It had all been a lie, every brick in every wall of the school had been a lie from the beginning. Bitter took a gasping step away from Miss Virtue, betrayal flowering in her chest like a wildfire. She felt Aloe grab her hand, his palm cool and textured against hers, a new anchor as she spun adrift. “How could you?” she asked, her voice splintering. “You told us we were safe.”
