Page 37

THIRTY-SIX

LUCIUS

I lay on my bed, barely flinching as Nikolai finished the tattoo on my stomach, just above my belly button. The ink formed a single curved word, SOUL , in gothic font, each letter standing four inches tall. It aligned perfectly with Freya’s scars. Same place. Same meaning. Just a different person. She had changed my soul, and I wanted it marked forever. A reminder. A promise. A refusal to lose her.

The needle dragged through the final letter, the sharp sting went in deep, slow, almost punishing. Nikolai liked to dig in.

“All done,” he muttered his thick Russian accent that gives the words an almost stronger meaning than they are.

I exhaled, staring down at the fresh ink. Done.

“Four hundred,” he said flatly.

I knew I was overpaying him. But in this academy, he was the only one with a tattoo kit, and I wasn’t about to wait.

Pushing myself up, I walked over to my closet. My leather jacket hung inside, and I reached into its pocket and pulled out my wallet, peeling off 450 and handing it over.

Nikolai didn’t thank me. He never did. And I hated the guy. But that didn’t change the fact that he intimidated me. He was bigger, stronger, and built like a soldier, his head shaved clean except for two inked stars and a key tattooed at the back.

“That Blackthorn girl from my House,” he said, watching me. “Did she find Hector’s son?”

I frowned. “I don’t know.”

“Hmm.” He paused. “Strange.” Then, almost as an afterthought, “She’s been using that empty room near the tower.”

I raised a brow. “You have a key?”

“I gave it to her,” he said simply. “She wanted to be left alone.”

I nodded. “Thanks, Nikolai.”

He didn’t respond. Just turned and disappeared down the stairs. The door clicked shut behind him, and as I heard the first click I pulled a shirt over my fresh tattoo, its sting still burning beneath the fabric.

Suddenly, the whole room went dark. The lights cut out in an instant. I pulled my phone from my pocket and headed downstairs, the glow of the screen guiding my steps. Maybe it was just my tower, or maybe the whole Blackthorn was out.

I reached the office and pushed open the door. The academy grounds stretched beyond, pulled in shadows. The power was out everywhere.

A shiver crawled up my spine. Something was wrong.

I turned, making my way down the hallway toward the square. As I stepped into the open, movement caught my eye, two students sprinting from the main gate.

Fuck, it’s Freya and Ava.

I shut off my flashlight, shoving my phone away. The moment they saw me, Freya threw herself into my arms, breathless.

“What’s wrong?” I started, but then, as my eyes tilted to the gate I saw a woman.

She stood by the gate, half-hidden in the dark, holding an axe.

Adrenaline kicked in.

“Go. To my office. Now,” I ordered, pushing them forward, urgency pulsing in my veins as I rushed them through the square.

Just as I was about to confront the psycho woman with an axe, she vanished. She was gone, just like that.

I didn’t look back. I wasn’t afraid. But I was concerned about my Little Star, and I’d be damned if I let that psycho hurt her.

Freya and Ava ran ahead toward my office, and the moment they stepped inside, I followed, locking the door behind us. They both trembled, fear written all over them.

I stepped toward Freya, cupping her face between my palms. “I got you,” I murmured, pulling her close. “Shh, it’s okay.”

She clung to me, arms tightening around my waist, her silent sobs leaving a damp trail on my chest. Her breathing was ragged like she was struggling to pull in air. Ava leaned against the bookshelf, her phone flashlight casting an unsteady glow across the room. She clutched at her chest, trying to steady herself.

My phone buzzed, and it was Cassius’s name spread on the screen. I already knew it was him; we were supposed to meet at Luna’s office. I pulled the phone out and answered.

“Can you open your door?”

I exhaled, prying Freya’s arms from me before heading over and unlocking it. He stood in the doorway, a bottle of Jack Daniels hanging from his fingers. I pressed my fingers against his shirt and pulled him inside before locking the door again.

“Blue won’t make it,” he said, stepping further in. “She’s out cold. Couldn’t wake her up. I told Luna to meet us here instead.”

Then he lifted the half-empty bottle with a smirk. “But hey, I’m here. The party can start.”

I rolled my eyes, walking to the bookshelf. Reaching for a book, I pulled it, triggering it. The shelf slid open with a quiet creak.

“Let’s go upstairs,” I said.

As they climbed, a soft knock sounded at the door. Freya hesitated at the bottom of the stairs, looking back at me. I turned around and went to the door, and asI grabbed the doorknob and pulled it open, Luna was in front, in her black dress.

She stepped inside another bottle of whiskey in her hands. The moment she saw Freya, she wrapped her arms around me, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek. Freya rolled her eyes and turned away, heading up the stairs without a word.

Jealous. My little star is jealous.

I pushed Luna back slightly, shutting the door before following her up.

By the time I reached the top, Cass had already set things up. Two candles lit on the table, casting a low glow over the center of the living room. The pillows from the sofa were scattered across the floor, forming a loose circle. Cass and Ava were already seated, backs resting against the couch, an empty whiskey bottle in front of them.

I already knew what this was, Cass had a game in mind.

Freya sat beside Ava, keeping close, and I dropped down across from her next to Cass. A moment later, Luna joined, sitting between Freya and me.

Cass clapped his hands together. “Now that we’re all here… let’s play Truth or Dare. But only with truth. ”

Ava raised a brow. “Why? We already know most of it. And who’s to say some of you won’t lie?”

“Oh, Ava, you’re breaking my heart,” Cassius leaned in, his face inches from hers. “Baby, I know you have trust issues, but you can trust me.” His smirk stretched from corner to corner.

No woman could trust Cassius. And yet, her blue eyes were falling for it.

Luna rolled her eyes and spun the bottle. It slowed, then landed between her and Cass. She arched a brow.

“Bottom asks, top answers,” she said, then glanced at the bottle’s position. Her eyes sharpened. “Did you sleep with Adeline Ravenshaw?”

My head snapped toward him. I hadn’t expected that—not at all. Especially since he knew how crazy I had been about her.

Cassius met my stare and shrugged, letting out a nervous chuckle. “She was my first. We were horny teenagers, home alone.” He sighed, then turned to me. “Sorry, man. It was just once.”

“I fucking knew it!” Luna blurted, pointing at him like she’d just won a bet. “I fucking knew it!”

“Jealous much, Luna?” Cass grinned, unfazed, and spun the bottle again.

It landed between Ava and me.

She had her back turned slightly, meaning she was the one asking. Ava didn’t hesitate.

“We saw a tape of you running from Adeline’s room the night she died,” she said, her voice steady. “What happened?”

I exhaled, the memory settling in my chest like dead weight.

“I went inside to ask her to the fall dance,” I said. “But when I got there, she was already in the bathtub, dead.”

“But how do you know?” she pressed. “Did you check her pulse? Because on the tape… you were covered in blood.”

I inhaled deeply. “No. I didn’t check her pulse.”

I didn’t say the rest. Didn’t tell her the real reason I had blood all over me. Because half of that night was still missing from my memory. But the parts I did remember? I never had blood on my hands.

I grabbed the bottle and spun it.

It landed between Luna and me. She smirked, but her question was sharp.

“Did you send Adeline a letter signed with an L?”

Freya frowned, her eyes flicking to me, searching my face for answers. I was just as confused as she was.

“No,” I said. “I never sent her anything. I just… watched her from afar.”

Cassius let out a low chuckle. “He likes stalking people.”

I ignored him and spun the bottle again.

It landed between Freya and Cassius.

Cass tilted his head, eyes glinting. He leaned forward slightly, his voice dripping with amusement.

“Are you afraid of our dear Luci?” he mused. “Afraid he might be behind it all?”

I looked at her, searching for any sign of what she was thinking. Freya swallowed hard, then turned her gaze away from me.

A quiet, “Yes,” left her lips, barely audible.

She spun the bottle.

Was she afraid of me? Or did she think I did it?

The bottle slowed, landing between Ava and Luna. Ava’s turn to ask.

“Have you been with Adeline? Did you love her?”

Luna inhaled deeply. “I think we all need to be more specific if this is going to work,” she sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Adeline and I were friends. We went to high school together. And did I love her? Yes. But as a friend. I was never with her—not because I didn’t want to be, but because she wasn’t into me.”

Ava spun the bottle again.

Luna and Cassius.

Luna didn’t hesitate. “Adeline told me once about her and your dad, Cass. I never said anything because I didn’t know if you knew. But did you?”

Cass let out a sharp laugh. “That’s rich coming from you, Luna.” He exhaled, shaking his head.

“I had my suspicions,” he admitted. “But then I walked in on it. She, my father, your dear uncle, and another man whose face I couldn’t see were banging her in his office. She was into it. She wanted it.”

He spun the bottle, and this time, it landed between Freya and Luna.

Freya was the one asking. “Did you lie in the office when you said he was dangerous? About that girl?”

Luna hesitated. Her eyes flicked to me, scanning my face for approval. I shook my head.

“Luna, don’t.”

There had been others before Freya. But none of them were her. And I wasn’t going to lose her. Not now. Not when I knew she was falling for me.

But Luna wasn’t holding back tonight.

“I told you the truth, Freya,” she said, exhaling. “Lucius is my friend. And as much as he knows about me, I know about him. After Adeline, in our second year, there was a girl. At first, he was crazy about her. But the moment she got too close, he lost interest. Ignored her. Drove her insane. She left Blackthorn… after the party in Blackburn woods she just disappeared.”

Freya’s eyes filled with tears. She looked at me, really looked at me, before trying to stand.

Luna pulled her back down.

I moved toward her, but Luna blocked me, her voice sharp. “It fucking hurts, but none of us are leaving until we have the truth. The more we know, the less A and O can use against us. And we might figure out who actually did it.”

I clenched my jaw, watching Freya try to hold back tears. I wanted to punch Luna. So badly.

But she was right.

Instead of spinning the bottle again, Luna exhaled. “I think it’s easier if we just lay it all out, what we know about Adeline. Piece it together.”

She looked around, then started. “We know she was seeing your dad, Cass. But did you guys talk about it, about my uncle and that other guy?”

Cass let out a bitter laugh. “Luna, you are such a bitch,” he muttered, shaking his head. “Adeline was right about you. Selfish. Self-centered. You only befriend people when you can use them. I wouldn’t even be surprised if she planned her murder just to get away from you.”

Luna laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Me? What about you?” she shot back. “You bounce from girl to girl because one broke your heart. And that girl was Adeline, wasn’t it?”

Cass’s expression hardened. “No, you dumb bitch,” he snapped. “It was you.”

The room went still.

Ava sniffled. “Can we not?” her voice cracked. “My sister is missing, and as soon as this is over, I need to go find her.”

Freya moved closer to Ava, wiping her tears before turning to me.

“She’s right,” she whispered. Then she added, “Stella left us letters. And a voice recorder of Adeline. The recording stopped when she found Hector in her room.”

She placed the letters in the middle of the group. Then she turned to Ava, pulling her into a tight hug.

I wished it was me in her arms instead.

Luna picked up one of the letters and flipped it open. Her eyes skimmed the page before she read aloud:

“This is a diary entry.”

She took a breath, then began:

“It started two weeks before school. At first, I thought Jack loved me, but he started bringing friends to his office and playing with me, I slowly realized that he didn’t love me, he loved to share me with others. I felt awful, dirty, and used, but later, it was okay. At least, that was what I told myself to erase the image of three men immersed in me. I never wanted to be the center of attention. But when he brought in Hector, everything changed. It went downhill.”

“He started recording us. In secret. I had my suspicions. I had my worries. That someone would find out. That my reputation would be ruined. But somehow, Jack always reassured me it would be okay.”

“And then Rosalind came. She had her own suspicions.”

“Jack started coming around more often. And I never told her anything.”

“But now—knowing someone is watching me—I know I should have.”

“Nah,” Cass said, shaking his head. “Hector couldn’t.”

He grabbed another letter, his fingers skimming over the paper before he started reading aloud:

“There are some things I will never be able to understand, and things I’ve done that I can’t undo. But I can’t sleep anymore. I’m being watched every day, and today, for the first time, I got a note from someone calling themselves A and O. I have a few people in mind who they might be, but none of them fit this psycho’s personality.”

“They are everywhere. I can’t even sleep at night because of it. And when I told Jack, he called me crazy. Paranoid. He told me this person doesn’t exist. But they do. I’m not crazy. I’m not.”

Silence hung heavy in the room.

“If Lucius and I never sent a letter,” Luna said slowly, “then who did? Who stalked her?”

“Maybe you’re both lying,” Freya muttered, pushing herself up. She walked toward the kitchen, her shoulders tense.

I followed, reaching for her hand, but she pulled away sharply.

“Don’t you dare touch me!”

“I didn’t tell you about that girl because I didn’t want to freak you out,” I said quickly. “Believe me.”

She let out a sharp breath, her back still turned to me. “You told Luna everything. Why can’t you trust me the same way?” Her voice dropped lower, more fragile. “And I’m already freaking out—because Stella is missing, and you’re lying to my face.”

She turned then, her eyes locking onto mine. “I know you,” she whispered. “And I know when your eyebrow twitches, you’re lying.”

Busted.

I swallowed hard. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I’ll do better.”

“Start with the truth,” she said. “This time, the full truth.”

I exhaled, then reached for her again, not her hand, but her face. Cupping her cheeks, I pulled her close, my lips pressing against hers.

This time, in front of everyone.

For the first time, I didn’t care what anyone had to say.

I just needed her to know that no matter how many lies I’ve told, I’m ready to tell her the truth.

“I’ll tell you everything,” I murmured against her lips. “I promise.”

She didn’t say anything. Just lifted her fingers to her lips, her cheeks flushed, before stepping back and returning to her seat.