Page 64 of Blood Oath
Kenzie’s sharp gasp of dismay draws my attention to where she’s gawking at Dirk’s phone screen. “Gods, I heard it was bad, but that’s…really bad.”
Curious, I lean over and see that Dirk has a picture of the burning pyres, apparently taken by some other student before the faculty arrived. It’s a graphic image of four headless legacies burning on makeshift wooden spires in a courtyard, black smoke ascending from the bodies dressed up to look like members of the Immortal Quintet—complete with each flag of the Four Houses hanging in shreds. Written in blood on the courtyard wall behind the morbid scene are five words: Monster spawn deserve to die.
Vivienne sees the picture, too, and clutches her stomach as she turns green. “Oh, gods. Is—is that someone’s head on the ground? I think I’m going to puke.”
Poor thing really won’t have the stomach for combat after graduation.
Kenzie looks mildly disgusted, too, and Baelfire huffs at Dirk. “Put that shit away before you make my mate sick, too.”
“Oh—sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up right now,” Dirk says quickly, shooting me an apologetic grimace just as I take my first bite of mashed potatoes. “Sorry if that ruined your appetite, Maven.”
I finish chewing and swallow. “Oh. Right. That’s disgusting.”
Bael’s brows go up. “You’re taking another bite.”
“Because I’m hungry.”
Now, he looks like he’s trying not to laugh. “Strong stomach. You’re kind of a psychopath, aren’t you, Boo?”
Only out of necessity.
“I just don’t understand why someone would do something like that, even if they’re anti-legacy,” Vivienne mumbles, still looking queasy. “Why focus on the Immortal Quintet? They’ve sacrificed so much for everyone, and they’ve always been kind to humans.”
I almost choke on my next bite but manage to swallow. It’s better to bite my tongue here. The last thing I want is more people here suspecting me of being involved in the anti-legacy movement, especially in the wake of the pyres.
Feeling Baelfire’s eyes on me, I glance up at him. He frowns, opens his mouth to ask something, and then shuts it again. He shakes his head, leaning and dropping his voice so I’m the only one to hear him.
“You know…you can tell me anything, Maven. Literally anything. I’m always on your side.”
“Pick a different side,” I mumble, gathering my plate to leave.
Because there’s no winning with me.
Baelfire, of course, tries to follow me from the eating hall, even though he’s not done eating, but when I insist that I’m just going to the bathroom, he relents and waits outside. After trying to sense if Crypt is near, I decide I’m alone. Pulling out the crumpled piece of paper Harlow handed me and setting it on the counter, I frown at it.
If it’s not trash, then maybe…
Drawing a deep breath, I chant the words to cast a small ember spell, the flame flickering precariously at the tip of my finger. This is truly one of the more impressive spells I’ve perfected, which is…admittedly pathetic.
Holding the flame under the paper so it will be backlit without burning it, I arch a brow at the writing that shows up out of nowhere.
Thursday. Midnight. Ruins in Everbound Forest. No outsiders.
Outsiders?
This is something I should just brush off. I’m already cutting it close with my mission here, and I’ve just added assassinating a wolf shifter into the mix, thanks to that demon’s request. I’m hardly a reckless person, and a mysterious midnight meeting in the forest practically screams that someone is going to try to murder me there.
That, or they’re just trying to scare me.
Either way, I can’t wait.
Burning the paper, I snuff out my spell and glance in the mirror, sighing at my reflection. “He’s right. You are kind of a psychopath.”
19
MAVEN
After two days of research, I’ve decided I’ll sleep like a baby after assassinating Orson Lykoudis.
