“You didn’t?” That is so weird.
“I’m an expert in Archangology.” Prescott lowers his voice and starts speaking very slowly, like I’m a young child. “That’s the study of archangels.”
“I know.” My Dad’s one.
“In fact, the patron saint of the Wheeler Institute is an archangel.”
“I know that, too.” That would be my Dad again.
“And that’s how I got this appointment.” Prescott’s eyes glaze over in a way that somehow reminds me of when he groped my butt. It’s more than little creepy. “The Lady thought that only someone with my appreciation of the archangels would be fit to run this school.”
It takes all my limited self-control not to gasp. The Lady. Aldred ordered Desmond to deliver the Rixa Codex to Earth because of the Lady. Yet when Desmond agreed to hand it over the dyad demons, they murdered him. This has to be the same Lady that Prescott is talking about.
“The Lady? Who is she?”
“A great benefactor of this school. That’s all you need to know.”
I try my best to appear innocent and interested. It involves a lot of blinking. “She sounds so fascinating. I’d love to learn more.”
Prescott lifts his chin. “She’s a very private person. All you need to know is that she hired me to clean up the school’s reputation, and I have done so. Those nasty rumors are a thing of the past.”
It’s obvious I’m not getting any more insights into the Lady, so I decide to press for additional information about the school. Prescott assumes that I know what he’s talking about when it comes to the so-called “rumors,” which I don’t, so I figure my best bet is to play along. “Anything in particular you don’t want me to say? There are so many horrible rumors going around, after all.”
“Just don’t say anything negative about the school, and you’ll be fine.” Prescott brushes lint from the lapels of his blue blazer. “Now, there’s something else you need to prepare for. You’re about to meet our welcoming committee. The best students and faculty will come to the shoreline to greet you.”
“Wow. That’s really cool. But shouldn’t everyone be in class?”
Prescott winks, like this is all between us. “This is summer semester, so we’re a little more casual. Besides, your father was kind enough to make a ten-million-dollar donation that will fund a new library. I’m rebuilding most of the Wheeler Institute, you know. The library will be my greatest achievement. The daughter of the man who made it possible should feel extra-welcome in our little community.”
“Huh.” Note to self: add incredibly loaded to Dad’s list of superpowers.
Prescott’s icy-blue eyes bulge out of his head. “I hope that wasn’t inappropriate for me to share. Would your father be upset that I told you about the money…Or that we’re having a welcoming committee?”
“No, I’m sure that whatever you’ve said or got planned will be great. I’ll make sure my father knows how kind you’re being to me.”
“Ah, it’s nothing.” Prescott leans forward and rests his elbow on his knee. “Since we have a few minutes alone, I wanted to discuss a few additional items before you meet the welcoming committee.”
“Sure.”
“We have rules here at Wheeler.”
I fight the urge to groan. Rules. I hate rules. It takes some serious concentration, but I fold my hands neatly in my lap and blink innocently. “I’d love to hear them.”
“First of all, no mentioning the unpleasant rumors.”
“Of course not.” Besides the fact that I don’t know what the rumors are yet.
“Second, you do exactly what you’re told and when.”
“How specific.” Screw you.
“Third, the whole point of our school is learning while in a natural environment. You must embrace the outdoors.”
“You got it.” Especially since those outdoors may contain demons.
“And fourth, whatever you do…” His icy-blue eyes darken. “Don’t go to the north side of the island.”
Bullshit. The second I have a free moment I am so hitting the north side of the island.
“Check.”
Prescott grins, and that predatory look returns to his eyes. There’s something leery and gross about it. In an effort to distract him, I point at the shore. There are a lot of trees, a dock, and a group of about twenty people milling about, all of them in blue blazers. “Is that the welcoming committee?”
Prescott still has a glazed look in his eyes. “What?”
“Welcoming committee. Shoreline.”
Prescott clears his throat. “Yes, yes. That’s them, all right.”
I’m no witch. Still, the way he’s acting around me, it’s as if he’s under a spell. “Great. I’m looking forward to meeting them.” And getting away from you.
I edge myself a little farther away from Prescott and watch the shoreline grow larger as we close in. Hemlock Island sure has a lot of trees. I can’t even see the school from here. This is nothing like Purgatory High. That place was a chipped-up block of bricks that towered over everything.
I never thought I’d say this, but I’m starting to miss Purgatory.
Chapter Fourteen