artistic. If Mephistopheles is the devil with the strongest hold on mankind, he is interested in something beyond the aesthetic beauty of this world.
“A second recruiter?” I repeat.
“Surely you knew you’d be punished for what you did, Miss Merchant,” Hiltop says.
The main reason I tried to escape Cania Christy was to keep my dad from being as enslaved to Mephisto as Ben’s dad is. Could this be my punishment?
“Your father agreed this morning. It took very little to persuade him.”
I practically growl at Teddy, hoping he realizes just what he’s done. I may be the one being punished, but my dad’s bearing the brunt of it. To atone for my rebellious behavior, my dad—Mr. Stanley Merchant, funeral director in the most expensive zip code in the United States—is Cania’s newest recruiter.
“Why would you punish him?” I ask Hiltop. “I’m the one to punish. Punish me instead.”
“Hush. I would think you’d be more interested in the arrival of Dia Voletto.”
“I’m not. Not in the slightest.”
“I thought your prosperitas thema was to look closer. And yet you’re missing everything.”
A burst of activity near the water draws my eye. Dia Voletto is getting to his feet, and a dozen of his servants have bolted toward the student body to make room for their leader. Two part the crowd, shoving me and Hiltop back, while two follow closely behind and roll out a deep purple carpet. Six more men cart wood and a gauzy fabric up to the middle of the quad, where they hurriedly pound together pillars and string tulle over them, creating a gazebo. A platform and podium are placed within.
Dia’s entourage, all dressed fantastically, start up to the podium. Dia is in their midst. He glances around, searching the crowd. I’m stunned by how attractive he is, how very different he looks from his predecessor. This twentysomething who could be mistaken for the front man in an Oregon indie band is Villicus’s replacement?
“Is he searching for you, Hiltop?” I elbow my little enemy.
“Guess again.”
No sooner has she uttered those words than Dia’s gaze lands on Teddy, who’s standing next to me. Dia stops in his tracks. His eyelids are heavily lashed. His eyes slide my way and back to Teddy. Most of the students have continued on to the quad, but some stop to watch Dia approach us.
“You,” he says to Teddy. “How do you know this girl?”
A cold sweat breaks out under my uniform. The last thing I want is attention.
“I’m her Guardian,” Teddy tells Dia.
“Her Guardian? You oversee her. You influence her. If I understand right, you brought her back here after she liberated herself.”
“What is your point, Dia?” Hiltop interjects.
Dia and Hiltop meet eyes. You don’t have to read souls to feel the tension between these two. I wish I could slink away unnoticed, but that’s unlikely.
“Ted Rier,” Dia says, “you have a new mission. You will scout the planet for a new home for Mephisto.” He grabs Teddy’s satchel and snaps his fingers.
And Teddy’s gone.
Stunned, I turn and catch my classmate Augusto staring, gape-mouthed, at the now-empty space between me and Hiltop. His gaze meets mine. And then he looks away, busying himself. Has he known all along that we’re dealing with the darkest of all arts here? Does everyone secretly know? Am I the only person who thinks it’s nuts to live like this? Are the rest complacent? Or are they simply smarter than I? They know it’s best not to look closer, as my prosperitas thema, or success thesis, would have me do, but to look the other way. Not to fight the madness of this island’s leaders as Ben and I tried to do, but to play along.
How did we ever think we’d outplay the likes of Mephistopheles?
How does Teddy think we have a chance of destroying him or Dia Voletto? And now that Teddy’s gone, what am I going to do? Take on these devils by myself?
Without the slightest look in my direction or another word to Hiltop, Dia continues up the path. I follow the crowd. I keep my eyes open for Ben.
“Miss Merchant,” Hiltop says, catching my sleeve.
I shove her away. “Stop. Touching. Me.”
“I thought you might wish to meet your new Guardian.”
New Guardian. Dammit! Because Teddy’s gone now. Thanks for nothing, Dia.
“How could you possibly know who my Guardian is?” I ask her. “You’re not in charge anymore.”
“He’s the only Cania staff member available to take on a pupil right now.”
I turn and cross my arms. “Who?”
That’s when I see him. Over her shoulder. He’s standing by the water. I recognize him instantly: his short, cropped hair and his stocky build. The scowl he wears is vaguely familiar—for weeks, he faked friendly smiles for me.
“Pilot Stone,” I whisper. In place of his Cania Christy uniform are janitor’s coveralls. “I shouldn’t be surprised.”
One day I won’t flinch at the endless life cycle possible in a world run by demons. I’ll accept that a boy can die in a house fire he set, live again here, die by my own hand, and yet live again here.
“You’re like a cockroach.” I watch Pilot stride toward me and Hiltop.
“You can’t keep a good man down,” he says. “After you so cruelly ended my life, I found myself in Mephisto’s domain.”
“Hell. Where you belong.”
Hiltop interrupts. “But I couldn’t leave my protégé to burn like some common lost soul. Especially not with my followers fleeing in the one moment I could actually use their allegiance.”
“I will always be there for Master Mephistopheles,” Pilot says. A beam of sunlight catches the brooch near Pilot’s nametag. He is one of Mephisto’s now.
“Because you’re loyal? Or because you want to avoid, oh, say, the fires of Hell?”
“Get your student under control,” Hiltop warns Pilot.
“His student?” I repeat.
“Miss Merchant,” Hiltop says, “Mr. Stone is your new Guardian.”
“Hold on, what?”
Pilot’s my Guardian? Whether a student wins the Big V or not rides almost entirely on how much their Guardian is willing to fight for them during the debate on graduation day. If my Guardian hates me, I don’t stand a chance.
“Pilot’s my punishment?” I guess.
Luckily, I’m only in a coma.
