The Children of Hypnos

[Vol. 2] Chapter 13: Haunted

"We saw Wes's doppelgänger last night."

Marcia went very still, her hand on the doorknob. Emery had only waited long enough for Marcia to shut them both inside; there was no point beating around the bush, and she couldn't spend too much time in Marcia's office in Hothram Hall, or someone would get suspicious.

"This is a joke, right?" Marcia said.

"He showed up while we were fighting off a pair of nightmares. I shot at him, and he fled. I barely felt him, but Wes knew he was there from across the yard. He was wearing a mask. I don't know why."

Marcia, who hadn't stopped scowling since she'd first set eyes on Emery that day, clenched her jaw so hard Emery was surprised she couldn't hear teeth cracking. "What the—" Marcia let out a string of curse words that had Emery blinking in surprise "—is going on around here? I've never heard of doppelgängers coming out this early, and not for more than one person in one place. Have you told Klaus any of this yet?" She paused, eyes narrowing. "Have you told anyone else? Any of your day division friends?"

"No," Emery snapped. "I'm not an idiot, Marshmallow. We plan on telling Klaus, but I don't know how to get him that information without alerting the guard that's been tailing him."

"I'll tell him," Marcia said. "They let us have private conversations."

"Are you sure they're private? Why would they do that?"

Marcia shot her a glare so hot it should've melted skin from bone.

Emery put her hands on her hips. "Is it because they think you both are whispering sweet nothings to each other?"

Marcia yanked open the door and yelled, "OUT."

Emery hopped out of the room before Marcia could pull her battle axe and give chase. Even if Emery hadn't seen a few hints for herself, there was a rumor going around campus that Marcia Montgomery and Professor Sandman had a thing for each other, and Marcia had now all but confirmed it. Emery would have preferred giving Klaus the information herself so she could be part of the theorizing, but it was more important to get it to him without alerting anyone in charge.

There had been a terrible feeling writhing in her gut since she'd left Wes's room early that morning. Where before she'd only felt the need to watch her own back, now she was constantly on the lookout for him around campus, too. It was unlikely she'd feel Wes's doppelgänger before he did, but she could see Wes himself and confirm that he was still okay.

At lunch, while they studied together in the Class Eighteen student council room, Jacqueline said, "What's wrong with you? Did something happen? You look like someone slapped you with a raw fish."

"What does that even mean?" Emery asked, but she looked at herself in a mirror afterwards and realized Jacqueline was right. She looked pale and shell shocked. She took a moment to rearrange her features—chin up, eyes lidded, hair pulled back and puffed up for volume, a queen about to march into war.

It was exhausting, trying to walk around all the time like she owned the place, but she couldn't look scared or uncertain. It wasn't an option.

After her classes, she escaped to Edgar's room in the research lab. She stretched out in bed next to him, held his cold hand, and told him, quietly, all the minutiae of her day. What she'd eaten. What the weather was like. How a few of Edgar's classmates had come up to her to ask how Edgar was doing, and when he'd be back. No one interrupted her now; she hadn't seen Grandpa Al anywhere near the room since the first time he'd shown up.

When she finally retreated to Kirkland late that afternoon, there was a man in a suit waiting by the front desk. The other residents gave him a wide berth, but he didn't seem to notice or mind. He locked eyes with Emery as soon as she walked in the door.