Page 42 of House of Ruin
Weird.
Blaze didn’t feel like throwing up.
“Val.Stop,” Andro said when they crossed Main Avenue and came to a corner where it turned into Seventh Avenue. “We gotta talk about this.”
Val whirled on her heel, her jaw tight.
Her dark eyes found Blaze, flickering to where Alecto’s hand rested in his palm before rising to meet his gaze.
Alecto’s fingers loosened, her hand slipping away.
Blaze didn’t try to stop it.
“When was the last timeyousaw Fallon?” Val’s voice was dangerously low.
Blaze frowned, trying to remember.
Ah, it must have been that night at the Sparkling Hoof when he’d been drinking alone. Last week. Or had it been longer than that already?
“Last week I think,” he replied, flexing his palms. “You don’t seriously think I did it?”
Val and Jolene spoke at the same time.
“Of course, I don’t” was Val’s answer.
“Well, after tonight’s performance, people wouldn’t be so sure about that” was Jolene’s mumble.
Andro clicked his tongue, his eyebrows raised all the way to his hairline.
Val sent Jolene a warning glare before saying, “Did you do anything with her that night? I know for a fact she hadn’t been seen on campus for around a week. And you already confessed to fucking the bitch once to the Detective Vin.”
“It doesn’t look good, man,” Andro said, shaking his head.
Had Blaze done anything with her that night?
Not as far as he could remember.
When he’d returned to the bar, Fallon hadn’t been around.
Blaze blinked, his memories hazy. He could remember himself drinking, but then there was only darkness.
Shaking his head, Blaze said, “Listen, we don’t know anything.”
“Show me the paper,” Alecto asked, reaching out to Val.
Val placed the paper into her palm, watching Alecto intently.
“In the wild, there are beasts that eat snakes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” Alecto read out loud.
There was a line wedged between her eyebrows as she studied the piece of paper for a moment.
“This is part of the Game. It has to be,” she finally said, looking up at Val. “It’s a warning and a clue for us, don’t you see? A puzzle.”
“Two murders seem a little bit extra, even for the Game.” Jolene folded her hands over her chest. She shivered, glancing around as if expecting someone to come after them from the darkness looming over the streets.
“That warning isn’t even very well written.” Andro scoffed.
“It’s not too extra for the Game if you intend to destroy a House,” Val said. “There will be more. Much more.”
