No footsteps, no angry shouting, no sounds of a key in a lock.
Come on, Evelyn. You have to take a chance while you still can.
Hurrying over to the library, I quickly scan the shelf where I’d previously found the diary … but it’s nowhere to be seen. How?
“Looking for this?”
I spin on my heel to find Dante seated in the armchair, holding the diary up in the air. My stomach twists at the sight, and I kick myself for not noticing him the moment I stepped into the library.
“What?”
“You almost had me when you told me how you knew her name,” Dante says, his expression stony. “Ialmostbelieved you … and then I remembered this. You found it, didn’t you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, my mouth dry and my heart beating so hard I can barely hear myself over it.
“Don’tlieto me, Evi,” he says, his lip curling up as he leans forward in the chair. “How many rules have you broken so far?”
I swallow past the lump forming in my throat and nearly choke at this.
“I-I …”
“We have rules for a reason,” Dante says, rising from his chair to walk toward me as he absentmindedly slaps the diary against his opposite palm. “Rules that require punishment if broken.”
“Please,” I finally manage to get out, “please, I swear I didn’t lie to you.”
He pauses, just a few feet away as he cocks his head to the side, his eyes narrowing in on me.
“You swear?” he says through a tight jaw. “I know for a fact you touched this book, so how can you swear—”
“Not about the book,” I interrupt. “I swear I first learned her name after you gave me the blood transfusion. The book only confirmed her name for me.”
Dante stares at me as if trying to work out whether or not he believes me. Though, why would he?
I know how crazy it sounds.
“Swear on the lives of your parents.”
“What?”
“Swear that the first time you knew her name was after the blood transfusion. Swear on the lives of your parents,” Dante repeats.
“I-I swear on the lives of my parents.”
“Bloody hell,” Dante breathes, stepping past me as he exits the library.
I follow after him.
“Wait, what about my training?” I ask yet again as he reaches for the door.
“Seven and Luci will be here in a few minutes, I suggest you mentally prepare yourself for today. Your training is only going to get more strenuous from here on out.”
I open my mouth to question him further, but he’s already stepped out into the hall and shut the door behind him … taking the diary with him.
There goes any chance of me finding out more about them and Anna on my own. Thank God that I didn’t hide the photo I took from the darkroom inside, too.
Not knowing what else to do, I begin pacing the room, my stomach twisting into knots as I try to imagine how training with Seven and Luci could possibly get any harder. I guess I should be thankful that Dante seems to have had the sense to send them together instead of separately.
At least when it comes to Seven. Luci, on the other hand, might be more willing to talk if I can get him alone.