Page 8 of Glutton for Punishment

Sly shifts beside me but keeps his gaze lowered and says nothing.

The sound of her name sends an ache through my chest, but I force my expression to stay neutral.

“No, I’ve heard nothing outside the typical rumors these monsters have concocted.” I say, looking around the cafeteria in disgust.

Cleo steps forward, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “It’s been three days. No one’s seen her.”

Three days of torture. None of us want to admit the likely scenario. The Council exiled her, just as they had promised. We’ve tried to go see the Dean, but she hasn’t been at the academy.

I swallow.

“I know nobody wants to say it. None of us want to admit she was… sent away.”

I look at the floor. I can’t even say the word. Exiled.

What is she facing right now? What if she’s alone? Hurting?

What can I do? How can I fix this?

It feels like my insides are ripping themselves apart. As a Wrath, it should make me angry. But I just feel lost.

Tabby bites her lip. “People are saying worse things.”

“People like drama.” Holly replies roughly. “They know nothing. The only people who do were at that trial.”

“They’re saying the Council executed her,” Cleo says, eyes watering again.

My chair scrapes against the stone floor as I push to my feet. I’ve heard these rumors for the past three days.

“These idiots know nothing,” I snap. A few nearby students glance over. I lower my voice, but my pulse is pounding.

“The Dean was in that room. Atticus too. The Council isn’t just going to murder someone.”

Vail is brutal. But there are still systems. Rules. Structure. Right?

Holly studies me. “People have been saying Atticus Willshire is missing too.”

The girls exchange looks.

“And Maddox West,” Cleo adds. “He hasn’t shown up to class at all this week.”

That detail unsettles me more than I expect. Atticus was one of Arwen’s uncompleted bonds, determined to go with her to the trial and use his power to force his father’s hand.

Obviously, he was unsuccessful.

So much for him being an all powerful God of sin magic…

“Maddox had been helping her with some type of potion. Something about drawing out dormant power,” Cleo reminds us.

“You think they’re connected?” I ask.

“It’s strange,” Cleo says. “Arwen goes to her trial. She disappears. Then two boys closely associated with her disappear. I don’t think it’s a coincidence.”

Holly turns her fury at the situation back on me, like usual. “Why do you even care? We all know what you told her. Don’t start acting like a friend now that she’s not around to ‘weigh you down’.”

My temper stirs, a familiar heat coiling in my chest. The Wrath in me wants me to bite back. To remind her that none of this is simple. That we’re all one critical decision away from losing everything.

But anger is only going to add fuel to the fire. I take a deep breath and hold it before letting it out.