Page 15 of Lethal Truths

Maybe it’s time I finally tell Asher what’s been haunting me?

But that’s a concern for another day. Right now, I need to see what has Heather so twitchy. I’ve never liked or trusted that bitch, but for some reason, I’m extra suspicious of her tonight. Call it a working theory that simply needs proving.

I’m light on my feet for my size, which helps me creep behind Heather unnoticed as she rushes down the hall and around a corner. I stop beneath a blown light, keeping to the shadows the best I can. If she turns around, she’ll see me easily enough, but I also don’t give a fuck. I’ll take the risk.

Heather hits a button on her cell and then brings it to her ear as she leans her shoulder against the white wall. Whoever she’s calling must answer after a few seconds. She snaps out a hushed warning and runs her free hand through her short hair.

“The deal was you handle my problem, and I would guarantee you a position at my dad’s company. But unfortunately for me, I can’t seem to find a single competent man anywhere in this damn school,” she hisses.

I narrow my eyes, feeling a sinking pit open up in my stomach.

“No! Second chances are for ex-boyfriends with huge dicks. You’re out. I don’t make exceptions.” She shakes her head, standing upright. “ Don’t threaten me. I can fuck your life single-handedly while I get my hair done,” she warns, her voice growing louder with her anger. “I’ll handle her myself! It’s not hard, I’ll—“ Heather cuts off, beginning to pace while she listens to whoever it is.

I flatten myself against the wall, inching back and ready to leave if she turns my way.

“I’m listening,” she muses, stopping in the middle of the empty hall and putting a hand on her hip. “If you think we can actually pull that off…” A slow nod has her hair brushing her shoulders. “Do not test me or waste my time, or you’ll regret it for the rest of your short life.”

I’m just about to storm forward and grab Heather by her scrawny neck, demand to know what her plan is. I’m sure she’s talking about Prudence. I can feel the truth of that thought in every cell of my body. The four of us — Creed, Asher, Heather, and myself — were tasked with destroying her. And what was that stunt in the woods if not someone trying their luck and hoping to get initiated?

Before I can move and strangle the truth out of the bitch, someone puts their hand on my shoulder and forces my attention away from the phone conversation. My body is primed to strike if need be, but when I look behind me, it’s Creed.

Leave me alone, I sign, shrugging off his hand.

Creed rolls his eyes, looking like he wants to argue, but even he can sense the importance of not tipping Heather off to my eavesdropping. What are you doing? he asks slowly. His ASL has improved vastly with the class he and Asher are taking this semester, but he still has to take a moment to think about the shape of the words on his hands. Still, I appreciate the effort. Not even my parents are willing to learn how to communicate with me.

Sighing, I give Heather one last look. I catch the tail end of her sentence, something about meeting soon to go over the details. I don’t like it one fucking bit. Every last word out of her mouth has alarm bells going off in my mind. As Heather ends the call, I grab Creed’s wrist and drag him away from her and around the corner so we can talk.

She’s planning something, I explain, grinding my teeth to control the urge to go to Heather and find out the truth. I have no qualms about hurting her, but if any Elders found out, I’d likely be dead by the end of the week. I’m already on thin ice as it is. Attacking a fellow junior member would grant me a one-way ticket to the afterlife. Especially if they knew it was to protect Prudence, the very person we’re all supposed to be hurting.

“Isn’t she always?” Creed whispers with a sly smile. “Probably trying to figure out how to get back into Asher’s bed. Speaking of, he can’t cover for you in there much longer. Come on.”

Have you told her the truth? About all of this? I ask instead of moving, feeling a wave of protectiveness swell inside me. I hurt her in the end, but at least I told her everything up until that moment at the party. She knew of my involvement in The Celestials, she knew I fucking hated it and wanted nothing to do with it, she knew she was in danger. She knew I wanted to help, and for at least a little while, that I was someone she could trust. The only thing I never admitted was how quickly she was invading my heart. And now I don’t have the chance to come clean. She’s growing closer to Creed every single day, and she deserves happiness, but I won’t stand by and allow her to feel blindsided by one of us yet again.

Creed’s expression shuts down. “I’m working on it. We’ve talked a little—“

I grunt, cutting him off. You’ll hurt her, I sign.

He blows out a laugh, cocking his head at me. “Like you did? You realize you’re a fucking hypocrite, right? When you finished using her, she came to me, defeated and hollowed out, like she was on the brink of giving up. She came to me to forget the way you treated her.“ As if a barrier slams down between us, Creed squares his shoulders and takes a step closer to me, his light brown eyes flashing with resolve. “I won’t let her feel that way again… Friend or not, I will slaughter you if I need to. Don’t put me in that position, man.”

I don’t doubt it. Even though I wish Prudence could fall back on me when she needs someone, I’m happy that Creed has become her new protector, even if he is a bit rabid and unpredictable. With an understanding, resigned nod, I lift my hands and say, Good. She needs someone as fierce as you. I’ll be watching her whenever I can, too. I think Fright Night was planned, and I don’t think they’re done.

Creed grinds his teeth, considering the weight of my words. “Heather? Is that why you followed her out here?”

I nod, and Creed curses.

He digs in his pocket and pulls out a toothpick, flipping it between his fingers as his mind works. With a heavy sigh, he relents. “Yeah, fine. She needs all the protection she can get, and I can only do so much on my own.” He sticks the toothpick in his mouth, adding, “But if you hurt her, I will lose my goddamn mind and come looking for it in your guts.”

I blow out a silent laugh, holding my hands out to my sides. I don’t sign anything more, but from the stilted nod Creed gives me, he knows I’m giving him permission to do exactly that if I fail Prudence again. We start walking back toward the meeting room, but a moment later, I stop Creed. We’ll protect her together, but the fight is only just starting, I explain, feeling this heavy impending doom in my chest. I look at one of my closest friends, and I see a fire, a willingness to tear the world apart for Prudence, and it settles something in me. I know I messed up… I’m glad she has you now, I add with a sad smile.

Creed narrows his eyes at me, the hostility draining from his posture. “Griffin, just talk to her. I know you, and I know how frustratingly good you want to be. But sometimes, life throws us bags of shit and we can’t keep up the fake smile.“ I blink at him, not entirely sure what he’s saying. With a tired roll of his eyes, he adds, “It’s eating you up inside, isn’t it? Seeing her with me when you love—“

Before he can finish that sentence, before he can utter that low fucking blow, I see a flash of red hair dart around the corner and out of sight. When I glance at Creed, his dark, angry expression tells me he saw her, too.

Creed claps his hand on my shoulder with a sharp smile. “Excuse me for a moment. It seems my Ember has decided to break the rules tonight,” he says calmly, but I know beneath the facade, there’s a storm swirling just under his skin. When Creed takes off for Prudence, I already know he won’t be coming back to the meeting.

Guess I’ll have to cover for him and pray Prudence survives his wrath.

10

---