A two-hour drive had taken us off campus and straight to the frat house, where Hedgeford the Blackmailer was celebrating whatever pathetic milestone frat boys celebrated. Probably finding the latest roofie drug on the market.
I paid a drunk girl fifty bucks to steal his phone while Emeri slid under Hedgeford’s Lamborghini and planted a bomb under the chassis.
When we got back to campus, I stopped by Seraphina’s dorm and collected the ribbons she’d reluctantly laid out for me. From there, I made a quick detour to Blair’s room.
She had made it back safely and was snoring in her little bed nook. I’d also left her a few gifts to wake up to.
I’m nothing if not thoughtful.
Now, I walked the narrow cloister ledge, kicking my bootstogether as I moved along the stone and made a mental note to check the news in the morning.
Surely, the murder of a senator’s son—even a rat-looking motherfucker like him—would earn at least one headline.
After another hour of pacing the wall, I hopped down onto the courtyard grass. Before calling it a night, I slipped my mask back on, crossed the courtyard, and stopped outside Blair’s window.
I stood there for a moment, just in case she looked out.
My Fawn needed to know I was always watching.
Nine
Blair
“And here we go again.”
Daphne’s groggy voice dragged me out of my sleep.
I blinked, my eyes sluggishly adjusting to the morning light, as last night came crashing back into my head like a true crime documentary I’d never added to my watch list.
Enzo and his masked cult buddy dragged me through the woods, made me watch Enzo torture Jett, and then dumped me in the forest like discarded trash. I was barefoot, freezing, and my hand throbbed.
By the time I staggered back into the main building, my legs were shaking so badly that I could barely climb the steps. Headmaster Arisono stood in the entrance hall when I finally stumbled through the doors.
She looked at my muddy feet in disgust and said three words. “Strike one, Blair.” She turned and walked away without asking me if I was okay or needed help.
I ran upstairs to the dorms and burst into my room to find Daphne sitting on her bed, waiting for me. She pulled me into a hug, helped me clean the dirt and blood frommy skin, wrapped my hand, and we went to bed without talking about what had happened.
She’d already known.
So had Arisono, which was why she hadn’t asked if I needed help after coming back looking like I’d spent the night grave digging.
They had known Enzo was responsible.
I yawned, shifting under my comforter, and felt about as well rested as Enzo was sane.
The bitter cold nipped at my skin as goose bumps rose along my arms.
Something felt … off.
My bed nook wasn’t as dark as it had been yesterday.
Light spilled through the space in jagged streaks.
Groaning, I pushed myself upright, still foggy with sleep. Every muscle in my body hurt as I rested my elbow against my pillow.
Time suddenly seemed to slow when I saw what’d brought on Daphne’s comment.
I swallowed, my throat dry, as I stared at the curtain hanging in front of my nook. The fabric was sliced into ribbons. Long, uneven strips dangled from the rod like an animal had tried to claw its way through during the night. Scraps of the shredded curtain littered my mattress and spilled across the rug.
