I sit on one of the cold-moss-covered benches in the garden courtyard. Overhead the oak branches are strung with strands of royal-purple berries, and in the fading light of day they glow like they're lit from within. The last of the blue, purple, and white flowers peek through the grass in careful and detailed patterns around my feet. I look up at the canopy of tall trees where the snowflakes from this morning have already melted. When I first got here, Sejeong explained that a hot spring runs under the school, allowing us to enjoy the flowers nearly all year round, and while it is a bit warmer on the ground than in the trees, I'm still convinced that the head horticulturist here must be somewhat a genius. I twirl a piece of fresh grass between my fingers, the fast motion mirroring the wound-up tension in my body.

A small group of elemental-level students are clustered at the other side of the courtyard, speaking in hushed voices. It's impossible to know what Families they belong to, since the students come from all over the world and speak multiple languages. But they clearly know who I am, because every once in a while they look in my direction and lean toward one another, as though to further conceal their words.

There is movement near the arched vine doorway leading into the adjacent courtyard, I hear cloaks being taken off hooks on the other side of the vine wall, signaling that strategic sparring has just ended. Strategic sparring, knife throwing, mind games-a month ago I would have laughed at the idea that such a curriculum even existed.

Rosé and Jimin are the first to come through the vine doorway, and I get up from the bench. Rosé's eyes light up and she brushes back a piece of hair that has fallen out of her loose ponytail.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite circus act at Ghost High," she says loudly enough that the elemental students turn in our direction. She switches from an Australian accent to an American one, both of them impeccable. In fact I don't think there's an accent that she hasn't mastered, making it impossible to know anything about her upbringing, other than that she's a Jackal and a force to be reckoned with. "After you graduate, well . . . if you live to graduate, you should take your show on the road. I would pay good money to watch stunts like the one you pulled on Jennie."

I exhale audibly. In a normal world, the fact that she helped me escape from Yoo would mean that we're no friends, but this is Rosé. "Anything else you want to shout in front of everyone, or did you get enough attention for the day," I reply.

Just as I'm finishing my sentence, Taemin enters the courtyard and sees me talking to Rosé. We make eye contact and his gaze is openly threatening, like he's broadcasting the fact that he's not done trying to kill me. The sickest part is that he's my cousin, and even though I didn't know that until a couple of days ago, he knew all along-and it didn't faze him in the least.

"Cranky, cranky," Rosé says as she follows my line of sight. "Looks like . . . what's the American saying? Ah yes. It looks like 'someone bit off more than they could chew' this morning."

Jimin doesn't leave Rosé's side, but his shoulders are turned away from me and his arms are crossed, like he's guarding himself from having to interact with me or maybe he just doesn't want anything to do with this conversation.

I look away from Rosé as Jungkook exits the strategic sparring and heads for the door leading inside.

Rosé's eyes twinkle, like she's found something interesting. "Unless maaaybe you're not scared about the consequences of pissing off Jennie and Taemin because, oh, I don't know" -she inspects her nails- "you're leaving us soon?"

"What?" I nearly choke on the word and shift my attention back to her, trying to keep the shock out of my voice. "As much as I'd love to stick around and listen to your crap, I've got to go." Given Rosé's victorious look, it's too late she already knows the truth. So instead of continuing this disastrous conversation, I follow Jungkook.

Rosé growls and slashes her fingers at me like she's a big cat.

There were three things I was supposed to do today-act like everything was normal, not let people know I was leaving, and talk to Jungkook. I haven't even finished my classes for the day, and I've already managed to screw two of them up.

I follow Jungkook through the heavy wooden door leading into the foyer. Ancient shields adorn the walls; Sejeong once told me they are symbols of Strategia's roots throughout world history, but to me they're a reminder that I don't know my own Family history the way I should.

"I can go? You're letting me go?" I say more to myself than to Kang.

Kang hesitates. "Technically, you can go. However, I must advise you that you still have a great deal to learn and your skills are severely lacking in several areas. But more importantly, you know very little about the Strategia world at large."

"Maybe so, but there's no way I can stay here while my dad's out there all alone. Especially knowing what I now know," I say. "What happened here with Dr. Yoo seems to be just a microcosm of what's happening out there."

"This school doesn't involve itself in outside politics," Kangs says, even though we both know that the situation between her and Yoo was completely political. "I'll just say again that it would be prudent if you made additional alliances here and learned as much as you can before you leave."

I speed up and fall in step with Jungkook's long strides. "Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?" I say, careful to keep my voice low. With the high arched ceilings, sound is amplified in this room.

His broad shoulders tense. "I'd rather not," he says. He doesn't bother turning to face me.

"Look, I know you blame me for Taehyung's -" I start as we enter the hallway to the boys' dorm.

Now he does look at me, or rather down at me, with frustrated brown eyes that remind me of my uncle Jin's. He's a good five inches taller than me. "You're dam right I do. And maybe it wasn't directly your fault that he was murdered. But the fact remains that my best friend from the time I could talk is dead because you came to this school."

His words stop me in my tracks. I rub my forehead near my eyebrow-a gesture Sehun once told me signifies shame, which I supposed is pretty accurate in this moment. "I can't imagine what it would be like if someone killed my best friend," I say, and my voice is gentler. Just the thought of anyone hurting my feisty Jisoo makes me want to cry. "I'd be hateful till the end of time."

"Yeah, well . . .," he says in front of dorm room door.

I stare at him, unsure where to go form here. I can't very well say 'Sad about your friend, but I need something, so can we talk about that now?'

"Sorry to bothered you," I say instead. "And I'm sorry about Taehyung. Really." My mind spins, trying to com e up with something, anything that will make him listen to me, because in three more seconds he's going to disappear into his room and my chance will be gone. "I just came to say goodbye."

Jungkook closes his eyes momentarily, like my presence is exhausting. "I'm not in the mood to play games with you."

"No game," I say, and I scan the hall to make sure we're alone. I pause, hoping this gamble doesn't backfire. "I'm leaving the Academy tomorrow."

He exhales and breaks eye contact, looking up at the wall. After three seconds and some head-shaking, he bangs the latch on his door with the side of his fist. The door swings open.

"Well, are you coming in?" he says, clearly displeased.

I don't hesitate. I slip through the doorway and into his common room, where the blackout curtains are already drawn and the fireplace is lit for the evening.

"Speak quickly," he says like he can't get rid of me fast enough.

I move my hair over my shoulder and straighten my posture, working up some courage. Ever since he told me he was my cousin, I haven't been able to unsee the resemblance. The last thing I ever thought I would find in this school was family. And now I have two cousins-Jungkook and Taemin-one who hates me and the other who wants me dead.

I run through a few approaches in my head, but everything I want to say sounds awkward. So instead of asking him flat out for help, I simply say, "I'm going to my dad."

Jungkook huffs. "You're here to talk to me about your Tiger father? I really don't care what happens to him."

I take a step forward, frustration sparking in my chest at the suggestion that appa is anything other than wonderful. "If you would listen for more than ten seconds you would see why you do care. And I'm sick of these Family lines. You're an Eagle. He's a Tiger. Who cares? Some people are terrible and some people aren't. My dad is one of the good ones. End of story."

Jungkook's fists clenches, and I start talking again before he decides to kick me out.

I take a breath, calming my voice. "After my uncle Jin died-scratch that, after our uncle Jin died-my dad sent me here. And as far as I can tell, he went to Gyeonggi to do something about it."

"What do you mean by 'do something about it'? What kind of something?" Jungkook says, and I can tell by his insistent tone that this question matters.

"That's exactly what I intend to find out," I say, matching the gravity in Jungkook's voice. "I don't know Family politics the way you do, but I know enough to say that Taecyeon is -"

"Taecyeon is your father's father, your grandfather," he says judgmentally.

"Do we share some of the same genes? Yes," I say, my defensiveness ratcheting up a notch. "But don't you dare suggest I'm anything like him or the Tigers. He killed my mom, and our uncle. The Tigers are hunting my dad. They're trying to kill me. And as far as I can tell, they would be happy to take out Sejeong, Lisa, and the rest of the talented students at this school, making all of Strategia bow to their will. Meanwhile everything I've been doing at his school has been aimed at stopping them."

He grunts. "Everything you've done here has been to save your own ."

For a second, I'm silent. He's not right, but he's also not wrong.

"So your plan is to what? To challenge the Tigers by yourself? Or maybe you and your traitor father will team up," he says flippantly, "if they haven't killed him already, that is."

"Geez, Jungkook," I say, taken aback. "Can you be any more of an ? You expect me to understand how deeply your friend's death affected you, but you can't sympathize with the fact that I'm scared for my dad?" I shake my head at him disappointingly. "At least he's doing something. At least I am. What are you doing?"

Jungkook's face falls and he rubs his hand over his forehead. He takes a few steps away from me. "You're right," he says, and his voice loses its edge. "That was uncalled for."

I watch him. Underneath his temper and his grief, I catch a glimpse of someone decent. And for a few seconds we stand there awkwardly, neither of us sure how to proceed in the absence of our usual ire.

"Where are you going in Gyeonggi?" he finally asks.

"I'm starting in Seoul," I say.

He nods like he assumed as much. "Who else knows you're leaving?"

"Sehun, Sejeong, and Kang," I say.

He watches me with a searching expression. "And Sehun is going with you," he says, and I look at him sideways.

Did the way I said Sehun's name give that away or was it something in my body language? "He is," I say reluctantly, and as the words leave my mouth, I'm surprised at how easily I'm telling him things. I have no reason to trust Jungkook, do I?

"And I'm assuming you're here because you want my help," Jungkook continues.

I exhale, relieved by the opening he just gave me. "Yes. Please. Whatever you're willing to tell me," I say. "If I'm going to be in the Tiger territory, I'll need all the help I can get. And even if you hate me, surely you must hate the Tigers more?"

Jungkook presses his lips together and looks around the room, like there might be an answer there somewhere. He's silent for a few seconds and then nods like he's come to a decision. "If I agree to help you, there's a condition."

"What kind of condition?" I say slowly.

Jungkook's expression is serious. "You must agree that this information will be used by you and you alone. I need your  word. I have absolutely no interest in telling Sehun my Family secrets."

I hesitate. I hate the idea of keeping things from Sehun, but I can't discredit Jungkook's need to protect Family secrets. And in truth, I'm flattered that he's considering trusting me with him.

"Agreed," I say.

Jungkook takes a good look at me, reading me again, and when he seems satisfied that I'm telling the truth, he continues. "There's an Eagle Family apothecary in Incheon. Her shop is called Accipitridae Familia; the front is an antiques store. If you need supplies to use against the Tigers, you can go to her. Tell her Aut scuto in scuto."

"Aut scuto in scuto," I say, repeating the Latin phrase.

"Either with shield or on shield," Jungkook says before I have a chance to work out the meaning. "It roughly means 'Don't surrender; never give up.' It will let her know that you're battling the Tigers and you need her assistance."

Secret phrases in secret shops with secret apothecaries. A month ago I would have rolled my eyes and made a comment about how I didn't think apothecaries existed in anything except old stories, but my entire world has shifted since I came here.

"Will it matter that she's never met me before?" I asked.

"Well, that's the thing, you do look like our immediate family. She may just assume you're a second or third cousin she's never met. But" -Jungkook pauses- "if she realizes who you really are, you may have a problem."

I remember my talk with Sehun last night and his warning that some Strategia might recognize me. "Do the Eagles hate me, too?"

He looks thoughtful for a moment. "My mom might accept you. She loved her siblings a great deal. But our grandfather is head of the Family and I'm not sure he'll want anything to do with you. I can't tell you what to expect out there. You might have Eagle support. You might not."