Violet felt bad, for turning away from Sara when she was in distress. They had been friends once, or at least Violet thought so, at that time. But now, even if Violet could trust Sara, she could not trust the hold Violet's father's evil cronies had over her. Maybe they were threatening her or mind-controlling her. Violet glanced back at her, still pacing in front of the fountain, then headed up into the courtyard.
The heavy doors of the assembly hall creaked as they pulled them open. The only noise within was Assistant Head Elise Steven's voice. But Violet could not make out what she was saying. A few people turned to look at them as they crept in. But most people kept facing the front. The assembly hall was more crowded than she had ever seen it, and there were not even enough seats. Vio
