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“Youwillbe okay.” There was not an ounce of doubt in his voice. “Because you’re the strongest person I know.”

I was shivering against him—cold despite the heat from his body. And my face was still wet from tears. So I wasn’t certain why he’d say something so strange.

But I had no energy left to argue, these episodes always left me feeling pathetically weak. It took everything I had to rest my face against his chest and focus on his breathing.

He was wrong, but it was nice of him to say. It made me feel a little less pathetic, in any case.

Chapter Six

Miles

Plans

Professor Aine Hamway hadn’t returned to teaching yet. When we’d been brought to the council about the Cole case and our actions, she had been called back from her trip. But instead of testifying why she failed to report suspicious events in her home, she’d vanished.

Being fae herself—even though she was of a lower class—there was no way she didn’t know something was going on. She had set Bianca up, of that we were certain. But the question was, why?

But because of her absence, Bryce had come back to campus today. There was still a school to be run, and he couldn’t stay away. Since he didn’t have his doctorate, he couldn’t become a tenured professor. However, he was still qualified to teach the lower level classes until Aine was found.

The glimpse I had of him earlier in the day was the first since Damen had beat the shit out of him. His face was a mess. His nose was still swollen, and one of his eyes was a blackened mess. One side of his face was heavily bruised.

I usually would have felt bad for him. Or even offered a salve—although Jin probably already had. My Er Bashou wouldn’t allow someone in his quintet to be in pain and not do anything about it.

But after learning about Bianca, I wasn’t feeling kindly toward Bryce. Damen might have overreacted and targeted Bryce in his anger, but he wasn’t wrong in his accusations.

I was beginning to suspect Bailey wasn’t who we’d thought. The others had to suspect this, but no one verbalized anything yet.

I didn’t have the connection that the others did to Bailey. Outside Bianca, I was the youngest. So when Bailey was born, I hadn’t been old enough to be involved. And, later, when the Abernathy family lent their services to the Dubois family, I didn’t witness the falling out between Damen and Bryce. I had been in France at the time.

By then, Bianca was thirteen. She’d already been adopted and only had Finn to help her.

This rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe because it was our job to be there for her—as we were for each other. But she had been basically alone.

I wasn’t jealous… Or maybe I was a little. But at the same time, I was almost grateful for him. As horribly awkward as Finn was, he hadtriedto be a companion. And it was clear from his face when we spoke about her that he held feelings for her.

Not thatthatwas allowed.

But that was the least worrying thing at the moment. The only thing I could focus on was the implications of Hanah’s words. This was partially my fault. I was supposed to know about my officer’s lives.

I had missed something this big.

Guilt ate at me, and my pen ripped through the top layer of my notebook.

“Oh my god, did you see Professor Dubois this morning?” A loud whisper drifted from a nearby group.

I glanced up, over my pile of books, and spotted her. She was an underclassman, still in the process of settling down with her friends. She was with a small group—three including her—and in front of them was a collection of science textbooks.

Bryce’s students.

Another girl was watching her with wide eyes, her expression pained. “Stop it, babe. I can’t talk about his face. I’m so upset.”

Theydidlook upset. For some reason, students tended to lust after him. Seeing him this way was sure to be shocking. People were bound to notice he looked like a monster.

“I bet it’sherfault,” the sad girl continued, pouting down at her notebook. Though her word were accusatory, her tone wasn’t.

Who was ‘her’?

She continued, sighing. “Sara saw her leaving campus with him. He’s sent her to his office before, too. Haven’t you noticed the way he watches her? I bet you,hemust have found out and threatened to ruin their romance, that’s what usually happens. Professor Dubois won, of course. No one can beat him.”