I run all the way back to my room, trembling with shock and upset. Bethany turns to me the moment I come rushing through the door.
“There you are! Where did you go?” she says. She seems angry for a moment, until she fully takes in the state of me. “What happened?”
Shakily, I tell her what I can, about going to see Caleb and then needing fresh air, about overhearing the assassins plotting, about the interaction with Kira, and then about the attack itself and Caleb’s bloody rescue.
Bethany listens quietly the entire time. When I’ve finished, she guides me toward the bathroom so that I can take a hot shower and wash away the blood and grim. When I reemerge from the bathroom, she’s prepared a new outfit for me for the day. It’s just a floral dress, loose-fitting and comfortable.
Dressed an
