Jasper shrugged. “The slayers didn’t target any specific species. They went after all shifters.”
“True,” one of the officials murmured. “But at least we knew their motive. They killed shifters to steal their hides for power. This culprit’s endgame is unclear and that’s not acceptable. We must get to the bottom of these murders. People are starting to panic.”
“What more are we supposed to do?” I asked. There was only so much a group of students could do. The Officials should be the ones stepping up their game. Surely, they had unlimited resources.
“More investigating,” one replied. “You students can move about in the villages without much attention. We can’t. And the presence of the authorities will not only cause citizens to panic but will alert the killer. We’re hoping we can use the resources we have―the Core Council is this case―as a more subtle approach for now.”
Great. We were a subtle resource to them.
“However, if these murders continue we won’t have any choice but to increase the presence of the authorities. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“All the shifters that have been killed so far are couples,” Ren murmured absently. “All of them domestic partners.”
All eyes turned to him.
“That’s true.” Enrique rubbed his chin. “Jealousy is a possible motive.”
Theo glanced at me. I knew what he was thinking. If Enrique was right, we were attacked because we were lovers. He couldn’t say it out loud because the Officials couldn’t know we went off campus unauthorized. Dracus’s brows were drawn together. He looked from me to Theo with interest. He was thinking the same thing.
“We’ll work with what we’ve concluded so far,” he announced. “Put a spin on our method of patrolling to see if Ren and Enrique are on to something.”
I lifted a brow. I had no idea what kind of spin he was thinking.
“Do what you have to do. Take time from your studies if you must.”
I gasped and swung around to glare at the official who dared to utter such treachery. Theo snickers at my reaction. Heat seeped into my face, and I settled down. Gods, I was turning into a total nerd like Priscilla. She’d have a conniption if she was told to “take time from her studies.” Clearing my throat lightly, I nodded. “I agree, of course. We’ll do what we must.” That seemed to satisfy our mysterious bosses. They all nodded and, within seconds, disappeared.
Theo broke the silence. “Take time from our studies. That’s the most useful advice the officials have ever offered.”
“Of course, you would think that,” I scoffed. “Unlike you, I care about my grades.”
“Relax, Fiona,” Dracus drawled, “there will be no sacrifice of educational progression on my watch.” His lips twitched at the corners.
“Are you teasing me, Dracus?”
Jasper’s low chuckle earned him one of my withering glares.
“It isn’t fair for any of you to sacrifice your education. You are first and foremost students. Being a council member falls second.” Dracus stood up and straightened his jacket. “Therefore, I’ll do the best I can to balance our patrolling duties to leave room for studying.” He gave Theo a pointed look. “Which some of us have been neglecting.”
Theo rubbed the back of his neck and flushed. “I never claimed to be a perfect pupil,” he grumbled.
I held up a finger. “Dracus? What did you mean when you mentioned putting a spin on our patrolling method?”
Everyone turned to Dracus.
“If this mystery murderer is indeed targeting only couples, we’ll present the appropriate bait. A couple.” His gaze focused on me. “Are you up for it Fiona? Being bait?”
“We’re certainly up for it,” Enrique purred. “Finally, a little excitement.”
I snorted. “You call being bait for a killer excitement? You’re sick.
“A little,” he grinned.
Rolling my eyes, I sighed. “Sure, I’m up for it.” My guess is, I’d be posing as a couple off campus with one of the guys...which wouldn’t really be posing. We’d be a real couple.
The next day, I sat on a stretch of lawn with Priscilla and Amara. Tonight, I’d be going back to the cabin with Theo. We were hoping to draw the killer out by flaunting our romance. If we were attacked, then we’d be one step closer to figuring out a motive.
“Fiona, are you alright?” Priscilla peered at me over her glasses. “You’ve been out of it all day.”
I blinked. “I’m fine. I just have a lot on my mind.”
“Care to share?”
I shook my head and glanced at Amara, who was waving to someone passing by. Priscilla nodded her understanding. I couldn’t discuss any council matters in front of our new friend. The only student on campus who had an inkling of what the Core Council was really about was Priscilla.
Amara’s attention returned to us. “Fiona, you never got around to telling me about your trip. How was it?”
“It was okay. I mostly went for Dracus. He wanted a little emotional support to get through the trials.”
She sighed. “His father and brother, murdered. That’s rough. It’s a good thing he has you as a support system. So, how are you two doing as a couple? You did say you two were dating, right?”
I nodded. “We’re doing...okay.” Considering that I was keeping secrets that he was sure to hate me for.
“Please, don’t think I’m just being nosey. I just love love.” She practically floated to the grass to lay on her back. Staring up the sky with a dreamy expression, she sighed. Priscilla and I shared amused glances. Amara didn’t say anything further, so we shrugged and left her to whatever or whomever she was daydreaming about.
“Are we on for studying tonight?”
I gave Priscilla an apologetic smile. “I’m afraid not. I really wanted to get some studying done tonight but I have...a thing.”
“A thing?”
“Uh huh. A thing.”
Priscilla glanced at Amara, who still seemed to be in dreamland. “Oh. Right. That’s too bad, you still have to make up for what you missed.”
“I’m getting there. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay.” Priscilla nibbled her lower lip. I knew she was dying to ask me about the latest developments with the Officials and the council. I was a little relieved Amara was present because I wasn’t in the mood to talk about council matters. Especially about gruesome murders.
Just as I was about to gather my things and bid the girls farewell, I heard, “Fiona.” I stiffened and held back my groan. Looking up, I made contact with smiling gray eyes.
“Hey, Radolf.” I glanced at Priscilla with a pained look. We just made amends. I didn’t want her mad at me again. However, she shrugged and bit into her apple. She didn’t blush at the sight of him, so I took it to mean her crush was dead.
“Welcome back. I heard you were gone for a few days.”
“Boy, word sure does get around campus.”
He chuckled. “Nobody minds their business around here. Get used to it. Anyway, I just wanted to say hi. You look good.”
Ducking my head, I fought against the heat threatening to consume my face. I wasn’t comfortable with him giving me compliments around Priscilla. I stole a glance at her, but she didn’t look upset. Blowing out a breath, I smiled. “Thanks.”
Hands in his pockets, he gazed at me for a moment too long. Awkward. He glanced at Priscilla and Amara, apparently deciding against saying whatever else he wanted to say. “I’ll see you later then.”
“Sure.” I smiled.
As soon as he was gone, Priscilla’s soft laughter reached my ears. I frowned. “Okay, what’s so amusing about that painfully awkward encounter?”
“You. You don’t have to feel bad about him liking you, Fi. You kept throwing me these worried glances and I feel awful.”
“Whatever for?” Amara sat up and looked from me to Priscilla. “Am I missing something?”
I snickered. “A whole lot. But, seriously, P, why do you f
eel bad?”
She pushed her glasses up on her nose. “I don’t blame you for his interest in you. So, you don’t have to panic whenever he talks to you in my presence. I don’t mind.”
I exhaled. “Okay, that’s a relief.” There was no avoiding Radolf talking to me again. The guy was persistent. I’d feel better knowing Priscilla didn’t resent me anytime he approached me. Grabbing my bag, I hopped to my feet.
“Oh no, are you leaving already?” Amara gazed up at me with a pout. “I haven’t spent time with you. You’re always running off.”
“One of these days I’ll have the time, I promise. We’ll make a girls’ day out of it.”
“Or night,” Priscilla chirped. “There are some good campus parties coming up.”
“Ladies’ night sounds great to me. I’ll see you guys later.”
Chapter 8
The cabin was eerily quiet. I watched Theo pace back and forth in front of the window. Agitation radiating from him. Every now and then, he sighed and combed his fingers through his hair. A notebook with notes exceptionally taken by Priscilla laid open in front of me. I don’t know why I bothered to bring it along. I hadn’t gotten any studying done. Not with Theo’s constant pacing and my already high level of anxiety.
“I can’t believe you’re able to focus.”
I glanced up with raised brows. “Oh, I’m getting absolutely nothing done, trust me. I’ve been staring blindly into the notebook the entire time.”
He grunted. “Then why do you have it open?”
“Because it was worth a try.” I sighed and slammed the book shut. “I thought since we’d be in the cabin rather than patrolling the campus grounds and villages, I get to catch up,” I held my index finger and thumb together, “just a little. No such luck.”
Theo strolled over to the table and drew a chair. “Give it up, Angel, it’s impossible to study on this high stake, deadly mission.”
“What is this a spy thriller? And why are you smiling? There’s nothing funny about what we’re doing here.”
“The edge of danger is a little exciting. At any minute, a mysterious killer might burst through the door to try and finish what he or she started weeks ago. I wonder if we’re the only ones who got away.”
I shook my head and eyed him with disbelief. “First, we have no idea that the same person that attacked us is the same one committing the other murders. Second, you’ve been spending too much time with Enrique.”
“Maybe,” he chuckled. “The guy is borderline insane.”
“I think he’s crossed the border into full-blown insanity. He’s the only one that would find this kind of danger thrilling.”
Theo chuckled. “You do know, he can probably hear you right?”
Glancing through the window, I smirked. “I’m well aware that he’s possibly hearing me.” While Theo and I were bait, Enrique and Ren were outside, hidden and keeping watch. “Enrique Beaumont is a nut job,” I said a little louder with a little tee-hee after.
“He’s going to get you back later.”
“I’m counting on it.” I happened to enjoy Enrique’s form of punishment.
Theo studied me in silence for a moment. He tapped his fingers on the table. “What?” I asked.
“How are you, really, Fiona? You’ve been a little off lately.”
Stifling my groan, I shrugged. “Off? How so?”
“Not your usual chatty self.”
“I’m never chatty.”
His lips twisted into a wry smile. “You can get pretty chatty. You’ve been way too serious. I’m not accustomed to this somber you.”
Arms folded, I contemplated spilling my guts. I almost did, but as Theo said, Enrique might be within hearing distance. Ren already knew what I was hiding. I didn’t want to put anyone else in the position of having to keep my secret. “I guess I’m just still a little stressed from the trials. Dracus told you what happened right? Anton tried to escape. Then, I watched his execution. It was crazy.”
“I knew you shouldn’t have gone,” he grumbled.
“Don’t start. You know I wanted to be there for Dracus.”
He sighed. “So, that’s it? There’s nothing else wrong?”
There were so many things wrong. “Yeah. I’ll be fine. As soon as I get back into the rhythm of school and council duties, I’ll be fine.” I’d be even better if I could save Demetrius and not have Dracus resent me for it.
Theo’s eyes narrowed, but he accepted with a shrug. “Okay.”
Covering a yawn, I looked around the cabin. “We’ve been here for hours and nothing has happened. Maybe Ren and Enrique were wrong. What if the murders being couples so far are just coincidences? It could be all about robberies or something.”
“Nothing was taken from any of the homes we checked out.”
“True. You know, when we were attacked, we were outside doing…” My face heated up several degrees. “Couple activities.”
The corners of Theo’s lips creased with amusement, and I glowered, waiting for him to tease me about avoiding the word sex. But, he only sat forward and said, “Are you suggesting we go outside and do couple activities? Because I’m game.”
Rubbing my chin to hide my smile, I told him. “I’m suggesting we go outside and pretend, Theo.”
His hopeful expression crumbled into disappointment. “Why pretend?”
“Because Ren and Enrique are somewhere outside.”
His soft sigh made me smile. “Right. Alright, let’s go pretend… and whatever.”
I chuckled as we made our way to the door. His pout was so adorable. As soon as we stepped outside, I shivered.
“Cold?”
I swallowed. “No, it just hit me that I must be insane suggesting we come outside to make things easier for the killer.”
Theo laughed, wrapped an arm around my shoulder, and led me down the steps. “It was a good idea. Ren and Enrique have our backs. Don’t worry.”
I lifted a brow, slightly amused by his order not to worry. As if I could just relax with a target on our backs. We walked along the lake, hand in hand, for a few minutes. When we stopped to survey the glistening water, Theo pulled me closer.
“If we didn’t have company this would be romantic.”
I smiled. “Just the presence of company? What about the part where arrows could come flying in our direction at any moment? I think that kills the romance factor too.”
Standing so close to him, I felt the rumble of his laughter in his chest. “Right, that part too.”
Theo was leaning closer, and I saw the intention to kiss me in his eyes, so I tilted my head back. The rusting of leaves made me jump and pull away from him. “It’s okay, Fiona. It’s Ren.”
Eyes swing frantically to the bushes, I clutched my chest and let out a relieved breath when Ren appeared. “Gods, I was sure we were about to be attacked again.”
Ren lifted a brow. “Sorry, I thought I made my presence known enough.”
“To Theo. I don’t have animal-like senses.”
“Gee Princess, you’re way too jumpy. Calm down.” Enrique stepped from behind a tree. “We wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”
“That would be more comforting if we weren’t standing in the middle of the woods, Enrique.” My paranoia would persist until we were safely back at the academy.
“There’s no one up here but us, and the animals,” Ren announced.
I peered into the darkness. “It’s almost dawn. What do we do?”
“Get back to the academy to catch a few hours of sleep.” Enrique shrugged. “We’ll have to try again and see if we’re lucky enough to draw the killer out.”
I lifted a brow but didn’t comment. In my opinion, drawing a killer out wasn’t lucky by any means. “If nothing happens the next time, how long will we be using ourselves as bait?”
“Good question,” Theo murmured. “We can only do this for so long. We’d better start drumming up a few new ideas.”
The slow breath that I blew out ru
ffled my hair. I never once imagined that I’d be doubling as a freaking supernatural secret agent when I attended college.
As soon as I stepped into my room, I dropped into bed. I fully expect to fall asleep within seconds since I was so exhausted. Instead, my eyes remained wide open while my mind raced at high speed. I thought about our failure to get the killer’s attention. Or what if we did, but he or she knew it was a setup.
It could be they.
I sat bolted up in bed. The voice wasn’t in my mind. It was real, floating around my room as a soft whisper. I’d decided that I wasn’t crazy. I mean, I had no history of mental breakdowns or anything. The voice I heard so many times had to be real.
“Alright, listen up, Leia, or whoever you are. Show yourself and tell me once and for all what you’re all about. You can’t keep...talking to me like this and having me think I’m losing my mind.”
Seconds ticked by with nothing until a doubt crept into my mind. Okay, maybe I was a little crazy? My eyes shifted from side to side. Maybe a lot crazy. Shoving my hands through my hair, I huffed. I was sure I was really hearing Leia all this time, but maybe I was wrong. I didn’t feel her presence like before. “This makes no sense,” I whispered.
“Fiona…”
I gasped and looked around wildly. I felt the aura of peace before settling in the air, and I relaxed despite the totally creepy situation. I could only dream of wielding my calm power like that.
“Leia? Is that you? For real?”
Soft laughter wrapped around me. “I thought we already established it was me.”
I watched wide-eyed as her image appeared and wavered at the foot of my bed. “I wasn’t sure…” I swallowed. “There’s one thing I want to clarify. Are you...dead?”
Her smile was serene. “For a long time now.”
Oh, my gods. I was seeing and talking to a ghost. I went quiet and allowed my poor overworked brain to process. “Is that like a calm thing? Seeing ghosts?”
I thought I’d be afraid knowing that a spirit was in my room but I wasn’t. For some reason, I felt safe.
Leia’s form wavered again and disappeared. Her lips moved, but I could no longer hear her.
Academy of Beasts XXX Page 5