Page 35 of House of Malice
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Alecto could smell the spring in the air. And she absolutely hated it.
“I wish there were a world where we could live in a permanent fall,” she told Blaze.
He snorted and buried his face in her hair. “You are so weird. Why would you choose the season when nature is about to die, rather than a season when everything is about to be reborn?”
Because it matches how I feel in my soul.
But of course, Alecto didn’t voice it. Instead, she said, “Because it smells nice, and it’s cozy, and it’s dark, and I love the red and orange trees. The spring is so boring.”
Blaze hummed but didn’t argue.
They sat on one of the benches by the statue of Venefica’s founder. Alecto had just finished a lecture and had an hour free before she had another. She was pretty sure Blaze was skipping one of his lectures to sit with her.
He’d gotten her a black coffee and even a cinnamon roll. She hadn’t eaten today yet, so she devoured the roll without offering to share it with him.
“Have you read any more of your mother’s journal?” Blaze asked.
He took her hand and intertwined their fingers. Alecto watched the passing students, sipping on her bitter coffee.
“I have read the entries we skipped,” she said. “It’s just everyday college stuff, recollections of other Houses being mean to her, and then plenty of sappy shit about Galliermo.”
Blaze nodded.
“She never once mentioned your mom,” Alecto said. “Wasn’t she a member of our House?”
“She was,” Blaze said. “She didn’t belong to the Inner Circle. And you know, those who don’t belong to the Inner Circle are rarely ever involved with the people in it.”
Blaze was right. Except for Gael, they rarely ever interacted with the rest of the House on a deeper, meaningful level. And even Gael…they only paid attention to him because he was Andro’s boyfriend.
“I always wonder why Auburn chose a man like Galliermo,” Alecto said. “She’s so soft and sweet and gentle. Complete opposite.”
“Me too,” Blaze said.
His jaw was tight, and he didn’t seem keen on continuing this conversation. So Alecto didn’t push. They had time, she hoped. To figure out what lay in all those dark hidden corners within each other.
Students were streaming past them while they sat in silence, simply enjoying each other’s company. Galia trotted past, her blond bob swinging, without even throwing them a sideways glance. It was smart, safer for them to completely ignore each other.
Alecto’s heart sunk the moment she noticed the Dean leave the building, Miss Bellthrove in his wake. They were deep in conversation, moving through the campus, and Miss Bellthrove looked slightly distressed.
Either Miss Bellthrove was an excellent actress, or she was a clueless pawn. Alecto wished she knew what had transpired during that meeting she and Andro saw at Raul’s. They should have used magic to listen in.
Gods damn it.
“Do you think the Dean knows about our alumni’s plans to remove him?” Blaze asked quietly.
Alecto shrugged.
“Maybe. If he managed to pull off all these murders and other things to sabotage our House, he must know more than we even imagine,” she said after a moment.
“What if… what if there isn’t anything in the past?” Blaze asked. Alecto glanced up at him. “If the Dean knows that our guardians are trying to replace him with a Dean from the Snakes, wouldn’t that be enough of a reason for him to want to see our House fall?”
“I see your point,” Alecto said. “But I don’t think I agree. What the Dean is doing feels personal to me. A very well-calculated and thought-out plan of slow and painful vengeance, you know? If he wanted to keep his position as the Dean, he wouldn’t be risking it by murdering students and trying to enslave High Priests and Priestesses.”
“You’re right. That’s reckless and dangerous behavior,” Blaze agreed.
Alecto glanced at the massive bronze watch on the side of the building. “Alright, I have to head to my next lecture,” she said, rising to her feet.
