Page 117 of House of Malice
Blaze tensed.
Rogue smirked. “Got one waiting for me back in Hel already.”
Right.Nico. The ex-assassin to the King of Hel. Blaze had been surprised and relieved.
“So, are you going to tell us what’s the matter?” Alecto asked Val. “I was contacted by the police yesterday about my father’s disappearance. His assistant reported him missing when he didn’t show up to his meetings for the whole day.”
Val looked at Alecto. “And? Do they suspect you?”
Alecto shook her head. “Not yet. They simply told me that he is missing and that they are doing their best to find him.”
“Do they know he went missing during the party yet?” Val asked.
“Yes. They are asking the people who attended the ceremony if they saw anything.”
Blaze swallowed his eggs and pancakes. He hoped nobody had seen them go off together. And he hoped nobody would put two and two together if they did.
“Then it is too soon to celebrate yet,” Val said grimly. “Remember your story and keep to it if the police contact you.”
Everyone at the table nodded.
“It’s a good thing my father is an influential man who has many enemies,” Alecto said. “The police will have a long list of suspects. Especially if we tip them off about the recent events at Venefica.”
Val’s gaze brightened and she smirked. “You’re a clever, wicked witch. We can point the finger at the Dean. His motive is clear.”
Alecto nodded. “And even if he has an alibi, that might keep the police occupied for a while.”
“Good, so we don’t have to worry about that now,” Val said. “But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be worried about other things.”
“What happened?” Andro asked, frowning. “Ah, wait. I am going for seconds.”
Val rolled her eyes. But she waited for Andro to go to the kitchen and get some more food. When he returned, she said, “The problem is that nothing happened. After the ceremony and the big reveal, the Dean hasn’t done anything. Galia said he has been completely ignoring working on his plans. He does not seem concerned at all.”
“And that is a problem how?” Jolene asked. “It’s a good thing he is giving us some time.”
“No, Jols. It is a very, very bad thing,” Val said. “It means he has done all the preparations he needs. It means that he might strike at us at any given moment.”
They all stopped eating for a moment.
“We need to get the paintings from him as soon as possible,” Val said. “He is still set to leave for his trip, and I have a hunch that once he’s back, he will finish what he started. We have to get in and steal the accumulated magic.”
“And what if he used it already?” Alecto asked. “What if he’s leaving so he can execute his plan, whatever that is?”
Val bit her lip hard and took a deep breath. “Well, then at least we’ll know.”
That didn’t sound too good.
“Okay,” Alecto said. “So, he’s leaving in two days, right?”
Val nodded.
“How are we getting into his house?” Alecto asked. “Past all the wards?”
“I spoke with Galia,” Val said. “She is aware of all the protection wards around his home, and I’m working with her right now to find a way to go about them. He placed wards that alert him if someone breaks his protective wards, so we need to find a smarter solution.”
“I can help,” Jolene said.
Val nodded. “Yes, we can go meet Galia later today at the Old Church. You can take a look at the spells.”
