Fortunately, the sound was the only thing that hit her. It was due to quick action from Orpheus-freezing a thick wave of pool water between Claire and the explosion-that she wasn't slammed with shards of brick.

"Are you okay?" He asked, rushing down the pool steps to reach her.

"I'm fine," Claire answered quickly. Her heart hammered in her ears in an entirely different manner from the joyful nervousness she'd felt only moments earlier. "What happened?"

Orpheus caught her shoulders. She hadn't even realized she was wobbling. "I think the Academy's under attack."

Claire kept hold of his sleeve as they hurried from the pool room. She was terrified of what they'd encounter-the school on fire, or an army clad in black disguised by blood-teared masks. But they found none of that. The halls were eerily silent despite the ringing in Claire's ears.

"Go back to your room," Orpheus ordered when they emerged onto the darkened campus grounds to find nothing but the usual hedges and a few students rushing from the dorm building across the way to see what the noise was. "I have to go to my mother."

"Stay with me," Claire begged, grabbing his hand. "Walk me back to my dorm then go."

"I can't, I'm sorry." Orpheus released himself from her grip, then turned and raced back towards the school.

Claire watched him disappear. She hurried across the campus with her arms wrapped tight around herself. More students had poured from the dorm building in their pajamas. They clustered around the entrance, shuffling in place and communicating in frightened whispers as they stared at the smoke still billowing from the academy's side.

A hand caught Claire's arm when she tried to elbow her way through the swarm. Kayah. She stood next to Alison, who wavered in place still half asleep, with rollers in her thick black hair.

"Bahan," Kayah murmured, eyes wide. "Is it them?"

Claire shook her head. "I don't know. I was-Orpheus and I were right next to the explosion, but we didn't see anyone leave."

At the mention of Orpheus's name, Alison's droopy eyes snapped awake and she whirled on Claire. "Pheephee? What were you doing alone with him past curfew?"

Claire's face flushed, first with embarrassment, then with anger. Was that all Alison cared about? Wasn't she even going to ask if Orpheus was okay? She put her hands on her hips and met Alison's eyes, puffing out her chest just enough to let her rain drop pendant catch the moonlight. "That's none of your business, Ali."

"Oh?" Alison raised an eyebrow, but Kayah put a hand on her shoulder before any real confrontation began.

She cast a tentative smile toward Claire. "I'm glad you weren't hurt."

Claire nodded, then hurried inside to her dorm room. She half expected to find Sylva waiting for her in a panic. But when Claire opened the door, the lights were off and the room silent.

In the dark, Claire changed into her pajamas and slipped into bed. She drifted off to a restless sleep filled with nightmares.

The next week passed in the most uncomfortably uneventful way Claire could imagine. The teachers said nothing about what had happened, and thanks to quick work from the earth Elemei staff, the hole in the wall was filled almost flawlessly in only a day. It was like nothing at all had happened-except the students seemed incapable of discussing anything else.

Some students-a majority really-insisted the school had been ambushed by the Awakening. A small portion seemed convinced the explosion was a result of two fire Elemei having a fight. What was most surprising was the number of students who believed the Awakening were not only just innocent in this, but in all cases.

The bombing over break had in the eyes of many turned the Awakening from a terrorist organization to a peaceful group of victims.

"Think about it," a girl who sat behind Claire in Religion said to her friend, before the day's lessons began. "They clearly wouldn't attack themselves, so maybe someone wanted to keep them quiet."

The other girl scoffed. "Well yeah, they're heretics. And have you seen the creepy masks they're wearing now? Definitely suspicious."

"Speaking out can like, totally ruin your life, that's why they started wearin' masks. They've always been peaceful aside from that one thing last year," A black-banded boy cut in. "Their group is all about truth over aggression, you know? Plus I don't think they'd be stupid enough to attack Avia of all places."

"So why aren't the teachers talking about it? It's been over a week, why has no one told us what's going on?"

"Because they're tryin' to hide something. I'm tellin' you, its a whole conspiracy."

The first girl gasped, "By who, the school? Who's side are you on?"

Annoyed, Claire turned to shoot the black-banded boy a glare. "If I told the Headmistress you're spreading such malicious lies about the Academy, you'd be expelled."

"See, this is what I mean," he muttered. "White-bands can get away with anything, but because my family couldn't afford to buy my place, I'm in trouble if I so much as breathe wrong. Makes the Awakening sound pretty good."

Eyes still narrowed, Claire turned forward in her seat.

Professor Donserli entered the room a few minutes later and called the students to order. That day's lesson was on the difference in religious practices between the Bloodborn and Oncebled sects.

Claire traced a finer along the scar on her left palm. Her bleeding ceremony was one of her favorite memories. Keenan had been so proud, and the two talked for hours about how great it would be when Claire could eventually go to Avia just like him. Amma had been proud too, and made Claire's favorite chicken dahnsak for dinner.

Soon, she'd tuned the class out completely in favor of dwelling on pleasant memories. This was her best class anyway. When the class was dismissed, Claire stayed behind as usual to help Donserli sort papers.

"Why aren't the teachers saying anything about it?" She asked from her seat in his large leather desk chair.

Donserli was on the other end of the room washing the chalkboard. "Madame Trevesse made it clear we weren't to divulge anything to students until she's thoroughly investigated and makes an announcement herself."

Claire chewed her lip and straightened a pile of folders atop the desk. "So you can't tell me anything?"

"I apologize, Miss Sable."

Sighing, Claire rested her head in her hands and examined the items on Donserli's desk: a glass paperweight shaped like a bird, a framed sketch of a smiling young girl in a sundress. "Who's this?"

"Hm?" Donserli hummed.

"The girl in the drawing."

"Ah." He smiled her way. "That would be my older sister, Pia."

Claire frowned. The girl in the drawing looked to be seventeen or eighteen at most. "Older?"

"That's a drawing I did oh, thirty-two years ago now. Right before her graduation. She was one of the Chosen." Even from across the room, Claire could see the sadness in his eyes in spite of his cheerful tone. She didn't blame him, having someone in your family Chosen was a great honor, but you never got to see or hear from them again.

If Claire was Chosen, would she really be able to leave Nathan behind? She shook the idea off. Her, Chosen? She had to focus on not failing out first.

"Here, put this in the left drawer for me," Donserli said, handing her the chalk eraser. She hadn't heard him approach, but he was right next to her now, his gaze focused on the drawing of his sister.

Claire opened the drawer, only for Donserli to immediately snap it closed again, so fast it nearly caught Claire's fingers. So fast she might have imagined the mask inside. Black lacquer with moons and bloody tears.

"Top drawer," Donserli said.

Claire stared at him. "Why do you have that?"

"I confiscated it from a student-your roommate, actually. Little Miss Heron." Donserli's expression remained calm as Claire opened the correct drawer this time and placed the eraser inside. "I would say I'm shocked you recognized it, but you were at that rally."

Claire shook her head, eyes wide. "That was an accident. Sylva thought..." Had it been an accident? Or had Sylva intentionally brought Claire to that rally in the hopes of converting her.

"I like you, Miss Sable, that's why I didn't tell Madame Trevesse about your excursion." Donserli smiled. "You should run along to your next class now, you don't want to be late."

Claire nodded, lost in her own thoughts as she scooped up her books and exited into the hall. Donserli confiscated an Awakening mask from Sylva. Sylva had said she didn't side with the Awakening... Was she lying?

Claire wandered to her next class, her brows threatening to form a permanent crease on her forehead. Something was nagging at the back of her thoughts, something about the night of the explosion.

She took her seat next to a black banded boy who looked to be fast asleep. Claire didn't recognize him from the class, so maybe he had fallen asleep in the previous class and no one had bothered to wake him, he snored loud enough to rival Sylva.

That was it. Claire's mouth went dry. Sylva snored. The night Claire returned from the explosion, the room had been perfectly dark and perfectly silent.

Sylva hadn't been there.

Half way through class, all students were dismissed to the banquet hall for an assembly. It was a good thing, since Claire had hardly been able to pay attention to the lecture as it was. She hurried to the banquet hall and located Kayah and Lark. Alison wasn't there yet, it seemed, and Orpheus was up on stage with his mother and the head professors of each element.

"What's this about?" Claire asked her cousin.

Kayah shrugged.

"Orpheus said it was about the attack on the school last week," Lark murmured. Claire had never noticed how vibrant and pretty his green eyes were. He must be powerful, that would explain why Alison had any interest in him-as limited as that interest seemed to be.

"So we know for sure it was an attack?"

Kayah snorted. "Do you think walls just blow up on their own?"

On stage, the Headmistress raised her hands and the mass of students went quiet. "I know you've all been wondering about the events of last week," she began. "I apologize for keeping you in the dark until now, but I wanted to ensure I had all the facts. Yes, the Academy was attacked by the heretical organization known as the Awakening. While I'm doubtful the terrorists will try something again, I called the assembly for this purpose: among us is a traitor."

The crowd immediately burst into panicked conversation, but the Headmistress silenced everyone with another wave of her hands.

"The borders of Shuru are heavily secured. The attack only happened because the one who did it was already here. And so I offer this." Even across the room, Claire felt as though the Headmistress's eyes locked directly onto her. "In exchange for information about the traitor, I will raise your placement in the end of year rankings a maximum of three spaces."

"That's so not fair, we work hard for our rankings and she'll just bump someone's up like its nothing?" Kayah gasped.

Lark clicked his tongue. "She's practically begging for a witch hunt, especially among black-banded students."

Kayah nodded in agreement, tipped her head back to look at Claire. "You'd better get searching for clues quick."

Claire was only half listening. Her eyes searched the crowd for that familiar beacon of red, and as always, the tuft of honey blonde at its side.

Sylva's soft purple eyes met Claire's from across the room, and she grinned sweetly.

________

Three chapters to go, and I misjudged how quickly the deadline was approaching, so expect the last few updates to be ridiculously fast. Things are just gonna keep exploding, so I hope you're strapped in. Thank you for reading!

Next: Claire makes some assumptions, and you know what they say about that.