Page 50 of Messenger of Death (Ouroboros Academy #2)

W ell, it wasn’t concrete proof, but why would Lola lie about not knowing who she was and being bad at potions?

I really wanted to hit her again. If I hadn’t got there in time…

Mazen deserved the truth. He wasn’t ready before, but he was now.

I knew Khalid didn’t want me to tell him, but Mazen might be able to help us figure out to Harami was. And I could just feel it was right.

So, I unloaded and told Mazen everything.

His jaw tightened, and he clenched his fists, but he didn’t shift.

Then, I unloaded all the theories I’d come up with, but hadn’t shared.

That Harami was the one who beat Lola to discredit Alexios and that Hemlock wouldn’t have known about vampires, but Lola would have.

It wasn’t an accident Lola found us. She wanted his blood.

“She went after Liam because no one expected him to be so monogamous in his life. He’s a fertility god and the dryads just expected orgies.

Alexios and I both have foretelling abilities.

If she makes me look like a jealous shrew trying to cage the Horned God, then I just look like an asshole if I accuse her of anything. ”

“Bitch,” Liam swore. “I am monogamous in this life. I wouldn’t mind bedding Khalid or the Prince of Darkness while Sage watches but they are way too hetero for that. I’ve made that pretty clear. Even the tree fairies get that.”

“I’m going to ignore you just said that, but Liam tells people who didn’t even ask how obsessed he is with Sage.

One of the vampires who works in the kitchen with him is in my vampire class.

He said if Liam isn’t being a menace, he’s waxing poetic about Sage.

There’s no way she could have made it believable that Liam chose her over Sage and Sage is jealous,” Lucian said.

“You don’t have to room with him,” Elliot groaned. “He doesn’t shut the fuck up about Sage.”

“She was the one who hurt Erica. Erica was nice, but Erica and Lola didn’t get along.

I didn’t like her like that, but Erica was into me.

I didn’t see it then, but Lola was all over me trying to piss her off.

Erica wasn’t the one I’m meant to be with, but Liam is right.

I overlooked a lot of red flags because I tried to fit Lola in that role. ”

“You’ve got insider information. Can you think of anyone who might be her Harami?”

“Not really. I’m rooming with Radames and two sophomores.

Radames was with me when I found her, but he’s weird.

He keeps to himself and I don’t think he likes being around girls.

I don’t think he’s gay, either. It’s not an asexual thing.

It’s some religious hang-up he still has after finding out he’s the reincarnation of a god or a magical creature.

“If any of us kick him out the dorm room to have sex, we get a sermon about it. She’s either with me or her sycophants. The only other man she’s shown any interest in is Liam. I thought it was just to make me jealous.”

“Harami might not be a man in this life,” I pointed out. “It could be one of her girlfriends. We can’t just assume we’re dealing with a man because of how badly she was beaten. We don’t know who Harami was before he was banished and what kind of magic he had.”

“What did she want with you?” Lucian asked Mazen. “It seems like she targeted you.”

“It’s almost like she wanted my baby. I can see it now. She was trying to trick me into getting her pregnant.”

“But you didn’t want that,” Liam said.

“No.”

“We need to play this carefully. They are lying low for now because of the witches’ binding spell. We can’t let Lola know we know the truth. It’s the only way we can find out who Harami is,” I said. “And we need to figure out how to get Khalid unstuck.”

Khalid whimpered and bumped my hand with his muzzle. I stroked his fur. I needed to get him to Professor Theron before Samhain.

“I can’t go back to her,” Mazen said.

I didn’t want him to. He didn’t deserve that. But why did Lola want Mazen’s baby so badly?