Page 101 of Depraved Boys

“Of course not,” he replied.

“Then what’s wrong?” I stared at the back of his head, my eyes lingering on the hair curling at his nape.

“I shouldn’t have left you alone,” he murmured.

“With Prakash?”

Pieces of Corrine’s diary pushed themselves to the forefront of my mind. Corrine had identified Prakash as the person who had played the pull-a-pig game. I’d told Cormac and asked the boys about it, but they had reassured me that Prakash had regretted his actions.

“I should have walked you back to your room or something,” Sebastian replied. “Someone targeted you, and I want to know who.”

Leopold turned in the front seat. “Are any snippets coming back?”

I closed my eyes and thought back to my last memories of that day. “All I remember is sitting in the back of this jeep, and you two.”

Leopold winced. “I’ll try not to put too much pressure on you.”

I dozed off in the back of the car, to a nightmare of a shirtless man chasing me through the hallway, but something was wrong with his chest. By the time I jolted awake, all I could remember was being thoroughly disgusted at something I had seen on his skin.

I ran my fingers through my hair then rubbed my temples. If I didn’t regain my memory, I’d return to the academy blind, without the knowledge of my attacker.

Over an hour later, the jeep’s engine stopped, and I opened my eyes to find myself in the middle of a snow-covered landscape. A thin layer of white covered the naked trees, making them look skeletal. The treehouse stood within its sprawling oak with a dusting of snow on its shingled verandah.

I sucked in a deep breath and hoped that this quiet, happy place would unlock my memories before the beginning of term.

After getting out, Leopold walked around to the back seat and opened my door, letting in a gust of freezing air. He undid my seatbelt and scooped me up into his arms. “I’ll give you a lift.”

I gulped at the snow-covered branches. “Are you sure there isn’t a ladder somewhere?”

His chuckle reverberated against my arm. “Believe me. I can navigate any slippery surface.”

As Leopold made a hair-raising descent up a twisted branch toward the verandah, Sebastian walked around the back of the jeep to the trunk. I squinted at his feet. He was no longer wearing the leg brace.

“Here we go.” Leopold opened the door and deposited me on a brown, leather couch. “I’m going to get a vat of glühwein started. Would you like some?”

“What’s that?”

“Mulled wine.”

Sebastian stepped into the treehouse, letting in a gust of cold air. After kicking the door shut, he set down four bags of groceries in the kitchen area. “It’s probably not a good idea to mix alcohol and prescription medicine.”

Leopold kissed the tip of my nose. “Another time, then.”

The boys set to work, pulling out gourmet dishes from Marks and Spencer, a national chain of supermarkets we hardly ever visited because of the high prices. Sebastian placed a whole chicken in a stainless-steel oven along with a pack of roasted potatoes and stuffing, while Leopold organized the vegetables on the kitchen counter.

“Who takes care of this place while you’re at the academy?” I asked.

“One of the builder’s wives works at Hessington Hall,” Sebastian replied. “She pops in once a week to replenish the firewood and basics like wine and milk and chocolate digestives.”

I nodded and took a closer look at the kitchen. There seemed to be eight of everything, making it better equipped than ours at home. It sounded like they came here often and had enough space to invite friends.

Whatever seemed to bother Sebastian melted away after a few glasses of warm, spiced wine. His features relaxed, and he cracked his first smile of the day. Perhaps the alcohol had chased away the awkwardness about not sticking at my side on Monday night. He brought over a glass of water and sank into the sofa on my right.

Resting my head on his shoulder, I took hold of his large, warm hand and laced my fingers with his. The kings had done so much for me since the incident with the pork ribs. It was unreasonable to expect them to become my bodyguards, too.

Sebastian pressed a kiss on my temple. “When are you due to take your medicine?”

“Around now.” My heart filled with sweet contentment. Not only did I sit in peaceful and spacious surroundings, but I had two gorgeous guys to help me convalesce. “It can wait a bit, as I’m still feeling okay.”