Page 13 of Beautiful Liar

I swallowed hard and shut my eyes. He’s not real. He’s not real.

“Tomás?” Dr. Casera said again.

I opened my eyes and the space behind Casera returned to normal. No dead brother. I dragged my eyes back to Casera who no longer wore the mask of indifference. The one he worenow was worse. He thought I was a loon. And despite sensitivity training, most people believed loons could kill.

But I didn’t kill anybody.

“No,”Miguel said into my ear behind me. “But you’re the reason Jack is dead. And you’ll be the reason they get Nick too.”

“Tomás,” Dr. Casera said firmly. “Are you experiencing hallucinations?”

I shook my head, unable to voice the lie.

Miguel started to laugh making his eye bounce up and down against his cheek. I jumped to my feet and spun to get the fuck out of that office, but Jack stood there blocking my way out. Blood spurted from the stab wound on his neck. His mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. Nothing could come out. Kieran had stuck the blade clean through his vocals. Then Jack fell and we had done nothing to help him. I had done nothing but listen to him gasp as he died.

I couldn’t be here. I had to get the fuck out. I launched myself at the door, jumping over Jack. I pulled hard, ignoring Casera yelling, “Stop him!”

Stop who?

The answer to that was me. That became apparent when strong arms wrapped around me. A scream echoed in the hallway. It took a moment for me to realize it was me. That voice was mine.

“No!” I cried out.

The guy didn’t hesitate. More strong hands were on me, twisting, contorting me to secure my wrists. I was on my stomach, my arms behind me. Kicking and screaming. “I didn’t do anything!”

Liar.

I heard Jack’s voice.

“You’re the reason I’m dead.”

I started to scream.

Chapter Six

Kieran

Arcadia was founded on two principles. Power and control. Those in power had control. End of story. The students at Arcadia had always been simply a plan B. If they couldn’t conform, then they would be erased. They wouldn’t be avenged, they wouldn’t be mourned, they would simply be made ghosts.

Tomás had the right idea when he wanted to escape. It wasn’t a safe haven. It was a force of control. In the five decades of the school’s existence there had been four events that led to an erasure. Joel Emerson was the one the students knew about. Emerson had murdered Will Sabina at the school. No one understood why. It could’ve been something as benign as they both fucked the same girl to losing a fucking bet. They hated each other on the onset and one killed the other.

Then Emerson’s bloodline had been erased.

But what wasn’t known was that the school had two ways of handling power and control. The erasure of the bloodline was one consequence when the dead was murdered. Whenever an accidental death occurred on campus that wasn’t natural, the Four could call for funeral games. Blood games was said to purify the deceased person’s soul. Something stemming from archaic history which made no fucking sense. But Arcadia relied heavily on tradition as a way to control. This would be no different.

I shoved my meds in my bag while Tristan watched from the doorway. “My friends are there. I’m not going to let them get hurt.” Tomás was there. Once the school was on lockdown, none of the families had power over anyone inside that fucking school. Only the four delegates, already chosen by the families when they came of age, had power and control. Edward Marz, Constance Locke, Declan Brennan, and fucking Luca Mancini.The crazy motherfucker would enjoy the blood games.

With my bag over my shoulder, I walked out to the living room. Maddox was pacing while Alessandro watched him.

“This is fucking stupid,” Maddox said. “We need to make changes to that fucking school.”

Tristan didn’t argue but didn’t agree either.

“Babe, it’s tradition.”

“Fuck tradition!” Maddox roared. It made Alessandro flinch and I stopped in my tracks. Maddox took a step toward the front door with the intention of leaving, probably to break law and remove Tomás from the school. I’d be on board if I thought we’d survive it, but Arcadia thrived because of its rules, and in time of crisis, like this, the headmaster had to follow the letter of Arcadia law without prejudice. It meant the power of the Four meant shit. Alessandro got to his feet to pursue his husband, but Tristan was already there, stopping Maddox from getting killed. Jacob’s eyes remained on Alessandro as if the man could be a threat to Tristan. I had to fucking wonder. Alessandro gave off mixed vibes, and I was all out of fucks to give.

“I can’t just stay here and do nothing while Tomás is there, Tristan,” Maddox said. Sounding wrecked. “You don’t know him. He’s not like us.”

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