Surprise flashed across my face as I turned to follow Brynn's line of sight. But she wasn't looking into the crowd of people that surrounded us. No, she was staring down at the yearbook in front of Naomi.

There was no way my mother was in this yearbook, right?

I followed her line of sight slowly, sure she had made a mistake.

Brynn was right.

Glancing down at the page, my mother's face, though years younger, stared back at me. She was smiling, unburdened by life and not yet chained by her monster of a husband. It was hard to remember a time when she'd seemed that lighthearted.

Her brown eyes sparkled with life and happiness, so unlike how I'd last seen her.

Natalie Thompson, Gifted Program. I blinked once, reading the name again. Gifted?

I felt my heart skip a beat in my chest for more reasons than one. Not only had my mother attended Whitethorn Academy when she was my age, but she'd been a member of the Gifted program. But she'd never mentioned it to me.

Until that day at the police station, I'd never heard of Whitethorn. Why hadn't she mentioned attending a private school? Or that she was Gifted?

She'd never told me stories about her youth or her upbringing. Everything about her was a mystery to me. How could I know so little about my mother?

My eyes drifted back to her photo, before scanning the names and photos of the rest of the students in her class. Naomi's mother was there, looking very much like a carbon copy of Naomi. Though I supposed it would be the other way around.

The last person in my mother's class was Inara Winters, also in the Gifted program. The headmistress's face looked nearly the same, though there were more worry lines etched into her face now than there were in her teens.

This was how my mother knew about Whitethorn and why she'd reached out to Inara to start the process of sending me here. My mother and Inara had been classmates, once upon a time. Maybe even friends.

Was Inara reporting back to my mother? The thought sent a shiver down my spine. Is that the reason my mother needed to speak with her so desperately? Or the reason Inara had been so interested in my mother's attendance of Parent's Day?

So many questions buzzed through my mind, like a horde of wasps stinging repeatedly. And I didn't have an answer to a single one. Anxiety and uncertainty churned in my stomach, roiling what little food I had eaten into a dense ball.

"Selene, are you okay?" Naomi asked me. Concern pinched her face, her green eyes full of worry.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," I lied, though it nearly caught in my throat. "My mother never told me she was a student here. She never told me a lot of things, I guess."

Brynn raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Part of me wondered what Naomi had told her mother about my relationship with my own, despite her telling me otherwise.

"I think I'm gonna see if I can find my mom," I said, trying to seem calm. "She's been gone for a while."

Naomi gave me a concerned look. "Do you want us to go with you?"

I gave her a smile that I hoped was sincere. "No, it's okay. You and your mom should spend some quality time together without me being a third wheel."

The dining hall had thinned out a bit, making it easier to maneuver my way through the crowd. Mari and her mother were gone, which meant so was Alek. I briefly wondered if he'd reunited with his own mother.

I didn't see my mother at the entrance of the main hall, which held a few clusters of parents and students. Inara's office was on the third floor of this building, so I headed up the stairs, my stomach churning with anxiety.

Why would my mother send me here? And why had she never told me about this place before? None of it made any sense.

The third floor landing was devoid of people. Inara's office door was slightly ajar, a stream of light cast across the hallway.

As I neared the door, voices drifted to me.

"I don't know what else I can tell you, Inara," my mother's voice snapped. "That's all I know."

"Yes, but—"

"There are no buts. That is everything. I've risked my life and Selene's getting this information. I trust you'll put it to good use."

Another voice spoke, "Inara and her Guide will keep your daughter safe."

"Safe from harm? Or safe from your son?" my mother snapped at the unfamiliar voice.

"My son has done no wrong," the other voice snapped, sounding just as angry as my mother had. "He did the only thing he could do—"

"Run like a coward, you mean?" Even though I couldn't see her, I could see in my mind's eye the sneer that would grace my mother's face with those words.

Inara was quick to cut in. "Natalie, you know you aren't being fair. You were there and you know Alek had no choice."

"Just because I'm aware doesn't mean I have to like it," my mother replied, the bitterness still in her voice. "Alek was supposed to protect her, not run away."

"He was shocked," the other woman said. "He hadn't seen her since before he Emerged. And you know it's a shock the first time you see your Bonded, Natalie."

Emerged? Bonded? What did those words mean? The way they said them meant they were important, but I couldn't understand why. The three voices kept talking, though nearly all of it was just as confusing and gave very little answers to anything.

I assumed the third voice was Elyse, since Alek was being mentioned. But why would I need to be kept safe? And why did my mother think I needed to be kept safe from Alek? None of this made any sense.

I moved forward, toward the office. As I neared, the voices stopped, as if they'd been alerted to my presence. That was fine with me, I was tired of hearing clips of conversations, especially when they concerned me.

Inara poked her head out the door, surprise coloring her features as she did. "Selene. What are you doing out here?"

"I'm looking for my mom," I answered. "I heard her voice coming from your office."

For a second, I could have sworn fear crossed over Inara's face, but it was gone as quickly as it had come. She gave me a smile "Yes, she's in here. I think we're just about finished with our conversation."

"The conversation about keeping me safe? Safe from what? From Alek? Why?"

The color drained from Inara's face. Before, she hadn't known that I'd heard much of anything at all, but now she was aware I'd overheard a good chunk of their conversation. And it was clear I wasn't meant to know anything at all.

My mother pushed past Inara and into the hallway, a way to save Inara from having to answer herself. "What are you going on about?"

"What do I need protection from? What is a Guide? Or Emerging? Or a Bonded? What does Alek have to do with anything?"

My mother's facial expression gave away nothing. She gave me an incredulous look. "Do you hear yourself? You sound insane."

Despite myself, my mouth fell open. Was she being serious? Was she going to pretend she hadn't been discussing those things with Inara and Alek's mother less than five minutes ago? "I heard the conversation you were having with them. And I want to know what those things are and why I need to be kept safe."

"I think you should really talk to someone about these delusions you're having," my mother said. Then she looked toward Inara and Elyse. "Would you mind giving us a moment alone?"

"Of course," Inara said and Elyse nodded her head. They both stepped out of the office and headed down the stairs, back toward the first floor.

When my mother and I were alone, I expected her to give me the answers I was looking for. But I should have known better.

"Selene, do not ruin your chance to be here. This is the only place that would take you, considering your unique situation."

"My unique situation?" I tried to keep the hurt from my voice, but it was impossible.

"Oliver." The name rolled off her tongue with bitterness. And all of it was aimed at me. "His death was your fault and there's not a lot of schools that were willing to take such a risk by allowing a delinquent into their student body. This is the best place for you."

Tears immediately came to my eyes. She still blamed me for his death. Of course she did. I could never do anything right in her eyes.

"This is the best option available to you. I know you don't see it now, but Whitethorn is the greatest thing that could happen for you. You'll see that eventually."

"But I don't want to be here. I want to come home. I miss you." I didn't want to be around Vincent, but I did miss my mother.

My mother's face remained neutral, as if she were no more than an empty shell, devoid of all emotions. "This is your home now. And this will be the last time we see each other. I am leaving, for good this time. Do not contact me again."

"Mom. Please."

"I am not your mother," she said sternly. "Not anymore. This is goodbye, Selene. Forever."

"Forever?" I asked, unable to stop my voice from breaking. My throat was tight, but I refused to cry. I'd shed enough tears on behalf of my mother.

"Yes," my mother said, her voice clipped. "I only came here to relay the message in person. Consider this me cutting the cord. Permanently."

And with that, my mother stepped past me and vanished down the stairs. I watched her go, unable to find the strength to fight for her to stay. It wouldn't have mattered anyway.

When she was out of sight, the tears finally fell and I crumpled to the floor, sobbing. The cold wall was braced against my back and chills crept against my skin. How could my own mother hate me so much?

Something moved out of the corner of my eye and I looked up to see a blurred shape approaching. I hastily wiped the tears from my eyes and I saw a face I didn't want to see.

Alek watched, his face blank. Anger immediately bubbled to the surface, wild and hot.

"Did you enjoy the show?" I asked, unable to hide how angry I was. I'm sure this brought him great joy, watching me suffer at the hands of my mom. As if I hadn't suffered enough in this cursed place.

He shrugged his shoulders. "That seemed harsh. Are you okay?"

I scoffed. "Don't pretend to care, Alek. I've had enough of that in my life."

"Suit yourself," he said, his voice unbothered. His posture was stiff, but there was a flicker of emotion in his eyes before it faded. "But I meant what I said. And for the record, your mom sucks."

This part of Alek reminded me of the version of him I used to know. The best friend who cared for me and how I felt. Even though Alek had told me it was all a charade, I had a hard time believing it.

And it also conflicted with the person I knew he was now. And there was also the conversation I'd overheard between our mothers and Inara. My mother had been adamant I'd need protection from Alek. But why?

Before either of us could say anything else, Mari's voice called for Alek, asking him where he'd gone. Alek pressed a finger to his lips, as if silently asking me to never mention this strange, brief conversation had happened.

Then he was gone, vanishing down the stairs as quickly as he'd appeared.