Masha’s voice closed in. “So you think you’re Hugo’s favorite? So sure, are you?”

Hugo? She and Alcántara were on a first-name basis. It silenced me.

“That’s right. Don’t speak about what you don’t know.” She jammed fingers under my blindfold and ripped it off, tearing hair from my scalp with it.

I blinked, my eyes adjusting. The sky was steel gray, and it was impossible to tell what time it was. Half a dozen Initiates surrounded me. Most were older Guidons, like Masha and Trinity.

The Russian girl was in my face, smiling wickedly. Even in the dimness, her black bob gleamed. “I want to watch your eyes as you suffer.”

Blood oozed down my cheekbone where her nails had raked my skin. It focused me.

Alcántara had said she was the one who’d be in trouble. That girls who fought were rewarded…and I wasn’t going down without a fight. “This isn’t about me. This is about you, Guidon Masha. You couldn’t best me in the dining hall, and Alcántara scolded you for it.”

She stepped back, disgust shriveling her features. She brushed off her hands, and blond hair fluttered to the ground—my hair. She pulled a Sharpie from her boot and thrust it at an Initiate. “Decorate her.”

Girls took turns writing on my belly, my forehead, over my pelvis. Childish crap like Eat me and fat slut, and some chilling things, too, like lunch.

Trinity grabbed a fistful of my hair to color strands of it with her Sharpie. She pulled hard, and I forced my head to remain upright even though the pain made tears run down my face. “You gonna cry, Acari? Boohoo. Can’t call you Blondie anymore.”

I heard boys’ voices from across the quad. So it’d been dawn, not midnight, when Masha’s crew pulled me from bed.

They grew louder, approaching on the path. I’d thought I couldn’t care less what a bunch of Trainees thought of me, but still, I cringed. It seemed shame was a thing hardwired in my brain.

Trinity backed up to admire her handiwork. Girls began to laugh, catching her attention. “Here come the boys,” someone said.

She turned and saw them when I did—three Trainees stopped on the path before us. She gave a little squee of delight. “Just in time for the fun.”

I forced myself to face the guys straight on. I recognized them from Yasuo’s group. Kevin, Rob…and Josh. Something about seeing a familiar face made me want to cry. Even if it was just stupid Josh. I stiffened my lips—I wouldn’t get emotional. I wouldn’t tremble in front of the guys.

Masha strolled toward them. “Come join us, boys.”

Rob spoke up. He was tall and a little gangly, still filling into his length. He gave a rueful shake of his head. “Shouldn’t leave the path.”

“Oh, but you can make an exception.” Trinity was excited now. “We say so.”

“Gotta follow the rules,” Kevin said, “and the rule is, Stay on the path.”

“We order it.” Trinity’s atonal northeastern accent had lowered to a threatening growl.

Masha rubbed her hip where she normally holstered her whip, now notably absent—had Alcántara taken it from her as part of her punishment? The notion cheered me for about a millisecond, until she spoke again.

“Come on,” she beckoned. “It’s okay for you boys. Come and take a piss on our Acari.” Piss has a distinctive sound when pronounced with an impassioned Russian accent.

“Mark her like the dog she is,” a brown-haired Initiate said.

Trinity smiled wide. “Now’s your chance.”

Rob’s face split into a grin. He stepped off the path. Kevin was right behind him, his hands on his zipper.

I swallowed convulsively. My throat ached with shame, but I refused to cry. Not in front of these apes.

Josh stepped from the path.

Not him, too. I swallowed and swallowed again. It was almost too hard to make my throat work around the ache.

But then he reached out, grabbed Kevin’s shoulder, grabbed Rob’s shoulder. “Really, mates?”

Rob leered at me. “Why the hell not?”

I stared at the young Trainee, memorizing him. Someday he would be a vampire. And someday I would stake him. The thought was errant and vivid and shocking. And, I realized, so very true.

I still dreamt of escape. But if that didn’t pan out, my revised list of personal goals wouldn’t be a short one. First, I’d find and obliterate this jackass. Hell, I’d obliterate the whole vampire race, if necessary.

The thought so startled me, my eyes widened. It felt dangerous, reckless, maybe even treasonous, to let such a thing dance along the edges of my mind.

Josh looked at me and must’ve misread my expression, because his voice hardened. “Why not?” His grip became so tight his fingertips disappeared into the boy’s sweater. “Because I say so.”

The two Trainees looked uncertain then.

Josh flung their shoulders from his hands. “Now, stop being such douche bags and go to class.”

He approached me, not waiting to see if his friends had left. Wasn’t he afraid they’d stab him in the back? Given the looks on their faces, some caution might’ve been advisable.

“Ladies, ladies.” He tsked at the girls. “Isn’t this quite enough?”

I watched in disbelief, amazed at the sheer insanity of what I was witnessing. Dude had a pair of cojones the size of Kentucky.

“We were just getting started,” Masha said, sounding seriously peeved at his gall.

Josh matter-of-factly slid a switchblade from his pocket and sliced the plastic along the length of the tree. “Show’s over now.”

The Initiates didn’t move. “But we own her.”

“She owns herself, I think.” He straightened, leaning against the tree, and his hand moved slowly, as though he were bored, clicking his blade into place. Flicking it out. Clicking it into place. “Truly, girls. This has been great fun. But I think it’s time to call it. Wouldn’t want to be caught by Headmaster. This sheila ain’t worth it, I think.”

“He’s right,” Trinity said in a monotone, and I gaped at her, stunned at what I was hearing.

Then Josh looked at each one, catching and holding their gazes. He spoke slowly, telling them, “Now catch up to the boys.”

I wondered if I was witnessing some nascent vampire mojo going on, because damned if they didn’t disperse and catch up to the boys.

All except for Masha.

He turned his back to her, and for the second time, I mentally accused him of being stupid. The guy was going to get a knife in his back one of these days.

I watched her, not even letting myself blink. But she only stood there, glaring at Josh with astonishment, the rage rolling off her in waves.

He casually set about peeling the plastic from my body. When he spoke again, his casual surfer-boy voice was back. I realized he was addressing Masha. “There’s been one incident already, eh? Call it a morning, Guidon. The dining hall will open soon. Don’t want to miss Thursday’s omelet bar.”

Finally she left, and I supposed it was wise. Without backup, I didn’t know if she could beat a Trainee in a fight. But the lasers coming out of her eyes told me it wasn’t over.

At the moment, I didn’t care. I was freezing to death. I tried to pull the plastic from my body, but my fingers were too cold and clumsy.

Josh stopped me. “Stand still. I’ve almost got it.”

I could’ve thanked him, but I had another pressing thought on my mind. “I kn-kn-knew you were dumb.” The words were barely discernible through my chattering teeth.

He laughed. “How’s that?”

“T-t-turning your back on those people.” Never again would I turn my back on Masha.

“Maybe I’m not stupid.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Maybe I’m just stronger than they are.”

The concept gave me pause. Had he risked that theory just to save me from getting peed on? I refused to believe it.

“Either way, they couldn’t sneak up on me if they tried. I’m too fast.” He stood and pulled off his sweater. His T-shirt tugged up his back, giving me a glimpse of carved abs. It stopped all thought in my brain.

My eyes shot up, but he’d caught me checking him out.

He smiled, and my mortification warmed me right up. And then he obviously checked out my own state of undress. Oh God. My hands fumbled to cover myself.

He laughed and tossed me his sweater. “As much as I appreciate the view, you should put this on before you catch a chill.”

“Th-that something you learned in med school?” I eagerly pulled on the sweater. It hung down to the middle of my thighs and was still warm from his body. I thought I just might be eternally grateful.

“No,” he replied. “That’s where I learned about shock.”

I was shivering violently now, and he put his arm around me, chafing my arm. “You’re chattering because you’re shocky. You need a hot shower and strong coffee. Come on. I’ll walk you back.”

He led me in the direction of the Acari dorm. Gradually, my shivering subsided from violent to merely intense.

“Why’d you help me?”

“Yas asked me to look out for you.”

“Oh yeah. Of course.” My spirits sank, just a little bit. Every girl wanted to think a guy would come to her rescue, you know, just because.

“You nutter.” He chucked me on the chin. “I helped because I wanted to help.”

I nodded shyly, not completely believing him, but liking the sentiment all the same. I risked a quick glance up at him.

He was watching me, smiling his crooked grin. “And you’re welcome.”

I let myself smile back, slumping my shoulders dramatically. “Aw, hell.”

He pushed away, looking genuinely distressed. “Why the hell?”

I gave him a playfully angry stare. “Because eternally indebted is a long time to be thankful to a vampire.”

With a laugh, Josh gave me a quick half hug.