Chapter 36

VALERIA. A man’s voice echoes in my head like a loud call at the end of an empty hallway. Finally, the meaning of his words reaches me, and I snap from my trance. I inhale as though I just emerged from underwater. I realize that I’m in the trophy room and that Stefano and Celeste are right behind me. I turn back around and see Professor Blossom standing in front of us, very close to the portrait of the woman that’s hiding the door to the tunnels. I don’t know what’s happening or how I got here. The last thing I remember is passing out while talking to Stefano. What’s happening to me? Panic rises in my throat like bile and for a moment I have to bite back a scream. Professor Blossom is watching me with his beady eyes sparkling behind his glasses, his lips pursed into a thin line. “Are you alright, Miss Marcus?” he asks. I nod. “Yes, professor.” He turns to all of us. “May I know what brought you in here?” Silence spreads among us as we all try to come up with an excuse. My mind