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“I’m just trying to keep mine, and technically yours, safe,” I finally sigh as I force tension from my shoulders. “I have to explore any threats to my campus and family.”

“I know that. Which is why I’m going to ignore this interaction. How’s Luke?”

“You could ask him yourself.”

“I’m asking you.”

“He seems to be well-settled. Our track team is thriving. Shelaine and the baby are doing well.”

Again, a heavy pause drags out through the phone. As Louis clears his throat, I can’t help but wonder if he’s shoving down emotions he’d rather not deal with. “Thank you. And thank you again for keeping him safe. I can’t say exactly what happened up there with you, but I personally did not orchestrate it.”

Truthfully, him not giving me an exact name keeps us both in the clear. It just makes sense he’d speak in riddles. No doubt I’d do the same if someone in my flock took someone’s life.

It’s just the way it works with secret societies. He’s told me without telling me. He’s given me enough that I can stop looking at shadows deep within my ranks, and for that, I’ll be forever grateful.

“That’s all I needed to know. And Marnie is safe, right?”

“I’m not a psychic, John. But I can assume she’s being taken care of. Family emergencies can happen, you know. She’s probably back home helping with that. In fact, I’ll put money on it. Don’t give her another moment of your time. Wherever she is, it’s no longer your concern.”

With that, he hangs up, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Unfortunately, the silence doesn’t last nearly long enough. A sharp ping draws my attention back to my phone.

Professor Hastings

You’re going to want to see the first edition of the Loftry Lantern.

An irritated growl hums at the back of my throat as I re-skim the text.

John Anderson

You’re the faculty adviser. You deal with it. Whatever it is. Deal with it. That’s your job.

Thinking the matter concluded, I try to get my brain back where it needs to be and away from that bit of temptation wrapped in a tight skirt, walking on fuck-me heels. As with how today is going, it seems as if I’m not going to get what I want.

Soon after firing off that text, another comes through, one that stops my heart cold. All it contains is an image.

Just one image.

The headline.

That’s all I need to see red.

ChapterTwo

Dean Anderson

My pulse pounds in my ears as I make my way back to the campus. Even though it’s not that long of a drive, I find I need to collect myself before I bring Ashleigh into my office. One quick drive will not be enough.

Anger tinges my vision as I make a circle around the quad, then another, and another. Thoughts and counter thoughts swirl in my head, but nothing seems to make any sense. How in the hell did she know about the murder already?

As I understood it, our local campus police, who also happen to be Society members, found the body late last night. Pretty soon after the overdose, in fact. They were doing a routine check around the campus when the murder was discovered.

There’s absolutely no evidence to prove anyone else was there or knew about what happened. That is, unless I misunderstood Louis’s veiled answers and little Miss Hartwell was part of the crime? But that seems absolutely preposterous. Slamming my car into park, I take to the paths winding around the luscious lawns.

Maybe air is what I need. Maybe I just need to breathe deep and puzzle through what’s going on. There’s been far weirder things that have happened here at Loftry. Would it really be so preposterous to think someone as ambitious as Miss Hartwell could have murdered someone to get a headline?

It’s a school paper, for Christ’s sake. Who would kill someone for a fucking headline? But then, with the way she persisted, with the way she nearly demanded I allow a paper at this school... It might not be so far out of the realm of reality.

Two deaths. One of them murder. At least one that we know of for sure. I’m still a little suspect about the overdose. Despite being an opportunistic jackass, Chase was a smart, decent guy deep down. It honestly makes more sense for him to have an enemy.