The Vicious Circle EPB by Katherine St. John

Author:Katherine St. John [John, Katherine St.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2022-09-27T00:00:00+00:00

Nineteen

It’s nearly dinnertime when I return from the hot springs. Eager to know whether Lucas had any success securing a helicopter for us, I immediately head up the double marble staircase to our room, but he’s not there. I tread back downstairs to the tech room looking for him, but the room is locked and dark inside. In the kitchen, the night’s dinner prep is well underway, but he’s not among the aproned chefs, nor is he in the first- or second-level lounges.

Off the hallway on the first floor, I find the stairs down to the basement. The hardwood stairwell doubles back on itself, leading down to a brightly lit open space with a brushed concrete floor and mirrored walls. It’s freezing cold, and the treadmills, ellipticals, and weight-lifting machinery are all unoccupied. At the far end of the room, a light shines beyond an open door leading to a hallway that extends along the back wall of the house. Curious, I cut across the gym to the hallway.

“Hello?” I call out. “Lucas? Anybody down here?” My voice bounces off the white concrete block walls, but no one answers.

I peer into the first open door to see a large, windowless storage room full of gym equipment and various items of furniture. Across the hall are three empty doorframes leading to three identical rooms. Each has the same concrete floor as the rest of the basement and a high window with a view of the tree house; the only furniture is simple cots without sheets.

A prickling sensation creeps up my spine. If it weren’t for the lack of doors, I’d swear these rooms were jail cells, and the security camera mounted in a high corner of each room only serves to reinforce this speculation.

Unnerved, I hasten down the hallway back to the gym, where I nearly collide with Hikari, striding toward me. “What are you doing down here?” he asks, his tone accusatory.

“Looking for Lucas,” I sputter, covering. “I’m sorry, am I not supposed to be down here? No one told me.”

“This is the infirmary,” he explains, taking a key from his pocket and securing the door to the hallway behind us. “We normally keep this door locked.”

The infirmary. It makes logical sense but rings false, especially with all Kali’s assertions that no one ever gets sick.

“Dinner’s ready, we should head up.” He places a hand on my back, guiding me toward the stairwell. “In the future, when you want to explore, come get one of us. We’d be more than happy to show you around.”

“Sure,” I say, attempting to sound nonchalant. “Of course.”

But as I ascend the stairs, my knees are shaking, and I’m relieved when Hikari leaves me at the back of the line in the dining room.

Kali spots me immediately and waves me over to the head table, where she sits with Rex, Aguilar, and Ruby.

Aguilar and Rex are deep in whispered conversation but stop abruptly when I approach. Aguilar eyes me warily, while Rex’s gaze is more .

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