Page 8 of House of Ruin
When Val didn’t start the meeting, Blaze glanced around.
Of course, someone else was missing. Someone Blaze had a hard time keeping out of his thoughts.
Finally, Alecto walked in, still in her academy uniform, three buttons of her white shirt open, crimson tie loose around her neck.
She walked over to the dining table, then settled on the top.
Blaze tilted his head to the side and licked his lips as he peeked at the open shirt, the black lace of her bra showing.
Ah, this girl had been a cause of Blaze’s misery for a long time. Recently, though, she had become a different sort of misery altogether.
“Why don’t you threaten her when she’s late?” Bea asked, pointing at Alecto.
Blaze’s eyebrows rose, and everyone’s attention shifted to Bea. It took her just a few moments to realize her mistake.
But it was too late.
“Pestio Demoes,” Val muttered, and Bea’s mouth sealed shut. Her lips disappeared, melting with the rest of her skin.
Not so subtly, Blaze pressed a thumb over the corner of his mouth to hide an amused smirk as Bea’s eyes widened, her fingers desperately clawing at the place where her mouth had been.
“Next time, you’ll remember to watch your mouth around the Inner Circle,” Val said, her voice void of any emotions. “Let’s see how long a witch can survive without food or water.”
“I’m pretty sure the record is a month,” Gael said.
Andro chuckled.
“Can you top that, Bea?” Val smirked. The girl shook her head, her wide eyes full of unshed tears. “Alecto, how long for her to learn the lesson to not speak against the members of the Inner Circle?”
All attention shifted to Alecto sitting atop the table, her long legs swinging.
Ignoring the waiting eyes, she adjusted her over-the-knee socks, lifting them higher. Blaze’s eyes darted to where her fingers lay, just beneath the hem of the short skirt.
There was a whole fucking storm stirring inside Blaze. A storm that had nothing to do with the anticipation buzzing in the room for Bea’s punishment.
“I’d say make a new record,” finally Alecto said.
Val’s smirk was dark and sinister as she turned her attention back to Bea. But Blaze could only focus on Alecto.
Three months ago he would have been surprised by her cruelty. It wasn’t something he would have expected from a half witch.
But a lot had changed since then. Blaze had learned a lot.
Alecto Black was unbreakable, and she was just as cruel as all of them. If not crueler.
And it was a damned turn-on.
“I’ll give her a month and a day,” Val said, looking at Bea. The desperation in her face was so obvious, it sickened Blaze. “Anyone else has any other bets?”
“A month and a half.” Gael was the first to counter Val’s bet.
“Come on, have a little bit more faith in our member,” Andro said, pouting. “I say two months.”
A few more suggestions went around their group. There were a few more laughs and giggles.
Alecto wasn’t laughing, though, her icy-blue gaze locked with Blaze’s.
“I say two weeks max,” Blaze said, not letting Alecto’s gaze waver.
