Page 35 of Deck of Scarlets
A couple more blocks until I got home, and the idea sent a warm tingle through my body. Just the thought of being back in my bed, even for a couple of hours, the softness that would engulf me the minute I curled under the covers, was all I wanted and more.
That was before a familiar scarlet fabric caught my attention.
A few apartments down from my home at the end of 77th Street, no taller than my five-foot-five stature, was a person cloaked with that same scarlet fabric. Striking against the hues of the city lights, I watched them hide in a nearby alleyway, unsuccessfully since I could see them clear as day. Or maybe I was utterly observant and nobody else gave a crap. Why would you try to be secretive but wear one of the most obvious colors?
A mystery I might never solve.
They kept turning their head as if they were watching out for someone or something, but I couldn’t quite make it out from where I stood. Trying to get a better view, I dipped around a few cars that lined the city streets and inched closer. If I could just see the person’s figure, I might get a better glimpse of their actions. The further I got, the harder it seemed this person was frantically checking down the alleyway. Then a soft whistle blew across the street, and the hooded figure’s head snapped up, revealing Chloe.
The same girl who caught Kal and me in the janitor’s closet.
Stay away from the elite. You have no business with us.
Her words began to bounce inside my head, and my heart hammered in my chest like a hummingbird.
What the hell is she doing out here? Is this what she meant about the ‘elite?’
Suddenly, a tall figure walked across the street; a black hood covering their head, and they somehow avoided eye contact and strange stares from people. They wore dark, fitted, long-sleeved shirts with matching pants and black shoes. It looked like this person had a bow and arrow strapped across their chest. I was baffled how nobody thought it was strange that a random person walked around with a bow and arrow strapped to his chest, but then again, this was New York, and nothing seemed crazy in a city like this. Without warning, they gave a quick look back, stunning me as recognition dawned.
Josh.
His face was stone-cold like his eyes. He whispered something into her ear, his lips urgent with each word leaving his mouth. Chloe shook her head vigorously as if she disagreed with him over something, and Josh’s hands gripped the strap around his chest, anger plastered to his face. More whispers were exchanged, almost like they were in a heated argument.
I needed to get closer.
Just as they reached each other in the comfort of the dark alley, I dashed through the traffic, hiding between cars and avoiding angry grunts from people trying to sneak through. Only a few more strides and I would be in perfect earshot of their conversation.
But I was too late.
Josh put a hand on her back and hurried her along in the dark alley, shifting his body in view to where I got a look at the front of his shirt. A large scarlet S was embroidered on the breast, standing against his dark attire. I’d seen it before, though I couldn’t pinpoint where, but the design struck a familiar chord. Thankfully, he didn’t see me and disappeared into the alley, letting the darkness swallow him.
I realized my breathing had become erratic, and I had to hold onto the side of the building to catch my breath. After the encounter with Nickie earlier, there was no way she’d believe what I saw.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t follow them now, especially since I didn’t know what they were doing or where they were going. Do I even want to know? I needed to get the heck out of there before they caught me. Oddly, they hadn’t seen me, but I wouldn’t stick around to change that. Chloe already made it clear I wasn’t allowed to be around them, but that only fueled my curiosity after tonight.
Especially since this was clearly more than just a silly college society.
Dashing across the street, I ran as fast as possible to my house, hitting the button in the elevator to my floor repeatedly, getting more impatient by the second. Once it took me up, I quickly squeezed through the opening of the elevator doors and swiped the key card on our front door. The place seemed quiet, which meant my parents were out at some dinner function, and since Aiden was back in Hicksville for school, and Rose, our housekeeper, went home for the night, I had the whole place to myself.
Not taking any chances, I found my dad’s stash of his most expensive whiskey. Thank heavens it wasn’t a fresh bottle, and I grabbed the flask inside my purse. Careful not to spill, I filled it until it almost touched the top. Somehow, I needed to convince my dad to buy more stock so I could snag a whole bottle. Easier to refill, less likely to get caught.
Getting a bottle of water from the fridge, I trekked up to my bedroom, my feet dragging from exhaustion. From eight a.m. classes to useless social gatherings, my body was beaten. But my mind was far from tired.
My body collapsed on my neat bed. Everything seemed the same since I left it last week. Then again, why wouldn’t it be? It had only been a week, yet it felt like a month.
I chugged the water, letting it slide down my throat, cooling me down from the adrenaline burst earlier.
What were Josh and Chloe doing, and why were they dressed like they were going on a secret ops mission? Not only did it come across as suspicious, but it made me question a few things about the school. Or was it part of the school? They both went, but could it be some outside activity? Some secret club? Or were they mentally insane and had made this into some weird kink? Shit, did that mean Josh was cheating on Nickie? But why wear a scarlet cape?
As those last words filled my head, my eyes wandered over to my desk, where a scarlet card still leaned against the trash can underneath.
Rose missed a piece of trash.
A vital piece of trash.
Placing the half-empty water bottle on my bedside table, I got down on all fours and crawled across my bedroom floor, reaching for the thick card. Turning it over in my shaky hands, that large scarlet S carved in the front sparked the familiarity of what I saw not five minutes ago.
My decision was made when I tucked the invitation into my back pocket.