Page 57 of Messenger of Death
“Everyone says we have bonds in this life. I don’t feel any connection with anyone here. Lola literally appeared to me beaten and broken and triggered all my protective instincts. This is probably a test.”
“Have you ever thought you can protect her, but she’s not the one? Artemis and Apollo shared a womb, but they were born to different parents years apart in this life. The person you arebonded to might not be here yet or they might have already graduated?”
Someone had to say it. Khalid thought the breeze was going to blow the wrong way and Mazen was going to go evil, but Igothim and I trusted Sage’s read on people. Lola triggered my protective instincts at first, too, and still did to a point, but now I was starting to see she wasn’t very nice. I’d jump in to protect her and Iprobablywouldn’t make good on stabbing her, but I didn’t really want to be around her.
Maybe there was some secret side of Lola that only Mazen saw, but she was rude to our professors and she made fun of people all the time. She didn’t understand consent at all because I’d repeatedly asked her to stop touching me and I had to guard my cauldron so she didn’t sabotage me.
“I just don’t know. All of this is such a mess. I didn’t believe in any of this stuff when I got kidnapped. I had my ideas and my past and that was enough. Then I find out I’m a reincarnation of an old god and it’sthatgod and I don’t understand anything anymore. I’m not a bad person.”
“You know my girlfriend, Sage? The really hot one with legs for days? Actually, don’t notice her legs, even ifyourgirlfriend won’t leave me alone. She’s got this foretelling thing going on. Khalid has some feelings about you being Set, but Sage’s feelings actually mean something andshethinks you’re a good person.”
“I’m not a cheater and I don’t creep on girls who are taken. But thank you for telling me that. I’ve actually been reading about the Morrigan. She might be the one who figures this out.”
“We’re working on it. But remember what I said.Youmight not be a cheater, but Lola might be. And the Fates are bitches, but this might not be a test. It could just be you being unhappy for nothing. Your mate could be out there somewhere.”
“Noted. If Sage finds anything out about who is hurting people, can you bring me in on it?”
“Yeah, mate.”
Because yeah, Khalid was worried about Evil Set but I imagined if we hadGoodSet on our side, he could do some damage. Weallneeded to befriend Mazen because if Lola was makingmestabby, she could be that thing Sage said would push Mazen over the edge.
And I had to tamp down the stabby feelings because I had to go be alone with that girl so I didn’t flunk potions.
I’d never been in a fist fight before and it wouldn’t go well if I started one now with the person I wanted to start one with. Lola needed to keep her damned hands off Liam. He didn’t like it and he’d asked her several times. She was torturing Mazen, who’d accidentally shifted in potions twice and had to leave.
I was ready to unleash some of the things Professor Adamastus taught us in combat class on Lola’s face after she refused to meet Liam in the library or potions lab for tutoring. That would end really bad for me because I’d be accused of being the one who hurt her the first time and I was pretty sure she had her boyfriend do that to her to throw everyone off her scent.
Liam held me back and told me he could handle it. I wasn’t mad at him, I was mad ather.I was in my dorm room with my guys and Morgana and her guys ranting. I was pretty sure this was another distraction.
Everyone said the Morrigan or Apollo was going to be the ones who figured out who was doing this. I figured it out, and it wasn’t cool. She turned Alexios into someone who hurt women. If I reacted to thisat alland pointed the finger at her, she’d paint me as the scorned woman.
Bitch.
And I didn’t think it was an accident she found us first. Hemlock and Harami wouldn’t have known about vampires, but Lola would have. And a lot of the information was wrong. She could have thought getting Lucian’s blood to heal her would make the feelings she had go both ways.
“Want me to curse them?” Morgana asked.
“What?”
“Whoever you’re mad at.”
“She’s mad at Lola,” Khalid said.
“If she touched me the way she’s touching Liam, I probably wouldn’t be able to stop myself from biting her, even if she doesn’t smell appealing at all.”
“It’s weird, right? Everyone has a scent but her,” Khalid said.
This could be my segue to mention I thought Lola was Hemlock but then I felt this overwhelming sense of dread. I was connected to Lucian and Khalid through blood and bites, but I was also connected to Liam on a primal level.
“Liam’s in danger,” I said, storming out.
I didn’t know how I was going to take on a fully awake reincarnation with void powers, but I’d figure it out. My crows flew in the window. One landed on each shoulder and the other flew ahead.
“Is he okay?” I asked.
“He’s alive. We don’t think she wants him dead.”
We stormed down the hall to Liam’s dorm. It was locked. Elliot pushed me aside.
