School of Deaths by Christopher Mannino Read Free Book Online

in the Council. He’s separate; it’s the Council who’re supposed to be the real power. If you ever meet a Death with a purple robe, be careful.”
    “A purple robe?” Something tugged at the back of Suzie’s mind, but she couldn’t remember.
    She looked back at the College. In the distance, she glimpsed the Ring of Scythes she had walked through. She walked along the windows, gazing beyond the Ring to a field and a hill with steps. That must be the way Cronk had taken her. A pond stood behind the hill, which looked tiny from here. Open fields led to a forest that stretched unbroken for miles. At the end of her vision, on the horizon, a line of pale blue shimmered.
    “The sea,” said Billy. “You’ll see better from down here, facing northeast.” He led her back around the room.
    “The Junior College is to the left, and the Senior College is to the right. They do overlap.”
    “What’s that?” Suzie pointed to the center of the campus. A small building stood out, unlike the rest. A cube of solid black, like a die dropped by a giant into the middle of the College, sat amid the canyon-like rock.
    “The Examination Chamber, where you’ll take the test. Everyone takes it the end of their first year. Don’t worry now,” he warned, “just get through the year first.”
    He led her farther around the room. They turned. The sea ended, and the distant lands grew hilly. A few small clumps of buildings were outside the Ring, beneath tall craggy peaks. A range of mountains covered in snow and draped in low clouds stood to the west.
    “They’re beautiful,” said Suzie.
    “Yes,” said Billy, “but forbidden. That’s where the Dragons live. The ’Mentals are somewhere in the forests to the north. Don’t ask, they’ll explain in class.”
    In front of the mountains but beyond the Ring, trees and tiny villages spotted the hilly land. A lake glistened in the sunlight, and a river snaked away, winding toward the sea to her left.
    “Silver Lake is one of my favorite spots to go, and it's not far from the College. We can head down if you want.”
    “I’d like that.” An isolated hill stood behind the lake, and a small island sat near the middle of the water. Something jutted out from one shore, maybe a pier.
    Suzie peered down at a mound of stone jutting out right beneath one of the windows, like a gargoyle. She walked around the room again, looking at the mounds of the College, the enormous East Tower, the distant blue of the sea, and the snowy peaks of the Mountains. How could a World of Deaths be this beautiful?
    Billy was talking to Jason in the center of the room. Suzie looked at the domed ceiling again. Lovethar smiled back at her, taunting. The only other female Death had been a terrible witch.
    “You ready to head down?” asked Billy.
    “Yes.”
    The elevator lowered, and Jason clung to the walls, looking like he wanted to puke. His face twisted into a silent scream. Suzie put an arm around him and he clutched it close to him.
    They reached the bottom. Four boys, young Deaths, walked through the hall. As Suzie came out of the elevator the four fell silent and stared at her.
    “Let her be,” said Billy.
    “You with her, Bill?” said a boy with an English accent.
    “She’s housed with me, yes, Connor. I’m showing them around.”
    “Your funeral, mate. C’mon guys, let’s leave the girls to play.”
    The four burst into laughter. Billy brushed past them. Suzie and Jason hurried, though, while Suzie tried not to look at the boys. Was this going to happen every day?
    They emerged in the courtyard again. Another group of boys looked up briefly but ignored them.
    “I don’t understand,” said Suzie, her voice low. “Almost everyone stares at me, but some don’t. You and Jason aren’t being mean either.”
    “Those kids are first years,” said Billy. “They don’t even realize anything’s weird about you. As for me, I remember how difficult the adjustment was, living here. No one should