"It's midnight."
I looked at a clock, surprised to see she was right. "Yes, ma'am."
"Even though winter break is here, you're still registered in the dorm until tomorrow, which means you're still subject to the rules. It's after curfew."
The only thing I could manage was stating the obvious. "Yes, it is, ma'am."
Mrs. Weathers waited, as though she were hoping I'd say more. "Were you . . . doing another assignment for Ms. Terwilliger?" There was an almost comically desperate look on her face. "I didn't receive notification, but surely she can retroactively fix things."
I realized then that Mrs. Weathers didn't want me to be in trouble. She was hoping I had some reason for breaking the rules, some reason that I could avoid punishment. I knew I could've lied and said I'd been helping Ms. Terwilliger. I knew Ms. Terwilliger would even back me up. But I couldn't do it. It seemed wrong to taint my day with Adrian with a lie. And really, I had broken the rules.
"No," I told Mrs. Weathers. "I wasn't with her. I was just . . . out."
Mrs. Weathers waited a few moments more and then bit her lip with resignation. "Very well then. You know the rules. You'll have to serve a detention - once classes start again."
I nodded solemnly. "Yes, ma'am. I understand."
She looked as though she was still hoping I'd correct the situation. I had nothing to offer her and turned to walk away. "Oh, I nearly forgot!" she called. "I was too astonished by this . . . transgression." She turned back into the efficient dorm matron I knew. "Please let me know if your cousin will be staying with you in your room or if she needs her own."
I blinked in confusion. "Why would Angeline be staying with me?"
"Not her. Your other cousin."
I started to say I didn't have another cousin, but some warning voice inside me told me to neither deny nor confirm her words. I had no idea what was going on, but all my alarms were saying that something was definitely about to happen. Whatever it was, I needed to keep my options open.
"She had all the appropriate paperwork," explained Mrs. Weathers. "So I just let her into your room since it's only for the night."
I swallowed. "I see. Can I, um, let you know after break?"
"Certainly." After a moment's hesitation, she added, "And we'll discuss your detention then too."
"Yes, ma'am," I said.
I went upstairs, a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach.
Who was waiting in my room? Who in the world was part of my imaginary family now?
As it turned out, it was someone from my real family.
When I unlocked the door, I found Zoe sitting on my bed. Her face lit up when she saw me, and she sprang forward to grab me in a fierce embrace.
"Sydney!" she exclaimed. "I was so worried you weren't coming back tonight."
"Of course I was," I said stiffly. I was so shocked that I could barely return her hug. "What are you doing here?"
She pulled back and looked up at me with a big grin. There was no anger in her, not even the wariness she'd had in St. Louis. She was full of joy, truly happy to see me. I didn't know why she was here, but hope began to blossom within me that we'd finally get our reconciliation.
Until she spoke.
"They gave me a field position! I'm assigned here." She turned her face, showing me a golden lily tattoo on her cheek. My heart nearly stopped. "I'm officially an Alchemist now. Well, a junior one. I've got a lot to learn, so they thought it'd be best if I was with you."
"I see," I said. The room was spinning. Zoe. Zoe was here - and she was an Alchemist, one who would be staying with me.
Her exuberant expression became a little perplexed. "And I guess you were telling Stanton something about needing Alchemist backup? That it was really hard being around so many Moroi by yourself?"
I tried to smile but couldn't. "Something like that." I'd urged Stanton to take action, and she had. It just wasn't the kind I'd expected.
Zoe's enthusiasm returned. "Well, you aren't alone now. I'm here for you, not that you probably even need me. You don't ever get into any trouble."
No, I just had a romance going on with a vampire, was on the verge of joining a coven, and was investigating secrets no one wanted me to know about. No trouble at all.
How in the world was I going to hide all that from her?
Zoe hugged me again. "Oh, Sydney! This is going to be great," she exclaimed. "We're going to be together all the time!"