Page 16 of Laid Bare

Luka grimaces, but it’s Axel that answers. “While there was never any concrete proof, it’s said that the head councilman came home one night and a female curiomancer covered in blood was running out of the house right as he opened the door. When he went inside, he called for his son, but he never answered. He found him upstairs, naked in his bed, with blood pouring from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. He was already dead by the time he entered his son’s room.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” I wave my hands. “So, because she ran out, our entire kind got blamed? Why not just her? Hell, what if she was there when it happened, but she was innocent?” I jump to my feet and start pacing back and forth in front of the couch. Something Dirk yelled last night tickles my brain, and I snap my fingers, pointing at Axel. “That’s why he said we could kill with a single thought. Because that’s what hethinkshappened?”

Luka stretches an arm across the back of the couch, crossing his ankle over his knee. “That’s why he said that. He condemned an entire race for something he had no hard evidence of. But when the head councilman announced that his son was murdered by the hands of a curiomancer, no one thought twice to ask for evidence as Christian’s death sent ripples through the supernatural community. Mainly because he was being groomed as the next head councilman.”

Popping my hands on my hips, I tip my head back in exasperation. “Well, that’s a whole lot of what the fuck to unpack. And it is definitely not in my wheelhouse to try and tear it apart right now. But we’re coming back to that at some point, because there’s so many things wrong in that scenario.”

So many freaking things wrong. There’s a very good chance she could’ve been innocent, but not once did anyone do their due diligence to find out the truth. Or maybe that’s my twenty-one years as a human talking. Because you didn’t condemn anyone to death unless it was proven they were guilty.

My eyes widen and I shoot a panicked look at the guys as knuckles rap way too damn early on the door to my dorm. I hurry back to the couch, pulling my knees to my chest, not making a move to open it. I’m not ready for them to be here yet.

Luka huffs a laugh and moves to open the door, while Axel shifts closer to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me as close as humanly possible to him without outright sitting me on his lap.

My demi-god mate adopts a stoic expression, puffing his chest up, before latching onto the knob and throwing it open. Thunder rumbles through my room, ready to cause havoc on the unsuspecting babysitters, but it quickly dies out instead of powering up further.

Luka glances at me over his shoulder and steps back from the door, giving me an unencumbered view of the winter fae standing in the hall with a look of wariness etched on his blue features. Instinctively, I recoil seeing the man whose relationship I ruined. I wasn’t ready for my guards, but that doubly goes for Thaddeus. I still haven’t figured out what I want to say to him, nor have I gotten the chance to talk to Headmaster Stonewell about getting Miss Izzicle back here.

A smile that doesn’t reach his eyes tilts on Thaddeus’ lips, and he enters my room with slow steps, almost seemingly unsure if he’s welcome to be here. “Hey, sunshine.”

“Hey, Thaddy—us.” I trip over using the rest of his name, my nerves on full display for the three men sucking all the oxygen out of the room.

The blue fae grimaces, catching my blunder, but he carries on into the room, not calling attention to my use of his full name.

“Am I interrupting?”

“No.” Axel holds me a little tighter. “We just went over what caused the extinction of the curiomancers, but there’s still more to discuss if you want to join us.”

Thaddeus looks to me at his words for whatever reason, but I avoid his stare like the plague. There’s no doubt that my emotions are written all over my face, and he doesn’t need to know what my feelings are. Not right now anyways.

“So next question,cor meum.”

That’s easy. “What happened to you last night, Axel? Before the fight with Titus.” His ruby red orbs drill into the side of my head, something like resignation streaking across his face.

“Do you remember Albany?” I shake my head and grit my teeth at the unfamiliar female’s name coming from his lips. “My secretary. Or should I say, my ex-secretary.” My nostrils flare in recognition, and I could swear I hear my back teeth crack for how hard I’m clenching them. “That’s who caused the entire disaster last night.”

I suck in a sharp breath, and lightning bolts across the ceiling. A slow crawling frost emanates from beneath Thaddeus’ feet where he’s rooted to the spot. Anger is a collective emotion the three of us are feeling right now.

As much as it hurts my heart, I shift over on the couch, putting a little bit of distance between us. It’s not his fault. Not at all. But my nerves and my magic are starting to fray again, and I’d hate to unintentionally hurt him.

Hurt tightens my vampire’s eyes, but he continues regardless.

“Somehow she found what you are and what significance the snowflake necklace around your neck held.” I reach up to caress said snowflake, but my fingers grab nothing but air, only reminding me further that my necklace is gone. Axel watches the movement with a pinched expression before swearing. “Fuck. She had it in her hand and I didn’t even think of grabbing it before getting back to you. I’m so sorry,cor meum.” Axel’s eyes scream his sorrow as he reaches out to me, but then he drops his hand, thinking better of touching me right now.

Luka’s knuckles audibly pop as he cracks them. “And where is this bitch now? I’ll get the necklace back.”

“Dead.” That single word goes off like a gunshot, every single one of us flinching at the intensity of which he speaks of her demise.

Thaddeus works his jaw and then opens his mouth, but instead of words, a heavy pounding on my door makes me jump almost out of my damn skin.

Saved by the bell… or well knock. As it stands, I don’t know if I’m ready to hear what Thaddeus has to say yet. And I’m sure as hell not ready to hear him say it wasn’t my fault. That’s the selfless kind of fae he is, letting people get away with almost murder. Bad choice of words after him banishing Miss Izzicle last night for well… almost murder. My murder. So, I’ll choose the lesser of two evils right now, because there’s only one asshole I know of that would have the stone balls to beat on my door like that.

“Fucking piece of shit rock bird,”I mutter under my breath, going for the door before any of the other guys can answer it.

Why?

Because I can’t stand the probing stares from my two mates and Thaddeus any longer. It’s like every word revealed just goes to ramp up the fiery rage my magic tempered last night. But knowing who’s on the other side of the door doesn’t really make it any better either.

Unfortunately, though, like Cassian drilled into us last night, I don’t have a choice in this matter. I’ll have bodyguards whether I like it or not. So, I might as well suck it up while they are here. Then when they go back to their room, I can go back to being pissed about it.

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