Page 52 of A Lesson in Deceit
CORRIN
Ike thinks that he found out what they were doing, accused them of harming students and how he would report it. People do a lot of things when they get backed into a corner.
Ah, well that’s something new. Now you’re leaning towards it being a witch.
CORRIN
I don’t love saying it, but yes. I’m rotting at home this weekend, so I’ll see what else I can dig up, maybe get some coven members to talk. The moon gatherings are only twice a year so I don’t even know if they will remember if they felt anything off during those times. I could ask the interim coven leader, but that bitch is literally no help for a regular problem.
Interim coven leader? Is that a thing?
CORRIN
It’s a whole thing. Yes, I know this very odd fact is not lost on me. We got an interim coven leader a short time after your dad died…now that I think about it…
Okay, let me get Ike and go into a deep dive! Report back soon.
I blinked, trying to find a place to add this new information in my mind. I leaned over my bed and grabbed my backpack. I rifled through and found the police report again, my eyes going straight to River’s dad.
He wasn’t a witch, but something in my gut told me he had a part in this, even if it wasn’t actually hurting my dad. If nothing else, he failed to tell the policeeverythingand was covering up for someone, maybe this person Corrin was talking about. What was he even doing there that time of night?
He may have said all those nice things about my dad at that assembly, but I could guarantee he didn’t mean any of it. I tried to imagine him offering me condolences if things were different and River actually enjoying his company and wanting me to meet him. His name started to blur as I looked at it too hard.
I felt a wet tongue slide across my cheek and the smell of dog breath entering my nostrils. Beau maneuvered himself into my lap, making me move my hands and allowing him to cuddle into me. He let out a heavy sigh but remained still.
I massaged his neck, digging my fingers into his scruff. I leaned down and kissed the side of his face, feeling my anxiety decreasing. “Thanks, buddy.”
25
River
Isat on Grayson’s bed, leaning back on my hands. I’d left him downstairs to talk to his parents, walking out awkwardly when they gave me a look that said they wanted to talk to their son alone. He was aware that this was going to happen, but as someone who grew up with less than wonderful parents, seeing his mom and dad actually act accordingly was a little mind blowing. Grayson’s parents treated me like I was their son the moment I walked into their home and devoured every piece of food they put in front of me.
I’d been sitting up here for nearly an hour with the door closed, but I was nosey and wanted to know what was going on. Grayson had told me vaguely about his scholarship issues, but it was all fixed now, so one would assume: case closed. He worked hard to get into Mystic Riegan and have as little debt as he could when he graduated. Besides Asher, I think I learned a lot of my discipline from Grayson and his family. Well... most of it. I wasn’t a saint.
I hadn’t heardthatmuch of the conversation, but I’d let my powers wander and filtered through enough thoughts to get the gist. Their talk went back and forth between Tagalog and English so keeping up was a feat, but I’d learned various words and paidattention during conversations to be able to understand some things.
Most of what they’d said revolved around wanting him to be okay and that if anything was wrong to come to them. That this was his senior year and this kind of thing made them nervous. Before I heard him come up the stairs, he had assured them that he had handled it. Grayson had the best voice for reassurance, the inflection would have you thinking there was never a problem at all.
That and his charisma was probably why I was attracted to him so fucking much.
He gave me a tight-lipped smile, closing his door.
“How was that?” I asked, moving over to make room for him on his bed.
He scoffed. “Oh, like you weren’t trying to read our minds.”
I held my hands up. “For the record, I have not mastered simultaneous mind reading and translating so well, so I only heard a few things when I could.”
He bumped my shoulder, laughing. “It’s fine. You know how they are.”
“They care. Can’t blame them.”
He raised an eyebrow at me. “Mhmm, well, mom is getting ready to start making food. I asked her what it was and she said it doesn’t matter because River will eat it anyway.”
I barked out a laugh. “She’s not wrong and I adore her for that. Also the fact that she packs up leftovers for me in that Tupperware that has the little sections. Very accommodating.”
Grayson shoved me and then he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “So, about last night?”
