Unfamiliar (Unfamiliar Series #1)

Chapter 22

I gingerly take the offered knife.

The blade glints in the dim lighting of the room, as the only source is the single black candle flickering next to us. The handle is made of some sort of bone and is inlaid in pearl. A family heirloom of Astrid's. 

Our RA would be pissed if they saw us doing this. 

I take a breath before I slice the tip of my ring finger. Blood bubbles to the surface, the droplet growing heavy before it drips into the crystal goblet set on the floor in front of me. A puff of lavender smoke wafts off of it, carrying with it the faint scent of autumn leaves.

I set the knife down and turn my gaze to the others.

Astrid's eyes gleam at me from over top of the goblet as she passes me a small swath of cotton. I quickly bind my finger and tie it off with an expert knot. 

"Join hands," Astrid instructs Tessa and I.

We obey as we join hands around the goblet, the candle flame flickering erratically. Their palms are warm in mine as Tessa gives me a long look, her face gleaming in the candlelight. Astrid says several phrases in Latin before she switches to English to finish the oath.

"Repeat after me, I promise to uphold this oath, to keep myself and my blood sisters safe, to protect them and to keep the secrets that I am told," Astrid murmurs.

Tessa and I repeat after her as the blood evaporates from the goblet, not leaving a trace. Astrid then leans over and blows out the candle, leaving the faint odor of smoke as we are plunged into temporary darkness. 

"Good," Astrid says after a moment, "this oath covers your Unfamiliarness and my illegal activities," she says with a wry grin.

"So we're on the same page and trust one another?" Tessa inquires.

"Yes," I agree solemnly.

"Then let's get moving, shall we?" Astrid says as she summons a glowing orb and shoulders a small backpack full of supplies. 

The white light nestled in her palm casts long shadows across everything in the room, like shining a flashlight through a fish tank. She picks up the candle and sets it on a metal plate on her dresser before she turns to me and nods. 

What we were about to do was far beyond illegal.

I haven't even been here for a week and I'm going to be breaking a law, several laws probably.

My stomach twists with unease. But there was no going back now.  

"Ready to go?" Tessa asks in a soft voice.

I nod and as a trio, we silently leave our room as Astrid carefully shuts the door behind us. The hallway is dark and silent, though I can still see the faint outline of Luke waiting for us at the end of the hall. Astrid silently jogs down the hall and we follow her, our steps muffled by silencing sigils on our shoes. Luke falls into line behind me, like a shadow as we quietly file down the stairs and cross the deserted lobby. 

Luke draws a sigil on the doors to the lobby with quick, practiced ease before the swing inwards without a sound. He nods to us as we slip outside, one by one before he shuts the doors behind us. 

Nothing moves in the night and there is no sound as we trek across the grass lawn toward the fence line that is obscured among the trees. It's eerie, as there isn't even the stir of nighttime wildlife. The hairs on the back of my neck are standing up by the time we make it to the edge of campus. Astrid motions for us to slow down as she leads us before she points to Luke as we come to a stop.