Page 167 of House of Pain
Without knocking, Val burst into Alecto’s room to find her sitting on her windowsill, a script ofCarmenresting on her knees.
Alecto removed the earbuds, surely ones she got from the mortal world, and asked, “Do you mind?”
“Did you take the Book?”
“No, I did not.”
“Son of a bitch,” Val cursed.
Alecto let her legs down.“What the fuck is going on?”
Blaze didn’t miss the fact that she hadn’t glanced his way, as if he once again didn’t even exist.
He couldn’t be mad about it. This was what he wanted.
But it still stung.
“The Book is gone,” Val hissed, brushing a hand over her hair. “It’s not in the basement anymore, and I can’t find it anywhere in the House.”
“Maybe Andro or Jolene?” Alecto asked.
“No, I’ve asked them. I’ve also performed a locator spell, and nothing is showing up in the House.”
Blaze rubbed his face.“Someone got past our protection enchants.”
Oh, fuck.
“We’re going to have to call a meeting with the rest of the House,” Val announced after a moment. “Meet me in the living room in ten. Blaze, get Andro and Jolene.”
With that, she was out of the room.
Blaze didn’t linger, following her without a glance at Alecto.
He rushed down the corridor and swung open the door to Jolene’s room to find her lying on the floor, writing.
Before she could ask a question, Blaze blurted out, “Someone stole the fucking Book. Meeting in ten.”
“Wait—” Jolene called after him, but Blaze didn’t stop rushing down the corridor to Andro’s room.
He found his best friend straddling Gael in his bed.
“Do you mind?” Andro asked.
“Our Book is gone,” Blaze snapped. “You’ll have time to fuck around when we find it. Meeting in ten.”
Andro immediately jumped off his bed.
“It’s impossible,” he said. “I didn’t feel anything trying to mess with our wards. Did you?”
Blaze raked a hand through his hair, then shook his head.“Let’s move,” he urged, and then he was rushing down the stairs to the first floor, where the rest of the House was already gathering.
Once the Inner Circle were all there, they waited for a few more moments for the rest of the House to come.
Twelve heads were sitting in the room, all their eyes wide with fear and worry.
Someonewas missing though.
“Val…” Blaze said, scanning the room.
