’d done away with that horrible Mel girl back in Easton, or poor Sergei at the lake, or the first time she’d tried to kill Kaitlynn in her hotel room on Dupont Circle, or that awful, fateful night when she’d come so close to pushing Reed off the roof of Billings House.

It was always much better to have a plan. And this was far too important to leave anything to chance.

THE NOMINATION

“I now open the floor to official nominations for the post of President of the Atherton-Pryce Hall chapter of Stone and Grave.”

April’s words brought a chill over the membership, and for a long moment, no one said a word. It was as if no one wanted to be the first to suggest that someone could actually replace Lexa. Ariana’s eyes scanned the circle, which was again devoid of Palmer and Conrad, and this time Soomie as well. No one had been able to get in touch with Soomie over the Thanksgiving break, but Maria had been hopeful that she would return to campus today just like everyone else. Unfortunately, she’d never arrived, and when Ariana and Maria had gone to her room before leaving for this meeting, just to be sure, everything was dark. Stone and Grave’s numbers were slowly dwindling and it felt as if nothing would ever be the same.

Finally, Landon cleared his throat. It was such a surprise, and so close to Ariana’s ear, that she flinched away.

“I nominate Brother Starbuck,” Landon said, gazing defiantly at Maria from across the circle. Ariana sighed. Apparently they were picking up right where they’d left off.

“I second it,” Christian Thacker called out.

“Fine.” April made a note in a black cloth book she had open across her lap. “Any other nominations?”

“I nominate Sister Miss Temple,” Maria said, smiling at April.

Kassie went to second it, but April shook her head.

“Sorry, but I decline the nomination,” she said. “I have way too much on my plate right now to take that on too.”

Tahira raised her hand.

“Sister Sister Carrie?” April called on her.

At Ariana’s other side, Landon snorted. Ariana smirked. The repetition in Tahira’s Stone and Grave name was kind of funny. She was glad she hadn’t been saddled with it.

“I nominate Sister Portia,” Tahira said, leaning back to grin at Ariana.

“What?” Ariana breathed, shocked.

Ariana glanced at Jasper as a round of whispers moved swiftly through the room, echoing off the domed ceiling. He grinned back at her and raised his hand.

“Seconded!” he said loudly.