All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund [88]
He was sure no one was going to let him dress up in costume and go out this evening. It was a school night and candy wasn’t allowed in the house. There wasn’t a rule about candy, per se, but Cecilia claimed her peanut brittle was better than anything you could buy . . . and if you liked eating reinforced concrete, she was right.
Eliot tromped along, doing his best to ignore the festive decorations. He was by himself because Fiona was still taking her time trying on all her new clothes—not just the new dresses Aunt Dallas had bought her, but her new custom-tailored Paxington uniforms.
He tugged on his own Paxington jacket. Still too big.
But it was starting to fit better.
For two weeks he’d gone to Robert’s after school. Eliot was on a new physical regime of tai chi, calisthenics, and free weights. Robert had also taught him the basics of fighting. Every muscle ached, and the ribs on Eliot’s left side hurt where Robert had left a tattooing of bruises.
Eliot curled his hands into fist and flexed his forearms. It’d been worth it, though. He felt stronger.
Near school, Eliot saw more students. Some walked alone like he did, although most collected in groups of three or four, chatting along the way. Others sputtered by on motor scooters.
Funny how on that first day he’d seen only one or two other students—now he saw them everywhere. Had they all been here and he’d never noticed? Was it something about the uniform that made them blend in?
He spotted the Paxington entrance half a block away and went to it. He touched the rough granite blocks . . . and hesitated.
He should go inside. He’d heard there might be a field trip today. He also had to cram for a rumored pop quiz in Miss Westin’s class. But it didn’t feel right entering without Fiona.
Then there was the matter of Jezebel, which remained completely unresolved. The revelation that she had been Julie Marks, and was now an Infernal . . . he hadn’t told anyone.
The problem was he still didn’t know much about Infernals. Their studies in Miss Westin’s class hadn’t covered them in detail.
And Eliot hadn’t had a chance to talk again with Jezebel. She disappeared after class. And in gym—they’d been so busy drilling for the handful of remaining all-important matches, there’d never been a chance to get her alone.
If this was some Infernal game of chess with Jezebel as a living pawn . . . he had to make sure he made the right move.
Telling Fiona would be a move; it would set her in motion, possibly provoking a confrontation between the two girls.
He wasn’t ready for that.
And telling Robert? He’d wanted to at first. But now it felt like a family matter . . . dangerous . . . and private.
He sighed, feeling completely alone—and walked through the there-but-not entrance to school.
Off the main street there, Paxington students browsed store windows, ogling the jewelry, watches, and latest computers. There were fashion boutiques with gaudy dresses and flashy tuxedos and the zombie, vampire, and robot costumes for Halloween. Café Eridanus was packed.
A man sat at one of the café’s outdoor tables. He waved Eliot closer.
Eliot’s spirits soared as he recognized him.
“Louis!”
He was the one person he could talk to about this stuff.
Eliot tried to sit next to his father, but as he pulled out a chair, he saw a black cat curled upon it. Amber eyes blinked at him. It didn’t move, and returned to its nap.
Eliot thought about petting it or lifting it over to the next chair.
“Ignore that wretched animal.” Louis gestured to the seat on his left.
Eliot sat there. “I’m glad to see you.”
Louis smiled warmly, but that happiness faded as he gazed at Eliot. “What has happened?”
“There’s so much,” Eliot replied. “But I don’t want to be late for class.”
He took out his phone and set it on the table where he could watch the time. “You’re just not late for Miss Westin’s class more than once.”
“A new phone? A gift from your mother? Or, perhaps the