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“Let’s keep this our little secret, shall we?” he whispered.
My stomach plummeted to the floor. He knew that I knew.
“I have an arrangement with the priestesses,” he added.
It was a threat. If I did anything, I’d have to answer to the priestesses. Surely, they’d find a reason to hang me.
I forced down the lump in my throat and spoke dryly. “What secret?”
He smirked. “Exactly.”
Fuck, this was bad, but I knew immediately what I had to do. I had to study him, to find out why he was here at the school of all places. It was one thing to come here looking for the Oaken Wands. It was another to pose as a professor, to settle in like he was planning on staying here for a while. His plans with the priestesses were bigger than we could ever imagine, and I was determined to find out what he was up to.
I had to tell Nadine and the others as soon as possible. I wasn’t risking them running into him before they knew what he was. They should all be leaving class right about now.
Leto finally released his hold on me. I didn’t get a chance to turn and flee before a scream came from down the hall.
“Somebody help!” a man yelled. “He’s not breathing!”
I felt the blood drain from my face. Leto just looked at me with an indifferent expression. He didn’t give one flying fuck that someone was in danger. Fuck him.
I ran out of the classroom and sprinted down the hall toward the sound of the voice. Oliver raced after me. When I turned the corner to the hall that led to the cafeteria, I skidded to a halt. A group of people stood in front of me, and I couldn’t get a clear view of what was going on, but I couldn’t mistake the pool of blood soaking into the carpet. Nobody did anything. They just stood there, dumbstruck.
“Out of the way!” I shouted. I grabbed someone and shoved them aside.
“Watch it!” Gregory sneered. I hadn’t even realized it was him. I was too overcome with horror to take in anything but the crime scene.
Professor Perez lay in a pool of his own blood. His breath wavered as he stared up at the ceiling. He was barely holding on.
Professor Warbright knelt over him, pressing his shaking hands to a wound in the center of his chest. His wand lay next to him, like he’d already tried casting a spell to stop the bleeding, but it hadn’t worked. Blood seeped through Warbright’s fingers and trailed down Perez’s suit coat.
“Call the infirmary!” Professor Warbright barked at a nearby student. “Quickly!”
A few students took off running down the hall. Oliver yowled loudly as I rushed to Perez’s side and dropped to my knees. Blood seeped through my jeans, but I didn’t pay attention to it. I conjured a first-aid kit I kept with me and tore open a roll of gauze.
“Here, Professor. Use this,” I told Warbright as I wadded the gauze over the wound. He placed his bloody hands atop mine and pressed down with me. It wasn’t enough. Not even close. Blood coated my hands.
“Hang in there, Professor Perez,” I pleaded.
Perez’s eyes glossed over, and his hand shook as he reached up to grab my arm. “I… I…”
He couldn’t speak, and a lump formed in my throat. Professor Perez was too young to die.
I forced the lump downward. “We’re getting you help.”
“Too… late…” he rasped. Perez fumbled for me, and I took his hand in mine, squeezing tightly.
“No, it’s not,” I insisted.
“You’re going to be all right, Zachary,” Professor Warbright promised, though he sounded entirely uncertain.
Perez opened his mouth again to say something, but nothing came out. His eyes rolled back in his skull, and his hand went limp in mine.
“No!” I shouted, but his voice cut through my thoughts a moment later, confirming the truth that couldn’t be undone.
It wasn’t him.
A pile of bricks seemed to tumble over me as Perez’s last thought played through my mind. I didn’t know what he meant, but one thing was for certain.
