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“You still aren’t being honest,” I blustered, still shaken. And now it seemed like Clave was backing off completely? “I’m sick of the fucking games. Tell me what you know. You had Benjamin under your wing all that time! You had to have known what he was doing. Did you help him?” Because now I wasn’t sure if Clave was the killer. Wouldn’t he have made his move by now?
Clave’s shoulders dropped just an inch. Just enough for me to notice. “I bid you goodnight, Miss Valence. Do make sure to avoid attending student parties. As a faculty member, it is a sign of utmost unprofessionalism.”
With that, he walked away.
It was only until he turned a corner and disappeared completely that I allowed the gravity of it all to sink in.
So… what is Clave’s role in this case?
My intuition sense didn’t have any thoughts on the matter either. She stayed quiet as stone, neither confirming nor denying my suspicions except for the fact that Clave knew something. He had secrets, and they had something to do with the mystery.
I had to talk to Razai. He can’t deny all my suspicions regarding the illusion professor. Not anymore.
As I walked toward faculty housing again, my brain began to turn and spin as it usually did. To be honest, I loved my brain. It was eager, if maybe a little inefficient. But the puzzle was slowly coming together. I could feel the pieces in my fingers. I’ve been memorizing their shapes. Putting it together blind would be tricky, but I never took this job as an easy win.
A breeze picked up, pulling me out of my mental labyrinth.
I loved my brain, it was true.
But it didn’t always catch what I needed to see.
Like how the prickling feeling on my neck returned just as a blade pressed into my throat. Stinging. A hot stream of blood washed down my chest.
And then, I lost consciousness.
Chapter Forty-Four
My head throbbed. Something must have bruised my ribs, if not broken them, because breathing was akin to stabbing myself. The blindfold would have been delightfully kinky if not for the obvious fact that I’d just gotten kidnapped.
So not sexy.
“Not so tough now, are you?” a cruel voice said.
With an aching throat and dry mouth, I croaked, “Isn’t it past your bedtime? Or does your mommy let you out this late all the time, Cole?”
His hand cracked against my cheek, flinging my head to the side. For all I knew, he could have hit me with a plank of wood, it hurt so bad. “Stupid bitch,” he spat. “Big fucking mouth with nothing to back it up. You’ll keep barking and barking and barking until someone teaches you how to shut up like a proper lady.”
“I didn’t realize,” I wheezed, “that manners were so important to you. Lucky me.” Maybe it was stupid to make it clear I knew who he was, but anyone would empathize with my complete lack of experience in this situation.
This being my first kidnapping and all.
Another voice chimed in. “Just get on with it, Cole. I have class early in the morning.”
Someone else grunted in agreement.
Ah. So his henchmen were here too.
I added, “Three against one? That’s how you pick your fights? Even for archangels, it’s a little pathetic. Probably standard ops, though. Is this how you took out Benjamin too?”
Yeah, Gray. Go ahead and dig your own grave. Maybe you should learn to shut the fuck up every once in a while. I mean, would it kill me to read the room?
Cole’s reply was glacial. “You really want to die, don’t you?”
“Listen, this is all very dramatic,” I said, because maybe, deep down, I had a masochistic streak. “You could have just scheduled an appointment to talk. I do have an office. A little small for three cows, but we could have made it work. Now, why don’t you tell me why you brought me here.”
The familiar pressure of a blade returned to my neck. He growled, “See, that’s your problem. You think you’re in charge. A low-level glorified assistant with zero connections or power. And you just walked into school like you owned the fucking place. Wrong. I own it. I own that little pink-haired Ellis cunt, and I own you.”
“Did you help Benjamin with the attacks?” I demanded. “Did you know what he was doing?”
