Page 15 of Made in Malice
“That’s settled then. We’ll meet with Tabby in the morning, then we can visit the school after lunch.”
“I’ll let Alden know of your plans,” Rory says, but I can’t tell if he’s speaking to me or Astrid.
As my eyes adjust to the bright, early afternoon sunlight, I notice Alden standing next to the open rear door of a black car. Astrid walks ahead of me, no sign of her age in her steps as she saunters to the vehicle and slides into the seat.
I allow myself a glance in my escort’s direction, but his gaze is focused straight ahead, so I just take my seat with a lot less grace than my grandmother displayed. The door shuts immediately after I’m situated, and I notice it’s not your typical backseat. There’s leg room for days, two TVs, and center console that looks like something out of a limo. Clearly, this car was made for the passenger’s comfort.
Alden gets into the front passenger seat, and the car slowly accelerates. I’m a little surprised he’s coming with us, considering Rory said the school was one of the only places he didn’t need to accompany me to, but I’m too excited to see Cadieux to give it much consideration.
Thankfully, there’s no battle at the gate, and we exit smoothly onto the two-lane road that takes us through the forest. The little pitchforks on top of the brick fence seem slightly campy considering the name of the people who live there, but maybe that’s the point. They might as well embrace their name, since it’s not like they chose it.
As the tall spires of the school come into view over top of the lush green trees, I feel the same awe I experienced yesterday. Before the accident, I always hoped to go to college, but even then, I knew if I did, it would be a local community college, not a private school that only admits a tiny percentage of applicants.
I also recognize that getting into this school has nothing to do with me and everything to do with my mom’s parents, but I want to prove myself and I think I can. Things are a lot different for me now than when I was actually in high school, barely earning enough credits to graduate because I missed so many classes, but losing my parents in a car crash and almost dying from my own injuries made it a little hard to study. My remaining kidney is doing the work of two, and it’s not in the greatest shape, which means the chances of me needing a transplant before I’m fifty are pretty high, so I’m excited to embrace any chances life puts forward.
“Ready?” Astrid asks, pulling me from my musings. Alden is already waiting at the open door. I exit quickly, hoping they all think I was just staring up at the school and not thinking about all my shortcomings.
“Will we be able to get in?” I question, looking around at the empty campus.
“It helps to know the right people.” Astrid winks at me conspiratorially. I suppose being a member of one of the founding families gives her a certain amount of freedom.
The driver opens the large wooden door, and we enter a massive hall with a matching door at the opposite end of a long corridor. The ceilings are high and have pointed arch details above all the stone pillars that seem to be holding each archway aloft. The symmetry alone is awe-inspiring.
It’s dim inside when the door closes behind us, the only light coming from the high windows that don’t seem to allow much sunlight in. Heavy black chandeliers provide a soft glow as well, but not enough to chase away the heavy darkness.
I can tell the space on either side of the corridor is expansive, but I can’t see much beyond the shadowy darkness. It’s as quiet as a tomb, as if everyone who steps inside holds their breath, which I don’t doubt. It’s eerie and yet astoundingly beautiful.
There’s a loud clicking noise, and then the darkness recedes, allowing me to see the gray stone and shiny floor. To the right are several large tables with high-back wooden chairs that seem as old as the building, and the wood is heavy and dark. The tables are interspersed with more comfortable seating areas, like plush chairs and sofas I would bet are a more modern addition.
“Here we are,” Astrid says, looking around proudly. “Your mother used to love coming here and—” She cuts herself off with a shake of her head. “This is the Union. Coffee and snacks are over there.” She points to the opposite side of the hall. It is also more modern, but it still manages to fit in with the old-world aesthetic. “The library is down the hall, and there are a few boring offices on the right. All the classes are held in the wings.” She points to the left and right.
I start to walk forward to explore. I’m very curious about what she almost said about my mother, but I’m too hesitant to ask her to finish. The soles of my sneakers don’t make a sound as I peer beyond the pillars. I bet I could spend hours exploring this floor alone. There are staircases, mirrored on each side, leading up to the three stories. Balusters and railings line the upper floors, making it clear you can see down to the ground level from above. I would love to get up there and get a closer look at the ceiling.
“As you can see, it’s an old building. There are a few places that are off-limits to the staff and students. It seems like something is always being repaired,” she adds as if she’s admitting the faucet leaks. “Stay out of the restricted areas. We don’t want anyone getting hurt.”
Alden clears his throat as if he’s prompting me to reply.
“Of course,” I say automatically. It probably wouldn’t have crossed my mind to do otherwise, but the specific mention does make me curious about those areas.
“Good. Would you like to see the main library? Your mother loved hiding in there when she was a little girl,” she divulges easily, and it makes me want to give her a little something of my mom.
“She used to play hide-and-seek with me when I was little,” I share.
Astrid’s eyes soften, confirming I made the right move.
Alden and the driver hang back near the main entrance, while Astrid leads me down the long corridor and into a beautifully appointed library. It’s hard to imagine my mother as a child at all, but thinking of her slipping through the tall bookcases and into nooks and crannies seems even more surreal, especially since she would pretend I was hard to find over and over when I was always in the same few places in our tiny house.
“The doors are usually left open until midnight, though you won’t always find someone working the desk that late. It’s closed now for break.” Astrid casts her lingering gaze around the room. I get the impression she hasn’t been here in a while.
“That’s good to know. I’m sure I’ll have some catching up to do with my studies.” I run my hand over the spines of the leather-bound books as I move up and down a few rows. That thought brings a host of others. In my excitement and apprehension, I totally forgot about things like being the new girl and starting in the middle of a year.
“How many students are enrolled in Cadieux?” I try to make my question sound casual, but I can hear the nervousness in my tone.
“Just under fourteen hundred.”
Wow, I’m pretty sure that’s smaller than my high school. There is no way people aren’t going to notice I’m a new face. “Will there be any other transfers this semester?”
“I don’t think so, but you could ask your grandfather, he would know.”