Page 89 of Blood & Betrayals

“He was coming to have breakfast with me,” I reply for him. The headmaster’s gaze flits back to me. There is something within it I can’t identify. “Before class,” I add, lowering my gaze.

Connor nods. “My parents left this morning, and the plan was to have breakfast early before heading into class, but I…” He swallows, squeezing my thigh, his fingers digging in for mooring. “I saw blood leaking from the?—”

The headmaster holds his hand up, stopping Connor. “I believe you may have seen more than you realize. I would like to look through your memories. With your consent, of course.”

I muffle a gasp of surprise. Memory walking? That is supposed to be some borderline impossible magic. Erasing memories is easier than walking through them without shattering the person’s mind. How powerful is the headmaster exactly?

Connor swallows audibly. “All right.”

The headmaster stands and looks at me once again, that impenetrable stare pinning me to the couch. “May we use your bedroom, Miss Tuatha De Daanan?”

I nod. “Of course.”

Connor stands and walks to my bedroom. I move to follow, but the headmaster steps in front of me, stopping me in my tracks.

“This is not something you should see, Miss Tuatha De Daanan.”

“But—” I hear Connor protest from behind him.

“No,” the headmaster replies, his face hardening into a mask of stone. His eyes lock on me. Does he sense that I’m the one who’s more likely to protest?

“But, sir?—”

His lips tighten even more. “This is not a request.”

“Yes, sir,” I say, lowering my gaze again, instinctively knowing not to push anymore.

The headmaster turns on his heel and disappears into my room.

“I’ll be right out here, big guy,” I whisper. Connor smiles wanly at me as he closes the door.

Alice paces the living room, mumbling half in English and half in some vampiric tongue. “Fuck. A murder? And it wasn’t me?” She continues to mutter, wearing a path back and forth as she tries to connect the information she’s already gathered about the murder. She’s way too nosey for her own good. Normally, I’d be riling her up, encouraging her research and tangents, but now all my thoughts are on Connor.

My head snaps toward the closed door when I hear Connor whimper. I wince at the pain he must be going through in having to relive something so traumatic. I hurry to the door and lean against it in a show of support. Touching my fingers to the wood, I close my eyes, mentally reaching out to him. After ages of listening to Connor’s pain, his whimpers taper off, and the door swings open. I practically fall into the headmaster. He grips my arm reflexively to steady me. He still wears that blank expression, his face locked into a mask of hardenednothing. Does he feel anything?

“Miss Tuatha De Daanan. Were my orders unclear?” he says coldly.

My cheeks heat slightly. “You told me I couldn’t come into the room, and I didn’t.”

He narrows his eyes and then locks his gaze on Alice. “Not a word to anyone.”

Alice nods, and then he looks at me, waiting until I also acknowledge his command with a nod. Not waiting for him to say anything else, I skirt around him and into the bedroom, careful not to touch him. Connor is lying on my bed and seems to be lingering somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness. Memory walking is incredibly draining to the subject.

“Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Morningstar,” the headmaster says.

I sit on the edge of the bed and glance at him over my shoulder. “Is there anything I can do to help, sir?”

He shakes his head. “I will take care of it. No one harms my students.No one.”

With that declaration, resolute knowledge wraps around me. No one crosses the headmaster and lives long. I almost pity the person who becomes the focus of his fury. I look at Connor. Almost.

My brows furrow when the headmaster clears his throat, drawing my attention back to him. He lifts his chin again. “Not a word,” he commands before spinning on his heel. One step, he’s in casual clothes, but by the time he passes the doorway, he’s dressed in his normal suit. His magic is effortless and completely undetectable. There isn’t even a residual hum in the air.

“He’s acting like he just heard a weather report,” Alice grumbles, stomping into my room and flopping down on my desk chair.

“He said…” Connor whispers, his voice a little shakily. “He said I saw them or… saw something.”

I brush a lock of his hair back from his forehead and then slip fully onto the bed, curling around Connor. He buries his face into my neck and quickly falls asleep.

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