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She barreled forward. “When I told my parents what happened, not even they believed me. I kept trying and trying to explain to them, and after a while, our lawyer made me stop talking. Something about ruining the family image if I kept on for any longer. Needless to say, the school got the revised, edited version of my story. It was only until Nate asked me if that’s what had really happened that I decided to say something.”
He offered, “The fact that both of our stories were confusing and hazy made us wonder what was really in those drugs and why that happened to us.”
“But if that was an effect of the drugs,” I said, “why did both attacks trigger on the first of the month? And why did it take so long for it to happen?” Hence my comment about illusion. The fact that Sydni had seen a monster, that Nate had seen his car on fire and confused gasoline for water…
The facts were fishier than a rotting pond.
Sydni scoffed. “I don’t know shit about the drugs. And the only things I know about illusions are the basic principles we’re all supposed to learn. Clave didn’t teach us about advanced techniques, and if something like that even existed, I doubt he’d explain it to his own students.”
“Everyone has so much fucking faith in that asshole,” I complained. “Has anyone stopped to think that maybe he’s the exact type of person with the exact type of expertise to pull something off like that? Or someone else with similar knowledge,” I backtracked. Gods damn it all. Me and my big mouth.
Nate balked. “Are you saying Clave was working with Benjamin? And even if he was, why in the hell would he cause something like that? What’s his motivation?”
My intuition pinged within me as I thought about Clave. “Who’s to know? I’m just thinking out loud. Don’t get your G-string in a twist.”
Sydni faced me fully for the first time. “You’re here to solve the riddle and figure out who attacked us and killed Benjamin, aren’t you?”
Stunned, I stared back with wide eyes. “Uh…”
She took a drag, looking smug. “Thought so.”
“I’m not going to confirm or deny when you clearly think you have all the answers,” I dodged. “You think whatever you want to think. But tell me how you bought from Benjamin. Did you pay him immediately?”
What I didn’t expect was for the students to stiffen and avert their eyes. The fuck?
“I think this meeting is over,” Sydni said suddenly, rising to her feet.
Nate’s eyes blazed with fury. “There’s no use stopping now. Not for me, at least.”
“Nate—”
“Benjamin didn’t just ask for money. He wanted something else from us too.”
“Nate, don’t!”
His resolve only hardened. “If you asked her here to give half-truths, then you’re more scared than me.” He looked into my eyes. “Benjamin didn’t ask for money. We had to pay with secrets.”
Chapter Forty-Two
“Ah,” I sighed. “So, the golden boy isn’t so perfect after all.”
Sydni hissed, “You fucker.”
Nate suddenly looked tired and a little more ancient. “I’d rather be a fucker than a coward. Sit down, Syd. Please. Let’s finish this.”
To my surprise, she listened. Her mouth a stony line. The muscles in her jaw ticked.
“You should get another light,” I suggested. “Looks like you need it. What kind of secrets, and did you realize it was blackmail?”
Sydni muttered something that sounded very threatening beneath her breath, but she had the wisdom to keep it to herself. Considering I was extremely near giving her a time-out for being irritating.
Nate answered, “Family secrets. And yeah, that put me on edge. Secrets are a way of life for our kind.”
Meaning archangels and powerful people.
He locked on my expression and said flatly, “You know what I mean. Or, you don’t, actually.”
“I have a decent imagination. Feel free to arrive at your point any time this century.”
