Page 5 of The Order of the Bitter Hunt

I don’t honor Jun with another glance before leaving, with Caldwell and Tobey following closely behind.

Caldwell tightens his scarf around his neck as we step into the crisp late October afternoon. His curly brown hair is neatly styled, his outfits are well-ironed, and his mismatched blue and green eyes give him a certain mystery. I suppose that’s what attracted Tobey in the start, even though we were investigating him.

“Are you okay?” Tobey asks, speed-walking to catch up to me.

“No,” I exclaim.

“What happened?”

“My audition was horrible, apparently.” It hurts to admit it aloud, bloody tears pricking at my eyes. I roll my eyes up, fighting off the urge to cry. “I let Professor Connolly down, and worse—I did badly enough to get a role with only three lines. It’s theworstI’ve ever had at Strode.”

“There are no small parts,” Caldwell says. “Isn’t that what they say?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. This one feels positively minuscule.”

“It’s one play, not the end of your career.” Tobey rubs my back. “You’ll see. By the time the next one comes around, we’ll have the mystery solved, and you can pour your all into your art again. We all can.”

What if it’s never solved? It feels like a real possibility, considering we haven’t found a clue since Amelia died—since we drove a stake through her undead heart. I keep my worries to myself.

“There is one silver lining,” I say.

“And what is that?” Caldwell asks.

“I won’t have to act alongside that dreaded man.” I stomp forward, walking several steps ahead of them, my feet crunching in rotting leaves.

I usually enjoy spendingtime with Tobey and Caldwell. I won’t complain if Caldwell disappears at any given time, but his presence is acceptable, and he makes Tobey happy. Jun is the one to ruin it all, of course, haunting me even though he’s nolonger here. We’re sitting at our favorite café, enjoying our usual meals, but I can’t shake Jun’s words from my head.

Even the strong scent of espresso and sourdough can’t perk me up.

Being a third wheel to Tobey is unfamiliar, considering that they’re often single, and I’m generally not. I’m happy for them. I’ve never been happier for anyone, and Caldwell not being a cold-blooded killer? Wonderful. Consider me shocked and overjoyed.

But I’m afraid there’s more to it than joy.

As I sip on my lavender oat milk latte, my stomach sinks with a feeling I know well. It’s the same one I feel for Charlotte. Some know it as envy, though I hate to admit it.

I haven’t dated since Amelia’s death.

My therapist says it’s healthy to have some time to myself after everything I’ve been through, but…

I’m not sure if she would think it’s healthy to want to gouge my best friend’s eyes out. Or at least, I want to run away and avoid watching them act likethis.

Tobey smiles at Caldwell, recording him on their camera.

“Have you seen any recent kills?” Tobey asks.

It’s a somber question, but their voice has a hint of glee.

They’re just… happy to be around each other. When will I have that? Even my past relationships, as fleeting as they were, were nothing like what they share. Like what my parents share.

They all make me sick.

Without looking at the camera, Caldwell lifts his coffee to his lips.“Stop willing that into existence.”

“I’m not willinganythinginto existence.” Tobey finally sets their camera down. They focus on their plate of food, popping a fry into their mouth. “But I’m nervous. Strode University has been quiet for too long.”

“It was always quiet before you arrived,” I mutter, though it seems like they’re not listening.

“I believe this is what they call the calm before the storm,” Caldwell says.