Page 46 of House of Malice
“Great. Once you are there, make sure you ask her if you can bring friends to help you sort through the reading materials,” Val instructed.
Alecto nodded. “I will. Should I try and bargain or let it go if she says no?”
Val considered her question for a moment before she said, “Don’t bother. If she says no, it means she isn’t willing to help us out.”
“And that means she’s in with the Dean?” Jolene asked.
Val only nodded.
“Look,” Blaze said, jerking his chin towards one of the pathways.
Two dark figures, one tall and one petite, were coming towards them.
“I can very well find my way to our meeting spot all on my own, Valeria,” Galia said, once she was close enough to them. Rogue, who was by her side, smirked but didn’t say anything. “You don’t need to send you errand boy to escort me.”
“I thought you’d be flattered,” Val cooed. “Royal treatment and all.”
Galia didn’t even bother to answer. She only pursed her lips and tilted her chin.
Val smiled and asked, “Do you have anything for us? Anything useful?”
“So far, he only asked me to gather the ingredients for the spell, but I already told you about it,” Galia said. “Since then, he’s been silent.”
“And how do we know you’re not lying?” Andre asked, narrowing his eyes.
Galia looked him up and down. “How much longer will I have to deal with such hostility? We have sworn oaths, made pacts, and all that. I have given you the information I know, risking the lives of my House. Do you want me to get on my knees and beg for you to believe me? Is that what it is?”
“I would not mind seeing you on your knees, but that won’t be necessary,” Val said. “We believe you. No need to cause a scene, Rathone.”
“You better tell me what you have done so far to stop the Dean and his plans, huh?” Galia crossed her arms. “Time is ticking, and the longer we wait, the more likely it is that he’ll discover that we’re working together against him.”
“We’re working on it,” Alecto said. “It’s not easy to find a way to stop the Dean of one of the most powerful colleges in Inathis, you know? Unless you would consider killing him.”
Galia blinked and then scrunched her nose. “Kill the Dean? Are you out of your damned mind, Black? We’re above such petty things. We’re from the Big Four.”
Alecto was surprised by Galia’s reaction. She exchanged a glance with Val and Blaze. Galia was acting as if murder weren’t part of the Game that all Houses participated in, hers included.
“Whatever you say, princess,” Val said with a smile. “We’ll update you when we know more.”
“No,” Galia said. “I want you to update me on what are you doing.Now.”
“Fine,” Val said, clearly amused by Galia’s attitude. “We are working on gaining access to Venefica’s archives so we can see if there is anything useful we can use against the Dean.”
“Why haven’t you gone to your alumni yet?” Galia asked. “They might be able to help sort this situation out.
They all exchanged glances, no one daring to say anything. Alecto wasn’t sure it would be smart to reveal their secrets.
“We are waiting until we have something solid before we consult our alumni,” Val said. “We can’t waste their time with petty child’s play.”
“Well, be quick about it,” Galia said and tossed her hair back.
20
The next morning, Alecto was making her way towards the administration building early in the morning. The sky was painted all shades of pink, and the morning air was pleasantly crispy.
Jolene was strutting by Alecto’s side, a thick wool scarf wrapped tightly around her neck. Only her eyes and forehead were visible.
“You know,” Jolene mumbled, “it might not be a bad idea to at least try and talk with the alumni about this whole thing.”
