Page 57 of House of Lilith

“Yeah,” O’Malley Junior says. “They released him, but based on what you reported, in my humble opinion, this was open hostility.”

That makes me frown. Keep the peace, the Archon’s words echo in my mind. The last thing I need right now is for my entire team to think we’re at war with these people.

I stop and turn to look at Junior. With the corner of my eyes, I see Ricky throw me a glance, but then he just keeps going with the rest of them, leaving me to deal with this impromptu meeting.

“There’s been a fucking murder,” I drawl, my fox rising to the surface and making all my captains nervously shift on their feet. “A professor was murdered in his own fucking office and you think it’s open hostility for the administration to lock up the person found at the very crime scene?”

Judging by the way they’re avoiding my eye, I’ve successfully completed my mission.

“Whatever you say, Boss,” O’Malley brother says, trying to break the tension. “It’s just this thing with the mermaids and someone trying to get them to break their contract.”

For a second, I just look at them. Then I let out a sigh and I throw them a smile. “Look, everyone,” I say, realizing I have to turn this around somehow, “I’m not trying to say there are no bad people at this Academy. But this is an isolated incident, the act of some madman who probably has nothing to do with us or the Games.”

My eyes sweep over their faces and I see relief flooding them. It makes my muscles relax, when O’Malley Junior cracks a smile. I pat him on the back and we keep going down the slope.

They trust you, you know,my fox says.Be careful not to betray that trust.

“That’s not something I need to be told,” I reply with bitterness in my mouth.

He clicks his tongue.I’m not sure, considering the way you behaved throughout this.

“Ididn’tlose control,” I insist.

You started thinking about your brother,he says, making me start to fume,and that’s never good.

“She made me mad. They all made me mad.”

But mostly her. She went with that asshole of a prince and you let it get to you too much. Which only goes to prove my theory. You need to find a way to get her out of your system and you won’t do that by avoiding her.

I almost laugh out loud. “You have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”

Well, even if I’m wrong, there’s one thing that’s true…

“Really?”

Really. You’re bringing home a member of the pack that was just accused of murder and I’ll bet there’s not a single person there that’s looking forward to the next Game.

Nowthatmakes me think.

He’s right, I tell myself. The Second Game is in more than two months, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need to react as soon as possible. Things could easily take the wrong turn if I don’t.

Luckily, I think to myself, it was the truth, what I told my captains a moment ago. An image of the future princess, a surprisingly principled princess, flashes through my mind. Not all people at this Academy are bad people.

And sure, maybe if she weren’t engaged, maybe my thoughts would be elsewhere. But considering sheis, at least I can look forward to watching her kick ass.

I decide to use the thrill that the thought sends coursing through me, and just as we reach the camp, I make everyone stop and I say, letting my voice boom, “Who wants to bet on what the next Game will be?”

And it gives me joy, to see all their faces light up with excitement.

Chapter 13 - Nyx

Normally,I’dfindthesnow covering the grounds outside comforting. But right now, I can’t fucking stand it, the way the cold December sun is slanting through the stained glass windows in E13, making everything look so bleak.

Maybe it was a mistake to be so quick about this. I glance around the classroom only to find everyone still immersed in finishing the Blood Magic assignment, brewing a potion to purify their respective infected blood samples. Even Uncle looks as if he hasn’t moved at all, sitting behind his desk to the front, scribbling in his notebook in complete silence.

I turn to the window once again. The light. The silence. A whole afternoon of tediouswedding preparations rounding the corner. It’s all making me so desolate, I have to fight not to let out a sigh.

The clock strikes twelve.

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