I froze, not having expected her to say the word out loud.
“I see,” I said slowly. My shadows moved the white sheet back to cover the man before I stood. I needed to handle this very carefully. Marion was already closely watching my too-blank expression. “So you’re implying that there’s one here, on the campus, that got through our Sensors?”
“It’s not an implication, it’s a fact. I was personal Healer to His Majesty King Rogelio II on the day of his second assassination attempt.”
Ah, yes. Thesecondassassination attempt, because he’d had four or five. I could never remember, even though it was one of those useless facts I was made to learn while growing up, because it was more important for a future king to know how many assassination attempts his ancestors had survived than it was to study something important, like taxes.
I almost snorted. I actually had no idea how to do taxes. Did I evenpaytaxes as a prince?
I should probably know that.
I made a mental note to ask my fake friend Wyatt about that later.
Marion cleared her throat, and I blinked several times, remembering what she’d just said. King Rogelio II was my grandfather’s father, and–
Wait a minute. “How old are you?” I blurted.
Marion stared at me, her expression one of cool indifference.
Right.Rude. Don’t ask ladies their age.
Anyway, King Rogelio II was my grandfather’s father, and he’d veryfamously been attacked by a Telekinetic who’d tried to assassinate him viasquishing.
That seemed to be a popular method of killing for Telekinetics, as demonstrated by the squeezed affinate at my feet.
“My Prince, if I may speak freely?” Marion’s fingers twitched at the hem of her cardigan.
I nodded.
“There are several who were killed in this manner. But there is one that confuses me. A student.”
I nodded again. Landon. I knew Skye had killed him. He was too out of control, practically begging her while we looked on. I was still surprised Skye had actually done it.
“Take me to him,” I sighed.
Marion dipped her head, then led me away, toward the ruins of the astronomy tower. Wyatt kicked off the wall where he’d been standing guard, following several yards behind me and Marion.
Landon was, thankfully, covered with a sheet where he lay in the burnt grass. Marion clasped her hands in front of her as I knelt down. My shadows reached for the sheet, and Marion held out a wrinkly hand to stop me, her gaze behind me.
I glanced over my shoulder, seeing Wyatt hovering nearby like he was my personal guard, even though he’d told me a million times he didn’t want to be my personal anything.
I sighed. “It’s alright,” I told her. “He’s one of my Link-mates.”
Marion’s white eyebrows rose. “Link-mates? Not a Link?”
I narrowed my eyes at that, not sure if that was just a curious question or an insult. Marion didn’t seem like the insulting type, but I couldn’t be sure.
“Forgive me,” she said, bowing her head slightly.
I cleared my throat, gesturing toward the sheet.
“What am I going to see under here?” I asked.
Marion struggled to crouch down next to me, which had both me and Wyatt reaching for her in case her legs gave out.
Marion sighed, then murmured, “This one was killed by…theenigma, though I do not believe he was an attacker.”
I breathed out slowly.
