Page 66 of House of Malice
“If it had happened at any other time, I would have said yes,” Alecto said. “But with all the other things happening and the Dean…”
“It must be part of his plan,” Blaze said.
“He must have either a lot more power than we realize, or he must have a very powerful backup,” Andro said. “Killing students is one thing, but killing faculty members and framing it as suicide… How did he even do that?”
“Mind-control spell,” Val said. “That is why he had Galia gather the ingredients for it.”
Oh shit. Blaze hadn’t even thought of it.
“But if someone finds out that it wasn’t a suicide,” Alecto said, frowning, “Galia will be charged as an accomplice. Their whole House might be pulled into this.”
Val nodded. “I think this is why he involved her.”
“He’ll take the whole House down with him,” Andro said. “That is absolutely ridiculous.”
Val shot Andro a quick glance. “He’s not playing around. And he doesn’t care about the consequences or the collateral damage. That is what makes him extremely dangerous.”
The Dean was acting as if he had nothing to lose if things don’t go his way.
They walked around the main building and around the rocky field. Blaze hadn’t been back at Blood Lake since the incident with the Tigers. As he descended the path leading towards the docks, he pulled Alecto into him and draped an arm around her shoulders.
“You feeling alright, baby?” he whispered into her hair.
She nodded, wrapping an arm around his waist. It was still intoxicating, all this public affection. And Blaze had to admit he loved showing off that Alecto was his to everyone.
He wanted to do it everywhere, anytime, in front of everyone. Even his father.
Many of the students and the faculty were already gathered at the lake. There were tables covered with food and drinks, sprites whizzing through the air. Hundreds of light orbs floated above the water and their heads, illuminating the space.
As their group passed Galia and a few other Rats, her gaze followed them. But she didn’t offer any other form of acknowledgment.
Andro and Gael wandered off to get some drinks, while Jolene went to speak with a group of witches who were naturalists just like her. Val disappeared soon after, and so did Galia. Blaze and Alecto were left alone to their own devices.
“Want something to drink or eat?” Blaze asked her.
Alecto shook her head, watching the group of faculty members talking with the Dean.
“I actually liked him before,” Alecto said. “He seemed like a decent man. Maybe a bit incompetent and too nervous at times, annoying, of course, but a decent witch.”
Blaze nodded. His fingers played with her hair. “I know. He was the last person I would have suspected to be the Big Bad Wolf.”
“That is why he is the perfect Big Bad Wolf,” Alecto murmured. “Nobody would suspect him.”
“Do you think our parents did something unforgivable?” Blaze asked her. “That is the only reason I could think of that would warrant this sort of rage from him.”
Alecto shrugged. “I thought about it too. But I can’t figure out what it would be. He seems to have it all. What else is there?”
Blaze glanced at the Dean, who was still in the middle of a conversation. He seemed to be worried and full of sorrow while he listened to Professor Namiad explain something.
“Do you think it’s our fault?” Alecto asked, looking up at Blaze. “She let us into the archives. He probably knows. Oh, he probably knows we know.”
Blaze put his hands on her shoulders and turned her so she faced him fully. “None of this is our fault, okay? We are only trying to survive. And I don’t think he knows. How would he know? He doesn’t look like he knows.”
Alecto smirked. “And how would he look if he knew?”
Blaze also smirked and leaned in to kiss her. Before their lips met, he whispered, “I don’t know. You tell me: How does the Big Bad Wolf look right before he’s about to devour his victim?”
He kissed her, and she pulled him even closer to her. Their lips weaved together, and it gave Blaze butterflies. His cock hardened, and his soul was aching for her.
