Page 100 of Blood & Betrayals

Connor grabs a pillow and throws it at them, hitting Zane in the face. “Get out!”

“It’s our house, too!” Zach complains.

My lips twitch. “Okay, fair point. Can you just leave for a second so your brother can unpenetrate?”

“Unpenetratemakes me want to die,” Zach groans, but they all turn around.

Connor pulls out of me, and I quickly pull on my panties while Connor buttons his pants. I check the time and curse.

“Shit, I have to go.”

Connor blinks. “Where?”

“I said I’d study with Alice and Brett at the library after school. Well, Brett and I will study. Alice will fuck around on her phone.”

“Aren’t all the quizzes and deadlines being extended?” Zane asks, turning around.

“Yes, but that means it’s a perfect time to get ahead.”

Zane grimaces. “Almighty, Con. Your girlfriend is a nerd.”

Connor laughs and kisses the top of my head. “I’ll walk you there.”

I nod. “My protector.”

Connor’s smile becomes forced, but he relaxes again when I slide my hand into his. It breaks my heart to know that he thinks he failed Gia even though she was already dead when he found her. He is still beating himself up about not being the warrior he thinks he’s meant to be. The one he’s trained his whole life to be.

“Shall we, babe?” Connor asks, offering me his back. I jump on, and he reaches back to catch my thighs, both of us laughing as he starts toward the library.

42

Summer

When we get to the library, I playfully bite Connor’s neck before sliding off his back. His goodbye kiss is hot and deep, leaving me panting and needing. He grins and winks before jogging down the steps, heading toward Manananggal Hall for a student council meeting.

I watch until he is out of sight and then hurry inside. Alice is already there, and I slide into the chair next to her.

“Where’s Brett?” I ask.

“He’s running late.” Her intense stare burns into me, and I sigh, turning to face her. “I don’t even know where to start. The headmaster or Connor,” she says, tapping her chin in thought.

I wait for her to decide, unsure if I want to part with any of the overwhelming information that’s been thrown at me today. Neither topic is one I want to delve into. Even after the conversation with Connor, I’m still on edge.

“Okay, the headmaster. What did he say?”

“Before we discuss this, I’m not sure how much of it I want Connor to know, so can we keep it between us?” I whisper, not wanting to be overheard.

Alice nods and scoots her chair closer. I search her eyes, deciding how much I should tell her. Would it be smart to tell her everything? Should I put that burden on her? Perhaps it’s best to keep it to myself and tell her only a sliver of the truth until I know more.

“He said he had noticed the similarities between Gia and me, and he is going to investigate further.” The words taste like acid. Something inside me longs to tell her the whole truth, to have a true confidant. But then I’d have to tell her about the messages from 1015. Why didn’t I tell the headmaster about them? Fuck, why am I like this?

Alice watches me, and I can see she knows that I am not telling her everything. Her gaze fastens on the pendant around my neck. She sniffs at it and then eyes me suspiciously. “Where did you get that?”

I close my fingers around the stone, trying to guard it from view. “Oh, it’s just an old necklace.”

Alice’s eyes flash with hurt. She knows I lied. Her gaze turns hard and determined between one blink and the next. I brace myself. This is it. She is going to walk away.

“Will it protect you?” she asks.

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