Page 125 of Blood & Betrayals

“Do you think they’ve been watching?” I ask, my mind flashing back to the feeling of someone watching me through the window, the way the unnatural wind pounded against the glass.

I feel the headmaster’s icy stare settle on me. “Yes, which makes little sense. If they knew who you are, why Gia?” he ponders, though I’m not convinced the question is for Alice or me.

Alice gasps, drawing our attention. “Miss Legosi?” he asks.

“Gia looked like you, Sum!” She smacks her palm against her forehead. “I just remembered. When I was young, there was this rogue vampire who went around killing the same person over and over.” She pauses at my confused expression. “Well, not the same person, but people who looked very similar, but he never targeted the object of their obsession. The OG lookalike.”

I stare at her blankly, trying to put it all together.

Alice rolls her eyes in exasperation. “Maybe this person killed Gia because she looks like you, and they are obsessed with you.”

My brows draw, and I continue to stare at her, a little dumbfounded.

The headmaster hums thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.

“That’s ridiculous. No one is obsessed with me.” I wrap my arms tighter around myself. Well, except for the obvious,but Torin is not so much obsessed with me as he is obsessed with controlling me. Or, more specifically, he wants to control my power. I consider whether I should mention Torin to the headmaster now, but it seems pointless, and I’d rather no one else know about my murky past.

“We should not be quick to discount Miss Legosi’s theory.” The headmaster frowns and then waves his hand. I watch in amazement as my bedroom puts itself back together. “No one should know about the break-in. Not yet,” he says, the command in his voice stealing my will. “Understand?”

We nod, and it feels like the air has thickened, making it difficult to breathe.

“The AIB have been less than collaborative with this whole situation.”

I stare at him, overwhelmed with the information, the danger, the unknown.

“I will find them, Miss Tuatha De Daanan,” the headmaster says, watching me.

“Yes, sir,” I reply, though I can hear the fear in my voice.

“Be careful. Both of you.” The headmaster summons a portal and steps in. It snaps shut behind him, but I continue to stare at the spot where he disappeared. Without his powerful presence, my fear turns to terror, the metallic taste of it coating my tongue.

I sit down on the bed, and Alice sits next to me. She looks around and whistles softly. “That male canclean.”

My lips twitch, and I look down at the floor, thinking. “We can’t tell Con,” I say, already feeling the unease and seeds of guilt from keeping this from him.

“Sum?”

“Yeah?”

“This could still be a coincidence. Or a prank,” Alice says, hopefully.

“It could be.”

Alice wraps her arms around me. “They won’t get you. They don’t realize you’ve got a murderous vampire wife, and I will remove their spine through their asshole if they hurt you.”

My lips twitch again, and I lay my head on top of hers.

“I’m glad you have that necklace,” Alice whispers.

I close my fingers around the pendant, feeling it warm under my hand.

“Sleep in my room tonight?” she asks.

I nod. “I’m going to take a shower first.”

“I’ll make popcorn!” Alice announces.

“You don’t eat.”

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