I take my seat next to Sejeong in poisons class, which is set up like an old fashion school chemistry lab. There's a large fireplace that warms the room, the flames of which are used to heat and prepare poisonous substances, and a stone basin filled with water. At Absconditi (Hidden) Academy they don't provide you with safety goggles to protect you from an explosive poisons accident, but they will extinguish you if you set yourself on fire. So that's nice. The truly shocking part, though, isn't the school's lack of safety precautions; it's that I've somehow grown accustomed to its risk-enthusiastic curriculum. I would shake my head at the absurdity of it all, but it wouldn't go unnoticed by my classmates. Ever since I stepped out of my room this morning, watchful eyes of students and teachers have followed my every step.

I'm certain Rosé made a big show of telling everyone that my parents were the rebel Romeo and Juliet of Strategia-the firstborn daughter of the Eagle Family running off with the firstborn son of the Tigers, only to be chased by Tiger assassins. That, combined with Headmaster Kang's perfunctory announcement that Dr. Yoo is dead, and the fact that Sehun and I are covered in unexplained cuts and bruises, has made me the subject of a great deal side-eyed whispering.

"Sit, my beauties," says Professor Hisakawa, which is the way she addresses us at the beginning of every poisons class. She scans the room from under her bob haircut, her eyes twinkling. "We have so many wonderful things to discuss. You're not going to want to miss a minute of it."

Rosé and Jimin sit at the wooden table across from ours. Rosé spins the glass vitals and jars in front of her, which are gilled with varied horrors, while she whistles. She keeps directing smug looks to Taemin's back, obviously still gloating about her role in Dr. Yoo's demise. The part that strikes me as unsettling, though, is that if everyone assumes Taemin was involved in the plot to kill me, why doesn't he suffer any consequences? Does this status as a head Tiger really shield him that well, or is there just no evidence to prove it?

I shift my focus to Jimin, who, unlike Rosé, is stiff and tensed, causing the long scar on his cheekbones to pull at the skin around it. He looks as banged up as me and Sehun, and by the careful way he sits, I'm certain he's as sore from plummeting through that tree as I am. He's refused to look in my direction since he walked in the room. I guess it's hard to look at me knowing he tried to kill me only to later discover that I'd saved his life.

"Atropa belladonna, or deadly nightshade," Hisakawa says with a smile, reveling in her passion for poisons. "The Gothic siren of any good apothecary and one of the most romantic poisons, if I do say so."

Atropa, I think, and begin my usual analysis, a name that likely pays a homage to the Greek goddess Atropos, who was the oldest of the Three Fates and was responsible for choosing the way mortal dies-hence the "deadly" bit. And of course belladonna means "pretty woman" in Italian. I glance at Taemin-poison is just about the only thing he and his friends didn't try to use on me, although I'm sure he would have if he'd had the chance.

Taemin sits at a table by himself, his shock of blonde hair standing out in stark contrast to the dark wood and stone walls. Jennie hasn't returned from the dungeon after attacking me with her sword, and it's obvious Taemin's aware of her absence by the way his brow furrows when he looks at her empty chair. He doesn't make eye contact with me, but his eyes narrow and I'm certain he notices. Sejeong kicks my boot under the table, which I can only assume: "Don't be stupid enough to instigate Taemin when all you need to do is make it through one more day."

I adjust my eyes back to Hisakawa, who stands in front of the large fireplace with her hands clasped behind her back, rocking from the balls of her feet to the heels and back again. "The thing about belladonna that's fascinating is that there aren't that many recorded examples of poisoning. However, my personal favorite concerns eighteenth-century poisoner Julia Tofana. She made Teal Tofana, a 'cosmetic' sold exclusively to women for more than fifty years to help them kill their husbands. Instead of being applied to the skin, this product was poured into soup. When she was caught and executed, it was believed that Tofana had assisted in the poisoning of over six hundred men throughout Italy." Hisakawa sighs wistfully, the way some people react to a touching poem. "Now, tell me, why would I be excited about something that has so few examples to teach from?"

Rosé leans back in her chair, the picture of ease. "Because belladonna is readily accessible and grows wild all over the world."

"Which would have us logically conclude that there would be an excess or reported cases of belladonna poisoning, not a shortage," Hisakawa interjects.

"Exactly," Rosé says like she just won a prize at a carnival, "which is what is so great about it. Belladonna is effective. Combine that with the fact that it's easily acquired and it tells you that the people who use it go undetected."

"Precisely!" Hisakawa says, and goes up on her toes for emphasis. "Now, why do belladonna users go undetected?"

Sejeong opens to respond, but Taemin beats her to it. "Because belladonna isn't and wasn't only used to kill. Women used to rub it directly into their eyes to make their pupils dilate, which was fashionable at the time. Mixed with morphine, it was called Twilight Sleep and was used as a painkiller for women giving birth. And we still use it in medicines that treat everything from Parkinson's to bronchitis."

"Well said," Hisakawa replies, and Sejeong looks disappointed she didn't get the opportunity to answer. "Belladonna is common. And in being so, it often gets missed as a caused of death. Instead, the death gets assigned to an overdose or an overextended use of medication. And illegal sleep aid, even."

Taemin soaks in the compliment from Hisakawa and I'm reminded of the scrolls in the library that keep record of the best students in each discipline for the past thousand years. Sehun told me that if you can't excel at the Academy, you're seen as unfit to rule your Family. And that even after you're admitted here, you're not done proving yourself.

Hisakawa runs her fingers along the edge of her desk and leans against it. "It's like I was telling you in our lesson last week. Capitalize on what is already in your environment. Blend. That's what Julia Tofana was doing with her husband-killing cosmetics. But this isn't just about poisoners, it's also about poison detection. You will be most vulnerable in a situation where everything seems normal and as it should be." Hisakawa looks at me and I stare back, trying to read her expression and see if maybe she's telling me something I need to hear. It wouldn't be the first time she's gone out of her way to give me a message from Headmaster Kang.

As if on cue, the door opens and Kang steps through, letting it swing closed behind her. Her hair is pulled back into a high ponytail and she wears her uniform, consisting of a white frilled blouse under a black blazer and matching black pants. "Pardon my intrusion, Professor Hisakawa. But there is a matter I would like to settle without delay, if you wouldn't mind."

Sejeong gives me a concerned look.

"By all means," Hisakawa says, and gestures at the room like she's offering it to the headmaster.

The heavy wooden doors opens with a whine and Jennie comes through, followed by two guards. Oh no. My stomach drops all the way to my toes and I shrink an inch in my seat. Jennie's hair is flat, and even with her permanent eyeliner, the dark circles under her eyes make it seem like she hasn't slept in weeks. Her face is drawn and her shoulders are slumped.

Taemin pushes his chair away from the table with purpose, like he intends to stand up and help her, but Kang glances in his direction and he stops midmotion.

The guards aren't restraining Jennie, and all I can think is that the dungeon must be an absolute nightmare to subdue someone as fiery and spiteful as she is.

"Suzy," Kang says, and I wish I could crawl under my desk. The only thing more disturbing than the Academy's dungeon is its eye-for-an-eye punishment system. "Come up here."

I push my chair back, and the noise it makes is amplified by the eerie stillness of the room. All eyes are on me.

"Show us your arm," Kang says, and I reluctantly pulled my white linen shirt off my shoulder, revealing a five inch cut where my stitches were recently removed.

Kang turned to Jennie. "Jennie, you swapped your dull practice sword for a sharp blade in class. As far as I can ascertain from your professor, you intended to kill Suzy with it. For that offense, you have spent time in the dungeon. But there is still the matter of the wound you inflicted. As per our rules, Suzy will now be given a chance to retaliate." Kang holds out her palm and one of the guards hands her a rolled-up piece of leather form his belt. As she unfolds it, the firelight reflects off the blade of a knife.

Kang gives the weapon to me and I reluctantly take it from her. "An eye for an eye, Suzy. You may cut her arm in the same way she cut yours. No other actions will be taken." She gives me a warning look.

I reflexively glance at Sejeong, hoping something about her expression will tell me how to deal with this nightmare of a situation, but her face is completely neutral and she stares straight ahead at the headmaster.

I study the knife before looking up at Jennie. She meets my eyes, and even though it's obvious she wants nothing more than collapse, she straightens her posture and wears a proud expression. I can't see how hurting her will change the fact that she tried to kill me. It definitely won't make us even. But I also can't flat-out refuse to retaliate; everyone here will consider it weakness. Beads of sweat form in my hairline.

Kang watches me, noticing my hesitation. "I don't imagine you require further clarification, considering this is not the first time I have explained this to you," she says, referring to my second day at the Academy, when Jungkook punched me in the face. "You are not above the rules, Suzy."

Rosé in air like this the best show she's seen in years.

The knife feels foreign in my palm, with none of its usual familiar weightiness. I glance at the door, and when I look back at Jennie, my stomach does a somersault.

"I want to inspect the knife," Jennie says, pulling me out of my thoughts. As weathered as she appears on the outside, it's instantly clear by her tone that her spark hasn't diminished. "This is poisons class. How am I supposed to know she didn't put something on the blade?"

We all look at Kang, who doesn't answer right away. She can't really be considering letting Jennie have the knife, can she? I shift my weight from one leg to the  other.

"I'll grant that request," Kang says, and I nearly drop my knife out of shock.

Rosé slaps her knee and Sejeong's cheeks drain of their color.

Kang retrieves the knife from my hand and gives it to Jennie, who slowly examines the blade and handle. She sniffs it, rubs her finger on it, and holds the metal up to the light. The entire roomful of students sits on the edge of their seats, and it's so quiet that I can hear myself breathe.

Suddenly Jennie darts forward, the knife extended in front of her. I raise my arm in defense and the guards reach for her. But she stops short and laughs.

Taemin snickers behind me.

"I take it you're satisfied?" Kang says to Jennie, without reprimanding her for the lunge.

"Almost," Jennie says, but she's not looking at Kang, she's looking at me. She makes sure she has my full attention as she raises the knife to her own shoulder. She pulls the blade along her shoulder without so much wince. A smirk forms on her lips. She hands the knife back to Kang, handle first, and wipes her now-bloody palm on her shirt, creating a red smear.

"There, it's done," Jennie says, holding my gaze. "We're even. Now you can't stop looking at the door like you want to run and cry."

My whole body tenses. How in the hell did she just beat me at her own punishment? Now if I do nothing, the damage will be done-everyone will get the message that when it comes a physical confrontation, I'm afraid to act.

"Aaactually," I say slowly, fighting to keep the uneasiness out of my voice, "you cutting your own shoulder in no way makes us even. In fact, that was one of the worse strategic moves I've seen in a lone time."

If Sejeong looked worried before, she now looks like she might have stopped breathing. Blood drips down Jennie's left arm and she narrows her eyes.

Before Kang can say a word, I grab the knife and jab it forward, just shy of Jennie's uncut shoulder, grazing the fabric of her shirt with the sharp blade, creating a small tear. Jennie gasps and jumps out of the way.

The class watches with wide eyes. I can tell by Jennie's expression that she's furious not only with me, but also with herself for having jumped like that in front of everyone.

I laugh. "Nah, I guess we're even. Now that you're looking at the door like you wanted to run and cry."

She locks her jaw and glares at me like she wants to tear my head off, and even though I can't see him, I can feel Taemin's eyes boring into my back. So much for having a normal day.