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“This wasn’t a demon deal, remember?” Talia said. “My crystal ball showed some other sort of spell.”
“If his spell marks people for death, Gregory could be the one carrying it out,” I theorized.
Lucas’s face paled. He knew I was on to something. “Let’s go find out.”
We followed the crowd of students back inside the school, never once taking our eyes off Gregory. A bunch of people crowded around the windows in the Main Foyer to watch what was going on outside, but most of the crowd dispersed. Gregory turned down the hall, and we followed. We kept close, but far enough away that he wouldn’t notice us.
“Where’s he going?” Lucas whispered after we turned several hallways. It didn’t seem Gregory was going in any particular direction.
Gregory turned down another hall, and we hurried behind him. My heart jumped as we turned the corner and nearly ran straight into him. Gregory stood there glaring at us, though his confident expression faltered.
“Why are you following me—?” he demanded, but Lucas grabbed him by the collar to cut him off.
He shoved him against the wall. “You’re working for Professor Leto, aren’t you?”
Gregory flinched away. “Y—yes.”
I was surprised he admitted it so easily. “You’re working for him willingly?”
“What’s it to you?” Gregory snapped.
“People are dying,” Lucas sneered, slamming him against the wall again. “You’re going to tell us everything.”
“Everything?” Gregory squeaked.
“If you don’t want to be the next one hanging from a noose, you’ll talk,” Lucas threatened. He conjured a high-powered battle orb and held it close to Gregory’s face. Gregory trembled, looking like he was about to piss his pants. “How are you involved in the deaths?”
“I’m sorry!” Gregory cried. “I never meant for anyone to die. First, it was my nan when I was six. I didn’t mean to leave those toy cars at the top of the stairs. I never told anyone that’s why she tripped and broke her neck. It screwed me up, and I’ve spent every day of my life regretting it. Then I was in the hospital for my heart condition, and the boy next me went into surgery and never came out. I think I cursed him or something. I didn’t mean to. And when I went in for my asthma meds, the doctor just keeled over right there. They said it was a heart attack, but I think death follows me wherever I go. It’s gotta be why I’m Mortana. Maybe I’m a necromancer, because all my life, I’ve been desperate to raise the dead. I didn’t think anyone would die when I started dealing nightshade, but they did, and I’m sorry!”
“Why’d you start working for Professor Leto?” Lucas demanded. “What did he offer you?”
“A recommendation letter. That’s all!” Gregory insisted.
“You’re killing people for a fucking recommendation letter!?” Lucas erupted.
“Killing people?” Gregory asked. “No, of course not! You think these deaths have something to do with my internship with Professor Leto?”
My friends and I exchanged a quick glance. “Your internship?” I asked.
“All I do is paperwork. Goddess, I’m not killing anyone!” Gregory shoved Lucas off of him. “Maybe I am cursed; death follows me wherever I go. But I’m no murderer.”
“Prove it,” Grant sneered. He got up in Gregory’s face and pointed a finger at him. “You were there when Professor Perez died.”
“So were a lot of people!” Gregory spat.
“Someone planted a fake reaper in front of The Hearse when it crashed. You’re a necromancer!” Grant accused.
“So is half my Cast—will you get that thing away from me!?” Gregory shrank back as Grant got even closer. He trembled at the sight of the music box in Grant’s hands.
Grant hesitated. “What, this?”
He held up the music box, and Gregory winced. “That thing is cursed!”
I furrowed my brow. I’d touched the music box before. It wasn’t cursed. “What are you talking about?”
Gregory swallowed. “Professor Leto keeps records, okay? I wasn’t supposed to be snooping around, but well…”
It was Gregory. Of course he was getting himself into trouble.
