Page 270 of Blood & Betrayals

Right now.

-Headmaster Emrys.

I stand up and pad into my bedroom, pulling on one of Connor’s sweaters. It is so big it covers me to my knees. I strap my knife around my thigh and pull on some sneakers.

Alice is where I left her on the couch, but she has pulled her legs up tight against her chest. “You’re going alone? When you think the killer is still out there? Summer, I don’t think that is a good idea. Let me go with you.”

“I need you to stay with Connor. I doubt he’ll wake up, but just in case, I don’t want him to worry.” My smile is a little forced, but I graze my fingers over the blade on my thigh. “I will be okay, Al. Promise.”

Alice sighs. “All right, but text me every minute so I know you’re okay.”

I nod and leave the house, running toward Manananggal Hall. The halls are eerie at this time of night. Sconces line the walls but only provide a small amount of light, and when I turn the corridor and see the headmaster’s office before me, it looks even more daunting than usual. I stand in the puddle of light leaking out from beneath the door and knock.

“Enter.” His voice comes through unmuffled, as if he is standing right in front of me. I can’t remember if that has happened every time. I push the door open and step into his office.

“Hello, sir.” The headmaster is sitting behind his desk as usual, but his normally polished professionalism looks a bit rumpled tonight. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, showing the hundreds of black runes adorning his muscled forearms. His hair is mussed like he’s been running his fingers through it while he worked on the papers splayed over the desk. In front of him is an expensive-looking decanter and a matching tumbler, both with dark amber liquid inside.

“Miss Tuatha De Daanan. You have reason to believe this isn’t over?”

“Yes, sir.” I nod and look away, feeling a little embarrassed now that I am here. I don’t know if he is aware ofEverydayEmrys, and I don’t relish him knowing that I have been looking at it close enough to spot secret messages. “Yes, sir.”

The headmaster waits in silence until I meet his gaze again, and then he gestures to the seat in front of him. This whole ritual is becoming disturbingly familiar to me. “Explain.”

I sit down on the chair and pull on my fingers. “Well… I believe they have been leaving messages.”

He leans forward on his elbows, his silver eyes focused intently on me. “Messages? To you?”

“Not exactly,” I say, feeling my cheeks heat.

The headmaster lifts an eyebrow, and I feel my blush deepen. My ears burn as I pull my phone from the pocket of the hoodie and unlock the screen. It’s already loaded on the page, and I wince before leaning forward to place it on his desk.

The headmaster picks up my phone, scowling as he scrolls through the page. “What is this?” His lips flatten into a thin line. “Is this your account?”

“What? No!” I sputter.

His shoulders relax a little. “Good. It’s clear some of my students have far too much time on their hands.” He glances up at me. “Apart from the page, is there something I’m missing?”

I stand and walk around his desk before pointing out the comments from the bot account. “Some of these comments were from after Eli was caught, and they seem to have been posted by a bot account.”

“Bot account?” he asks.

“It’s a faceless account, usually used to post spam, but I think this one might have more malicious plans than fraud. I believe there may be someone behind it posting the messages.”

The headmaster looks at the comment, tilting his head slightly as he considers. “I had my suspicions that they had the wrong person. They were reluctant to hear it.” The headmaster taps his fingers on his desk, thinking. “I am going to task you with a job, Miss Tuatha De Daanan. I need to know who runs this account. If these messages are from the killer, then I have a feeling there are more that may have been deleted.” He continues to study the page, but his gaze slides to me when I don’t immediately answer. “Unless you’re not up to it.”

“I can do it.”

He nods once, looking back at my phone. “Good. I’m still being watched, and I’m… not the most tech-savvy.” He stops talking and just stares at me, his gaze considering. “I’ve been debating whether to show this to you, but I think you should see it. When the fae king visited, how he reacted to the news unnerved me.” The headmaster lifts his hand, and a spell plays out in front of us.

The white-haired fae relaxes in the chair across from the headmaster, a set of dark glasses concealing his eyes. His pose is relaxed, indulgent, and unconcerned, but a lethal energy permeates the room. Kai, the King of the Fae, is chaos and malevolence. He is everything they say he is. He is evil.

“There was another fae killed,” the headmaster says to him. “I thought you’d wish to know.”

The fae king lowers his sunglasses, showing the light dancing in his magenta eyes. The more magenta a fae has in their eyes, the more powerful they are. So what does it mean that the king has no hint of violet in his? He watches the headmaster, appearing bored. “And I should care why?”

“Well, Eli is your cousin, is he not? Isn’t that why you are here?”

The fae king smirks cruelly, pushing his sunglasses back up. “I’m more concerned about that strange little fae girl who has matriculated into your care.”

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