“What do you mean?” Tatiana gasps, “How would you know? It’s a concrete box.”
He laughs mirthlessly. “Lev, enlarge the image, bottom left-hand corner.”
We’re all crowding in, bumping heads, and trying to see the image as the Dean hums, sorting the pens in her desk drawer.
There’s a brown stain on the wall. “See that splatter of blood?” Aleks said coldly. “I watched when it was made. I was sixteen. My father dragged me down to the sub-basement to watch him torture someone. The man didn’t have any information to give, he just enjoyed inflicting that kind of agony. When he cut his throat and dropped him to the floor, the blood spray hit the wall. I remember thinking the shape of it looked like a rabbit, and what a stupid thing that was. Leonid never allows these rooms to be cleaned. He enjoys watching the blood stains grow over the years.”
“Gesù Cristo, I’m sorry, Aleks,” I murmured.
He looks at Tatiana and Lev. “This is at my father’s ski chalet in Switzerland, I’m sure of it.”
“Then let’s go,” Tatiana said. “Lev, who do we trust implicitly of the Bratva’s soldiers?”
“I’ll call my father,” Kon said, “I know he’ll want to be a part of this.”
“And Maksim as well,” Mariya added.
I only wish I could say the same for my brothers.
“Students of the Ares Academy may not leave the grounds for any reason during the academic year,” Dean Christie interrupted.
“You must be joking,” Tatiana snapped. “Then I withdraw from the academy.”
“That will not be possible,” the Dean said, “only a parent or legal guardian may remove a student from enrollment, no matter the student’s age.”
Tatiana shoots to her feet. “Mylegal guardianis about to be tortured and murdered! I amleaving!”
“However,” Dean Christie cuts in, “I may, at my discretion, suspend or expel students for violation of the school code. I do believe that the three of you murdering a student and attempting to dispose of the evidence - even in self-defense - does fall under that category.”
“I also participated in the murder and attempted coverup,” Kon lies, standing up.
“I did as well,” Mariya rises next to him.
“No, you didn’t!” Tatiana snaps. Turning to the Dean, she pleads, “They didn’t! They don’t deserve any disciplinary action.”
Mariya takes her hand. “You can’t stop us,sestra. We’re coming with you.”
Dean Christie stands, surveying us.Even in those ridiculous cow pajamas, she has a certain gravitas going for her.“Very well. You are all suspended from the Ares Academy. Should you wish to continue here after your fourteen-day suspension, you should expect disciplinary action.”
She must see the blood drain from my face. “None of it will involve my power tools.” Waving her hands impatiently, she says. “Go! You have sixty minutes to leave the school grounds.”
There’s no way I’m letting Tatiana out of my sight, so I ask Konstantin to pack for me and I take Mariya and her back to their rooms. When Athena opens the door,Meiying and Jun Chen are there.
“Did you really think we were going to let you be suspended without us?” Meiying demanded.
“This isn’t your fight,” Tatiana said, hugging her fiercely. “We can’t ask you to endanger your positions here to-”
“In our family, loyalty is above all things,” Jin interrupts her. “You are family. We are here.”
Tatiana hurries to her room to gather her things. “How did you know?” I asked.
Meiying tilts her head to Athena. “She came barreling down the hall, pounding on my door. We got most of the information from one of the guards who’s… friendly.”
“Is that what we call fucking the help now?” Jun smirks. He groans as his sister punches him in the back.
“It’s called intelligence gathering, asshole!” Meiying snarls.
“Thank you,” I said, gripping his forearm. “Pack and meet us by the front gate within fifteen minutes.”
