Page 60 of Shadow Bonds

I push it to the back of my mind and head towards the library.

I should be researching more about the Variant and the barrier runes around the academy anyway. Using it as an excuse to avoid four male Shadows for a little longer, I get moving while making sure my shields are up, and Malakai can’t see where I’m going.

Walking into the library, I feel eyes on me but ignore them and head to one of the desks at the back.

“I knew she was faking it,” a voice close by says.

I ignore it, drowning out everyone and their drama to try to find anything more on the dark energy used by the Variants.

I finally come across a book when I find multiple pages missing. As if someone tore them out. I move onto another book, quickly getting lost in the pages when a shadow crosses my vision.

I glance up to find a girl with ashy blonde glaring at me and a group of others all standing behind her. They move closer when they see I’ve noticed them.

“What?” I ask wondering what she’s looking for.

“Drop the act, Sena. We all know the truth now.” She flips the phone in her hand and shows a video of… me, but not me. I’m talking to the camera, drunk off my head, telling everyone about one big game I’m going to pull off soon. And how when I pull it off, people won’t know what hit them. I/She giggles and then the video cuts out.

“What is that supposed to prove?” I ask while wondering what game the other Sena was talking about.

The blonde narrows her eyes on me. “It’s over for you now. We have proof.” She waves her phone in front of my face. “You’ve been faking your amnesia this whole time and you just got caught.”

“And you got all that from me being off my head and talking about some game?” Some people have too much time on their hands. I head back to the shelves and start looking for something useful, hoping she’ll just leave if I don’t play into whatever games she’s playing.

“So, you’re admitting it?” she asks and glances over at the others giving them a ‘I told you so,’look.

“No. I’m ignoring you and your stupidity,” I mutter trying to blank them all out while I look for another book.

Realizing I’m not going to find anything useful in this aisle, I put the books back and start making a move to the next one when Arabella appears beside the blonde, blocking my path.

She sends me a glare before taking the blonde’s arm and giving her a sad look. One that’s completely fake of course. But the blonde doesn’t seem to be able to read past her manipulation and lies.

“I didn’t want to say anything. But when I was in that cave with her in the Wastelands, I saw Sena push Cora,” Arabella tells the blonde before forcing out a couple of tears.

Her blatant lies are like a punch to the throat. I take a step toward her. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“She tried to blame me for it, but it was her all along. I was just too frightened to say anything in case she sent her mates after me.” Arabella shrinks back as if actually frightened, but I see the dark glint in her eyes.

“Youpushed her, you absolute psycho.” I head straight for her, but the blonde steps in front of her to protect her.

I clench my fists by my side as anger slams into me.

Arabella leans around the blonde and sniffles. “Why would I do that?”

“Because you’re a horrible person,” I grit out while looking for an opening.

“I’mthe horrible person and yet you’re the one pretending you lost your memory to gain sympathy.” Arabella glances round the library and at the large crowd now gathered before raising her voice. “She’s probably faking being a mate too. That or she used some dark magic to make it look like it’s real. I wouldn’t put it past her.”

Everyone in the library glances at me with frowns. Some with disgust as they fall for her lies and manipulation.

A group of male Shadows come over and glance from me to Arabella. Without asking what’s going on, they turn to Arabella and the blonde. “Get out of here.”

The blonde glances from me to them with a snarl while Arabella looks shocked for a moment before masking it with a glare. “She’s probably fucking them too. Slut!” She grabs the blonde’s arm. “Come on, let’s get out of here. I don’t want to be in the same room as a killer anyway.”

The blonde glares at me before turning around and heading out. The crowd quickly clears with the glares the group of male Shadows are sending them.

I spot Robin among the small group in the crowd and call out to her. But frown when I see the look on her face. Surely, she doesn’t believe anything Arabella has said.

“Robin?” I call out again, but she frowns at me and takes a step back, shaking her head before turning around and heading off with the girls.

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