Authors: Madeleine Roux

The Scarlets (9 page)

BOOK: The Scarlets

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“I don’t need more extracurriculars as long as I keep my four point oh. And besides, NHCP will look great on my apps.”

Sandy’s pale brow furrowed, a chilly wind ruffling her shoulder-length hair as she looked away from him, staring out at the trees surrounding the porch. She hugged herself and shook her head. This was how she always reacted when NHCP came up; unlike Jordan and Abby, who had been able to spin and massage the truth for their parents when it came to Brookline, Dan’s parents more or less knew the whole story. They had been there when the police questioned Dan; they had listened as he recounted being attacked, pinned to the ground. . . . Just mentioning that place in their presence was like whispering a curse.

“But sure,” Dan said, blowing on the hot chocolate, “I could look for an internship or something. No sweat.”

Sandy’s face relaxed and her arms dropped to her sides. “Would you? That would really be amazing, kiddo.”

Dan nodded, going so far as to open a new browser window on his laptop and Google something. He typed in “zookeeper internship” and tilted the laptop slightly away from her.

“Thanks for the cocoa,” he added.

“Of course.” She ruffled his hair, and Dan breathed a sigh of relief. “You haven’t gone out much lately. Doesn’t Missy have a birthday coming up soon? I remember you going to her party around Halloween last year.”

“Probably,” he said with a shrug.

“Or your other . . . your other friends?” She stumbled over the word
friends
. “Abby, was it? And the boy?”

She always did that, asking about Abby as if she didn’t remember exactly what her name was. It was like she couldn’t believe or accept that he had actually gotten a sort-of girlfriend. To be fair, Dan could hardly believe it sometimes himself.

“Yeah,” he said with a noncommittal grunt. “They’re busy, though, you know . . . school and work and stuff.”

Dynamite job, Dan. Your Oscar’s in the mail.

“Work? So
they
have jobs?”

“Subtle, Mom,” he muttered. “I can take the hint. . . .”

“I’m sure you can, sweetheart. Oh, before I forget—the mail came. There was something in there for you. . . .”

That was unusual. He never got snail mail. Sandy flicked through the various envelopes that had been tucked in her jacket pocket before dropping one in his lap. The letter looked like it had gotten run through a washing machine and then dragged through the dirt. Dan checked the return address and a cold pain shot through his stomach.

Sandy hovered.

“It’s probably junk mail,” Dan said lightly, tossing the envelope onto his books. She took the hint, giving him a thin-lipped smile before turning away. He hardly heard the door close as Sandy disappeared back into the house. Dan scrambled for the letter.

Lydia & Newton Sheridan

Sheridan? As in Felix Sheridan? As in his former roommate, the one who had tried to kill him over the summer, either because he went crazy or because he was, what, possessed? When he closed his eyes Dan could still see Felix’s maniacal grin. Possessed or not, Felix had absolutely believed he was the Sculptor reincarnated.

Dan’s hands shook as he tore open the envelope. Maybe it was just an apology, he thought—it was entirely possible that Felix’s parents wanted to reach out to him and say they were sorry for all the trouble their son had caused him.

Dan drew in a deep breath and double-checked to make sure he was alone. Through the half-open window he could hear Sandy washing the dishes in the kitchen.

Dear Daniel,

You’re probably surprised to hear from me, and I’d hoped to avoid sending this letter, but it’s become clear that this is the only option.

I really have no right to ask this of you, but please give me a call as soon as you receive this letter. If you don’t get in touch . . . Well, I can’t say I would blame you.

603-555-2212

Please call.

Regards,

Lydia Sheridan

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Photo by Trevor Johnson

MADELEINE ROUX
is the
New York Times
bestselling author of
Asylum
, which has sold into nine countries around the world and which
Publishers Weekly
called “a strong YA debut.”
Sanctum
is the second installment in the series about Dan, Abby, and Jordan. Madeleine is also the author of
Alison Hewitt Is Trapped
and
Sadie Walker Is Stranded
. A graduate of the Beloit College MFA program, Madeleine now lives in Minnesota.

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www.AuthorTracker.com
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BOOKS BY MADELEINE ROUX

Asylum

Sanctum

The images in this book are custom photo illustrations created by Faceout Studio.

(Paper) Texture: © Eky Studio/Shutterstock.com

Diamond Background: © Carol Abram/Shutterstock.com

HarperTeen is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

THE SCARLETS: AN ASYLUM NOVELLA

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EPub Edition © AUGUST 2014 ISBN: 9780062367273

ISBN 978-0-06-236727-3

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

FIRST EDITION

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

Australia

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Canada

HarperCollins Canada