Page 8 of Messenger of Death (Ouroboros Academy #2)

I ’d never been the kind of person who didn’t like someone I didn’t know and I was trying not to be that person now.

It wasn’t just how she made me feel. It looked like she was keeping court.

Mazen was trotting after her like a puppy who would kill you if you looked at her funny. Radames was hovering in the background.

It wasn’t even Mazen and Radames that were annoying me. They were being protective. I saw how badly Lola had been beaten, but something wasn’t sitting right with me. Kira had training. Professor Adamastus and Headmaster Mykene said she was one of the best fighters in this school.

The same person who killed Kira probably hurt Lola, but how did Lola escape and Kira didn’t? Lola was a reincarnation, but she said she didn’t know who and she was also tiny.

I also heard her tell this story twice during the trials. She was telling it again to the group that surrounded her and it was different this time. It was more detailed, which might not mean anything since she was hurt the first time I heard it and things were pretty tense the second.

“Anyway, I knew I shouldn’t have agreed to be on their team.

Ari and Ivar said they were together, but they didn’t want anyone to judge them, so they asked me to pretend I felt some kind of bond with them.

I didn’t know anyone else, so I agreed. If I’d known they were also violent, I would have worked harder at finding another team. ”

That was a lie. She told us the first time they asked her because she was an influencer who did hiking videos and they didn’t know anything about the outdoors.

Ivar and Ari didn’t hide they were together, either.

They also openly flirted with any pretty boy who showed them interest. Alexios just seemed to fit with them.

They weren’t ashamed, and they weren’t hiding. I actually thought they were adorable together.

“I don’t know why the headmaster is allowing them to go to class here. They are clearly violent and killed that girl,” a girl sniffed.

“No, they didn’t,” Saffron said. “They were sitting at the table right next to mine at the pub. Ivar’s big blond head was blocking my view of the stage when I was trying to watch this one perform.”

“Then they did it before they got there, clearly,” Lola said. “Are you calling me a liar?”

I slipped my hand into Saffron’s and squeezed it.

I needed her to drop it. Morgana saw and didn’t speak, either.

Between Saffron and Morgana, they probably knew the most about the Morrigan.

I remembered more. I felt it the moment she died, and that was when the scream happened.

There was no delay. If Ivar, Ari, and Alexios were in the pub when I screamed, then they didn’t kill Kira.

I knew what inciting a crowd looked like. I watched Blue Matthews do it three times a week. Sometimes, it was just giving him money they didn’t have and others, it was voting for a politician he liked.

I didn’t know if Set was really evil like Khalid said, but I didn’t really feel like Mazen was. It felt like Mazen could be with the wrong influence. I didn’t like how he was looking at Saffron just for telling the truth.

Mazen was a killer like Liam was, but he had the same code. I was sure he’d consider going after whoever hurt Lola and Kira justified. Problem was, he was being deliberately pointed towards the wrong people.

So, I faked needing snacks to get everyone back to my dorm room.

If Mazen snapped, then Liam was going to get violent, and I didn’t want to be in the middle of it.

A lot of people didn’t want to see the truth that was right in front of them and I didn’t even know what that was right now to convince Mazen.

But first, there were three people I needed to find. I didn’t think Ivar had hurt anyone yet, but they’d told me enough about Thor that he’d go berserk in the heat of battle protecting what he loved. Ari couldn’t shift yet as far as I knew and Alexios was still dealing with migraines.

Ivar’s battle berserker would come out if someone came for Ari. Probably Alexios, too, because I could just tell they were connected. It was all connected, but I couldn’t see how.

If we were going to have a conversation about it, they needed to be a part of it, so I just dragged everyone around knocking on doors until I got the right one.

“Hey, red,” Ivar grinned.

There was none of the usual mirth behind his eyes. The giant looked tense and worried.

“I’m having a conversation in my dorm room that I think you should be a part of.”

“No offense, but you probably shouldn’t be seen inviting us into your room.

Ari’s bear senses are coming in, even if he can’t shift yet.

He can scent that everyone wants to hurt us.

Nothing the healers are giving Alexios for the migraines are working and they are getting worse.

Light is really bothering him. They had to change our roommate situation.

We were supposed to be rooming with some upperclassmen to get us settled, but they all think we hurt women, so it’s just us. ”

I pushed past Ivar straight into their dorm room. He could have stopped me if he wanted to, but he didn’t.

“Then we’ll have that conversation in your dorm room.”

“I love it when she’s bossy,” Liam said.

“If we’re having a conversation, you’d better do it quietly and with the lights off because my head is pounding.”

“Quick question,” I said. “I know you were at the pub when Kira was murdered because Saffron was sitting behind you. Please tell me Alexios was with you.”

Because that was going to throw a wrench in everything.

“Yes. These utter bastards dragged me to a loud pub with people singing karaoke because they thought being friendly would show everyone we didn’t hurt that girl.”

“That girl changed her story again,” Khalid said. “She’s still saying you beat her in even greater detail, but how she came to be on your team is now completely different from what she originally told us.”

“What are the two versions?” Morgana asked.

“She originally told us none of these guys knew how to make it outdoors and asked her to help because she’s got a backpacking social media channel and could help. Now, she’s saying they asked her to be their beard.”

They all started laughing, and it was a genuine laugh this time.

“Sorry, I like men very much. I’ve never been ashamed of that.

I also like women very much. Not as a beard, but to share with Ari.

Alexios does, too. Lola isn’t our type. Maybe it’s because I was Thor, but I want a Valkyrie.

I need my woman to be able to kick my ass.

Not because I’m going to fight her, but because that’s just sexy.

We let her join because she’s tiny and we felt bad for her. ”

“Big guy, size means shit when we all have magic,” Morgana said. “A vampire or a witch who weighs ninety pounds soaking wet could fuck you up.”

“Could one kill a dragon?” Liam asked.

“If they managed to get the jump on them before they shifted. I don’t know of anything that could prevent a dragon from shifting like that.”

“I know I can mess with people’s minds, but could Lola’s changing stories be because someone messed with hers and it’s starting to unravel?” Lucian asked.

I didn’t say anything, but she looked of sound mind and that she knew exactly what she was doing. Blue Matthews had that look on his face when people came to him in need and he said they just needed to pray harder, but when he wanted something, he just asked his congregation to open their wallets.

“I suppose it could be,” Saffron said. “Compulsion is never permanent and starts to unravel, eventually. Didn’t you think we were dealing with two different people? Maybe it’s actually three. We still don’t know what happened to Star.”

I didn’t have enough information to piece together any theories and I honestly probably needed Khalid and everyone else for that. I just had one question.

“Saffron, tell me everything you know about the destruction of Fairy.”