Bay seemed to have been watching our argument.

“How can you say something like that!”

Grace had to be in a rage. To the point that I couldn't even start talking because she was already turning around before disappearing through the door, which crashed into the lock.

I flinched.

“Grace!” I shouted, but my voice broke.

Grace was gone and with her my chance to explain myself better. I had never spoken out against the prophecy before, but what Grace was doing was too much. For her, for me.

“Could someone please enlighten me?”

I looked at Bay, who was still sitting in the corner, her face full of questions.

“There's this prophecy,” I sighed and flopped back into the soft pastel blue cushion. “It says that there will be a chosen one, a baby, who will change the fate of the species. Anyway, the Circle thinks Grace could be part of this prophecy because of her strong earth magic, which is why she's been preparing for this role all her life.”

“And what exactly is Grace's role?”

“From what I understand, she is supposed to have a child when the time comes, preferably with a male Quatura. And that child will take on the most important part of the prophecy, namely saving Blairville.”

I thought about how annoying it must be to carry so many expectations on your shoulders, as Grace did. Immediately, I felt sorry for how I had just reacted.

“Wait, what? She's supposed to have a baby?”

I nodded, but then thought again about how strange that fact must sound. Bayla seemed to think the same.

“Your cult wants to impregnate her?”

“Who should get impregnated?”

Larissa stood in the doorway.

I felt the blush rise in my cheeks.

I almost said no one, but luckily Bay was quicker.

“We were just talking about dogs.”

I was impressed by how casually she could lie. But I was even more impressed by Larissa's indifference.

“Whatever... Can someone explain to me what's going on with Grace? She's just been running around the residential complex like a madwoman and completely ignored me.”

I looked at Bay, hoping she'd lie for me one more time.

“She's not that excited about her major,” it came from Bayla.

At least it wasn't a lie.

“I think I'd go hang myself if I majored in economics. I'm already fed up with the minor,” Larissa complained, tossing her shiny long hair over her shoulder, revealing her high cheekbones.

Today, she was wearing a black lace top under her leather jacket, which softly framed her chest and made her breasts stand out a little.

I hoped she knew how pretty she was.

She walked lightly across the room and flopped down on my bed, which – by the way – she did often. It was okay because I had gotten used to it.

Her own gray-covered bed was full of photos, papers, and pens because she didn't seem to get along well with desks. On the wall above her bed were beautiful photos of various places at Vanderwood University, the kind you could only see in very brief moments. Namely, when you perceived this place as a university and not as the enemy's territory.

I realized how longing was rising in me, and I looked back at my phone.

I didn't know how to answer that. Since the day he had opened up to me and told me about his family, we hadn't said a word about Greek gods, even though he had wanted to tell me about Atlantis.

A lost city... How ironic that we both lived in one that had probably come close to sinking several times.

Out of nowhere, images of my last temple session with Gloria flashed through my mind and I tried to blink them away, but fell into a stupor without success.

Gloria had made me forget on Friday afternoon, had once again taken away my feelings, but by now my body was so used to it that the forgetting part no longer worked so well, but the numbness part did. I felt partly dependent on the stuff she gave me because it not only made me feel empty, but also less vulnerable. Something that enabled me to survive my time in Moenia without completely breaking down.

Funnily enough, there was only one thing the serum couldn't erase. If anything remained, it was the warmth that my friendship with Erik brought me.

“Do you get paid to be a drama queen here?” Larissa asked without taking her eyes off her camera. “If so, I'd like to apply.” Then she turned a cog. “And I thought Blairville really was a bucket with a hole in it. But there seems to be quite a lot going on here.”

I had a feeling she was hinting at something, but dismissed the idea. Bay wouldn't tell her anything. Grace had talked to her.

Bay looked at me, then back down at her book.

“One question, Julie... What made your family so rich?”

I looked at Larissa in wonder, because if there was one question I had never expected, it was this one.

“Why do you want to know?” I asked slowly, and noticed that Bay was looking at Larissa as if she had just said something she shouldn't have.

“Everyone knows you're rich. It's no secret,” Larissa continued, tilting her head with a knowing look.

I immediately thought of the business Amara always discussed with us at the table. Everything to prepare us. But I also knew what another one of our more official main sources of business was.

“Maple syrup,” was all I said and looked down at my cell phone, where the message from Erik had arrived in the meantime.

I'm sure he wanted to text me tonight, and there's nothing I'd rather do than that. Couldn't we just sink into a never-ending discussion about Greek myths?

His message arrived.

My breath stopped. My eyes widened.