Page 253 of Blood & Betrayals

Hear what?

Connor

They caught them.

I stop dead, looking at my phone. I read his message over and over, my whole body paralyzed.

Connor

The authorities are about to hold a press conference.

I turn around and go back into the gym, looking for a remote control to change the television from some random celebrity workouts to the news.

“Max, how do I change the channel on this thing?”

Max grabs the remote control from behind the desk and hands it to me. I quickly flip through the channels until I see Chief Investigator Thomas Aquino on the screen. He’s standing behind a wooden podium in front of an official-looking building. Headmaster Emrys looms behind him, along with several other investigators. I focus in on the headmaster and notice that his jaw is tight and his eyes are blazing. This can’t be good.

“Following a lead from an anonymous source, a group of officers discovered a link between the victims.”

My heart thuds and I tighten my fingers around the remote control. I feel Max standing beside me with his arms crossed over his chest, his steady presence grounding me.

“Thanks to this source, we were able to target the suspect and apprehend him before he could harm anyone else.”

A picture flashes up on the screen, showing a nondescript male. He looks to be a little older than me, with red hair and dark eyes. His pointed ears give away his species immediately.

“Known as Eli Tuatha De Daanan, he began attending Avalon University this year. Through our investigation efforts, we discovered that he applied and gained entry using forged documents. His true identity is still unknown, but we will release more information as we work to close this investigation. Thank you.”

Thomas steps back from the podium, and the feed returns to the newscaster, who begins to discuss the press conference, but I hear nothing. My eyes remain fastened to the screen as a tear slides down my cheek. I start to tremble, and my knees feel weak. My lungs tighten until I can’t breathe.

“Summer?” I’m vaguely aware of Max touching my arm, but I don’t move. Another tear slides down my cheek, and soon they are flowing freely. My lungs burn with the need for air, but I can’t draw any in.

Max tugs at me, turning me away from the screen and enveloping me in strong, hard arms. His scent surrounds me. I silently sob into his chest, and he tightens his hold on me. I’ve never paid any attention to it before, but as I focus on the smell of pine, I can finally breathe.

“It’s over,” he says, rubbing my back. “You want me to call Connor?”

I shake my head, pulling back with a sense of overwhelming panic. “He can’t know about this.”

Max blinks, his muscular arms still wrapped around me. “I’m sure he knows about the killer getting caught.”

“He can’t know that I was the target.” My voice shakes as I say it.

Max stares at me. “I… What do you mean?”

The truth comes surging out of me. “The killer. They… He wanted me. He stole my clothes and put them on the victims and?—”

“And Connor doesn’t know?” Max interrupts, his brows drawing as he tries to understand.

I shake my head, looking up at him.

“Why?”

“He would have freaked out, Max,” I blurt out.

Max’s jaw clenches, and he stares at me. “I understand,” he says after a long minute.

I swallow, not expecting that. “Y-you do?”

“Yeah,” Max says, nodding.

---