Justin flinched hard, tears lining his eyes with silver. He blurted, “I found her nudes, alright! Nightmare threatened to tell my mum about my habit unless I got Honey on board, too.”
“Your habit,” I echoed.
“Coke, alright. Fuck!” He tore at his hair, the words forced from him against his will. His eyes bulged as he fought the magic and failed. “I couldn’t have my mum find out, she’d fucking kill me, okay? She’d cut off my allowance and ban me from the jet. The last time I fucked up, I had to stay home while everyoneelse went to Aruba, and Alyssa cheated on me with Tony fucking Moreno. And both of them are fucking dead now!”
I ignored the entitled whining. “What do you mean Nightmare wanted heron board?”
“She wanted her doing little jobs like the rest of us. Blackmail, threats, fucking fucked up shit, man.”
“Eloquent,” Miz drawled. He tilted his head, and Justin screamed. “So you had a hand in Honey’s death.”
“No, fuck, I swear I didn’t touch her! I just threatened to send those pictures to her mum.” Her mum, the vicar. “Anything that happened after, I wasn’t there.”
“Jesus,” Duncan said again, this time in disbelief. “You’re a piece of shit.”
“My thoughts exactly,” I hissed.
“You don’t know where Peach is,” Misery checked, watching Justin like he was a worm on a hook.
“No. God. I swear, I’d tell you if I knew.”
“He’s spineless,” I remarked. “I believe him.”
“So do I,” Miz agreed, but darkness flickered around him and within his golden eyes as his power surged. Justin’s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground, seized with a fit that lasted only seconds before he went still. “Unfortunately for Justin, I have no use for him, and no reason to keep him alive.”
“Holy shit.” Duncan jumped out of his seat and backed up. “Cat, I don’t know what’s going on here, but I am not a fucking part of it.”
“I haven’t seen a prairie dog either,” Wil added breathlessly, his fear obvious. Because Justin lay on the floor, dead, and he had no guarantee he wouldn’t be next. “But I’ll tell Cat the minute I see one, okay?”
“Fine,” Miz sighed, dismissive. There were no clues to be found here, but there was a whole room full of other people, andI watched him realise that, too. His back straightened, purpose filling his eyes.
“Catch you later, Cat,” Wil said and made a hasty exit. I wondered how long he’d keep his own mind, and how soon Cruelty’s manipulation would settle its fog over him again.
“You can’t trust him!” an unwelcome female voice blurted, and I spun to see Miz had woken four more students from the fog. One of which was an Asian girl with sleek brown hair, an eyebrow piercing, and an outfit of matching bubblegum pink Alo athleticwear. We locked eyes and heat shot through me, my temper like a flame. “Cat, you can’t trust him! I know you hate me, but pleaselisten.”
“You,”Misery said in a deep voice, full of enough foreboding to send shivers through me. I could have said something, could have moved towards him, or have reached across the bond, but I did nothing to stop him killing Phil.
She hit the polished floor with a thud, and while I flinched, while sympathy and regret tried to creep into my heart, I reminded myself of her betrayal. Honey died that night, in her room, waiting for us to go back to tell her all was safe. Instead, Cruelty murdered her and stole her likeness. And Phil made it possible.
I was done with sympathy, done with compassion for people who had wronged me. Maybe Phil was like the rest of us, and maybe Cruelty had fucked with her head and found a pressure point to exploit, but I didn’t care. She took my best friend. Miz took her life. Balance.
Mostly, I was wondering about who polished the floor she’d splayed against. Who kept Ford sparkling clean now it had been taken over by Cruelty and Violence?
Cat, you can’t trust him! I know you hate me, but please listen.
I shook my head. Fuck her mind games. I already had enough games to play with Cruelty; I didn’t need any more.
“Can’t trust who?” Madde mused, following my line of thought. “One of these bastards? Him?” He extended his finger at Duncan who hovered, close but at a safe distance from my husbands.
I shook my head. Shut out even the idea of that. I didn’t have many friends left, and only one I trusted not to stab me in the back. I wouldn’t start doubting him now.
Are you okay?Duncan mouthed when he caught my eye. When I nodded, he watched a moment longer to ensure I was sure, then backed towards the door.
“That’s sketchy,” Madde said, wrapping both arms around me and resting his chin atop my head. “Hovering and watching you isverysketchy.”
“He wanted to check I was alright. Probably because Miz is going around killing people,” I sighed, watching my psychotic husband move onto the next group. I knew them from classes we’d shared even if I’d never exchanged more than a handful of words with them. Nadia, Cataraina, Annabelle, and Leah.
“Miz!” I lunged towards him when a wordless scream of frustration left his throat, darkness pooling around him, his legs disappearing, arms next, until he was a cloak and nothing more. “Don’t—”
