Page 25 of House of Pain
When she finally opened the last door, a large array of glass containers lined the shelves.
“Bingo,” Alecto muttered, grabbing for a mason jar with a metal lid.
Suddenly, the light in the room went on.
“Miss Black?” There was no mistaking Professor Gabetown’s voice.
Alecto straightened, slowly turning to face him. She stole a glance at the terrariums, but Blaze was nowhere to be found.
“Care to explain why I’ve found you in the middle of the night in my greenhouse?” the professor asked, his eyes calm but clearly disappointed.
Alecto blinked, looking around, still clenching the glass jar in her hand.
Blaze had dipped. That motherfucker had left her.
Alecto opened her mouth to explain, but no words came out.
“I suppose it’s for the Game, isn’t it?” the professor inquired with a heavy sigh. “I’m afraid, Miss Black, rules are rules.”
She exhaled, anger burning her chest, but nodded.
“Yes, Professor,” she mumbled.
“Please put the jar back in place and come with me to the Dean’s office,” he instructed. She obeyed, putting the jar back and closing the door. “A month of detention will be a suitable punishment, don’t you think?”
She was going to kill Blaze.
10
“You really didn’t have to do it,” Andro said, shaking his head as they strode through the campus towards the rockey field. “We’re supposed to go against other Houses, not members of our own House, you dumb fuck.”
“I had a score to settle with Alecto,” Blaze replied. “I don’t understand what the big deal is.”
Blaze barely registered Andro’s hand grabbing the front of his T-shirt and whirling him around, his back slamming the stone wall of the cafeteria hall. Blaze blinked at Andro’s face just a few inches away.
With all that sass and glamour, it was easy to forget Andro had the muscles to beat anyone’s ass.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Andro hissed. “I love you like a brother, you know that. But Alecto is one of us. One of our Inner Circle. I’m not going to stand by and watch whatever the fuck you and Val are trying to pull off here.”
Blaze pushed Andro back. “Why do you assume Val’s involved?” Blaze dragged a hand over his hair. “This one is actually all on me.”
“Well, congratulations, dipshit. You’re being an asshole all on your own!”
Blaze growled, straightening his T-shirt, but Andro didn’t seem to be backing down.
“Leave her the fuck alone,” Andro warned. “I’m serious. Whatever the fuck is going on between you two, you need to solve it quickly, or the other Houses are going to figure out that something’s up. And you know damn well what they do when they find a weakness.”
Yes, Blaze knew well enough.
He was the one who could usually sniff out other people’s weaknesses and use them against them.
Everyone remembered Genevieve LaBronx from the House of Dragons. She was Blaze’s proudest work to this day.
The girl had to leave Venefica last year after Blaze and the Inner Circle were done with her.
“You just like to ruin my fun, don’t you?” Blaze murmured as they fell back into step.
“If that’s your idea of fun, then I must say that you have some serious issues, brother.”
