Page 18 of Messenger of Death
That was a clue. It had to be why these Forsaken Ones were targeting them. One of them had some weird darkness power and Alexios was literally a sun god with the gift of prophecy.
I’d been wondering why whoever was doing this was framing them instead of trying to take them out. If Alexios could call the sun, maybe they couldn’t.
History was fascinating. It was my favorite subject outside of literature and computers. I was most interested in history books from different countries and the different perspectives from different cultures. Like, yeah, Vlad was kind of a shit, but he was also a hero to some of the people in my country. We didn’t actually believe the Dracula bullshit, but we took money from tourists, anyway.
And then that part turned out to be true. History was tricky. It was told by the victors and most people only ever heard their side of things unless they made it a point to read further.Professor Kane only started a brief introduction to the magical world because Khalid kept asking some pretty brilliant questions and Lola kept trying to get her to say anything to piss people off further at Ari, Ivar, and Alexios.
I wasn’t sure how much of that was her mind being messed with and how much was just her personality. She seemed to enjoy the arse kissing she was getting. A lot of people did at first until they realized how hollow the whole shitshow was. Everyone here was a reincarnation with a giant trust fund, so we were all on equal footing except for me and my stupid title. Lola should probably realize all these people had exactly what she had, so they could turn on her as soon as they got bored with her.
We made our way to Arcane magic next. Sage told us Professor Gefn would be going over birth control spells on the first day and that Morgana warned her they were time consuming and gave her a charm. None of us jumped at that, even if we might want to. Just because Sage had a birth control charm and was cosmically connected to us didn’t mean she wanted to hop in bed with any of us.
I didn’t even know if Sage had sex at all given her father. Speaking of, I pulled out my phone. She didn’t want him dead, but she did want him ruined and Icoulddo that. Sage was up ahead discussing something with Alexios and I was walking with Khalid and unfortunately Liam. Liam peered over my shoulder.
“Is this our secret mission to bring down the dick pic menace?” he whispered loud enough for literally everyone in the hallway to hear him.
“No. This is a side project. She doesn’t wantyouto stab her father, but she said in a perfect world, he’d lose everything. I’m putting things in place to make that happen because Blue Matthews made it very easy.”
“Shit, mate, did we just bond over making her father pay?”
“No,” I drawled.
Though, inmyperfect world, I wouldn’t mind ruining him and then unleashing the violent psychopath I’d be cosmically leashed to on him. That wasn’t like me, either. I was usually just fine with dishing some karma over a Wi-Fi connection, but it also wasn’t like me to snuggle withanyone.I was doing that and feeling better rested than I ever had in my entire life.
It was unsettling because I liked to think I knew myself very well.
“I want to make him pay, too,” Khalid said. “I want to makeyourfather pay as well, Liam. My Baba is amazing and I’m mad neither of you had that.”
Fuck me. I didn’t want to feel bad for Liam since I hated him, but it was hardnotto notice the look on his face any time Sage or Khalid wanted to take on the Irish Mafia over Liam’s childhood. And yeah, Liam’s childhood was terrible, too.
“Icouldlook into taking down the Irish Mafia,” I said. “I’m sorry, but your father deserves to pay.”
“Half the Garda are in his pocket and he’s got international connections. If he finds out it was you, he’ll do awful things to your family.”
“I get the feeling Lucian wouldn’t offer unless he knew he could take that whole empire down without a trace,” Khalid said.
“I don’t doubt the Prince of Darkness’s hacking skills now that we’re on a mission together. My Da has hackers on his payroll. If one of them isn’t getting the job done, he’ll just shoot them in the head until one does. Don’t risk it for me.”
Hrm. I was going to have to make taking down the Irish Mafia a side project. I’d have to figure out how to do it in a way that a bunch of folks didn’t get shot in the head trying to catch me because frankly, they never would.
I didn’t even know why that look on his face when he talked about his family bothered me. He was a violent loudmouth whohad assaulted me more than once. I shouldn’t give a shit. Ishouldbe finding a way to get rid of him.
I just didn’t have the heart for it. What was happening to me?
It wasn’t safe to discuss my theory in the open. It was probably also stupid to rush forward to join Ari, Ivar, and Alexios and walk with them to Arcane Magic, but I needed them to know we needed to have a second meeting.
“Red, be smart,” Ivar said. “No one is looking at us differently after Professor Kane pointed out clear as day we couldn’t have killed Kira. If anything, they are looking atyoulike you’re in on it and just waited to scream so we could have an alibi.”
“I am being smart. Unlike the rest of our classmates,Iwas paying attention to everything Professor Kane said. Meet me after lunch. I have an idea.”
Lucian, Liam, and Khalid caught up with me. They were up to something because they hung back instead of joining me. They’d tell me later.
The Arcane Magic classroom was something. There were drawings of the stars and constellations all over the walls, jars full of crystals, and tools I couldn’t begin to guess what they were for.
We had desks in history class, but there were rows of tables in this one. We took the one behind Ivar, Ari, and Alexios. Professor Gefn was up at the front. Wow. She was gorgeous and oozing power. She had to be a reincarnation. She also looked like she wasn’t going to be up for any of Lola’s shenanigans. Professor Gefn squared her shoulders and looked at us.
“Since I have to have this conversation every year, none of you are in high school anymore. My class isn’t the place to start anything you don’t want me to finish. I was Freya in my first life. She was a God of Love, Beauty, and Fertility, but she was also a God of War and Death. Kira was a warrior and should have been one of mine, but it didn’t happen like that. Do know I intend to find out which one of you is responsible.”
Lola snorted.
