Page 29 of Of Blackened Blood (The Blackened Blade #3)

“Don’t be surprised, Red. Mal and me will happily show you our drawing skills if you pose as our model ... naked .” He wriggles his brows as Ezra rolls his eyes. “You’d look so sexy sprawled across the floor, fur sitting under your bare skin as you?—”

Ezra gently pulls me away, cutting Annex’s words off as he throws a playful glare the psycho’s way.

“Let’s head to class before he goes into proper detail and lets his dark desires run wild,” Ezra says, his hand wrapping around mine and ignoring Annex’s protests from behind us. Mallyn tugs him along and waves to me as they leave and head to their classroom.

We near the music room and then realisation sets in as the voices inside filter out toward us. Familiar voices.

Ezra must see my trepidation and stops us just feet from the door.

“Whatever happens, whatever is said or not said ... remember that we’re together. You’re not alone anymore, Micai. We’ll get all the answers we need bit by bit. We’ll wring them out of every last moron in this academy. So don’t worry. Let’s just enjoy the class together.”

His words have a small smile pulling at my lips, the ease in his voice and eyes making me feel more relaxed. He entwines our fingers, giving me a small kiss before we make our way inside.

The laughter and voices in the room come to a halt, the space falling quiet as we make our way toward our seats. All eyes are on us as we move as one.

I glance over to each set of eyes on us, making sure to give them my best shit-eating smile, with some even flinching. A bonus.

Just as we reach out seats and Ezra pulls mine out for me, we’re stopped by a voice calling my name behind us. Seria.

She makes her way over, flicking her gaze between me and Ezra before giving a brief dark look to our still entwined fingers.

“Micai. I’m glad you’re here, I wanted to give you this.

” She takes out a small navy envelope with a gold wax seal with the Bane crest on it.

“It’s an invitation to the party we’ve having for my birthday.

” Her fake smile grows. “I’ve decided to have something a little smaller this year, and at the academy instead.

” She flicks her gaze to Ezra. “It’ll be held in the Elites’ room, and you can bring a plus-one if you’d like.

” Her gaze trails down him before turning back toward me.

“You remember where that is, don’t you?” Her eyes gleam with a dark glint, probably remembering one of her old schemes from my second year.

I guess this is her way of trying to rile me up or humiliate me.

But I raise a brow in question, not willing to play into her mind games.

As if I would ever give her the satisfaction.

“Well, I’m sure you can refresh your memory before the party.” She waves a hand nonchalantly before smiling back at her pawns in their seats. “It’s invite only. I’ve selected only the closest of friends and would love it if you could come celebrate with me. We are sisters after all.”

When I don’t go to take the invitation from her, she places it on the desk beside Ezra. She gives him one of her usual fake soft smiles as her eyes again focus too intently on him. And I feel my irritation spike to a new level.

Maybe it was her presence after what we had confirmed, or the questions swirling around her.

Or maybe it was the fact that me and Ezra were Fated Mates.

But the lust-filled look she is giving him right now makes me want to slide across the table and rip her eyes out, starting my own collection alongside Annex’s.

Just as I’m about to make my move on her annoying beady eyes, I feel Ezra squeeze my hand. And when I meet his gaze, there’s a look of affection and slight amusement twinkling in them. As if he’s read my thoughts. And it instantly eases me. She can keep her damn eyes ... for now.

“I wanted to give you your invitation and tell you about the party at home,” Seria adds, oblivious to the fact she would have been eyeless if not for Ezra. “But you didn’t return. Did something happen?” Her small blonde brows furrow in fake worry as whispers ring out around the classroom.

Before I can shut them all down and put her in her place, Ezra moves in front of me.

“Why would anything have happened?” Ezra’s voice is icy, his usual playful demeanour and smile gone as he narrows his eyes coldly toward Seria. “Micai spent the break with us. Is there something wrong with spending time with her partners? Or are you saying she needed your permission?”

The room falls silent with Ezra’s admission to the class, one word replaying in everyone’s heads. Partners.

“That’s not what I meant,” Seria rushes out, taken aback by Ezra’s dark glare and cutting tone. “It’s just that she didn’t contact home. We were worried about her.”

Ezra scoffs. “You were so worried, but you didn’t call or contact her even once?” A dark and humourless smile stretches his perfect cheeks. “If something had happened, your ‘worry’ wouldn’t have done anything until it was too late.”

“We’re family, so—” Seria tries to start, but Ezra cuts her off.

“She spent the holidays with her real family. Me and my brothers.” His grip tightens on my fingers, almost as if to hold himself back from doing something. “And she’ll spend every holiday with us from now on. So, you can keep your worry for your own family and friends. We’ll take care of Micai.”

Before she can reply, he turns around and directs me to my seat, taking the space next to me and ignoring Seria completely.

After an awkward moment of silence, I hear her footsteps move back toward her seat. And just in time, as Mrs. Fleur enters the room and begins her class with her normal flurry of enthusiasm.

As Mrs. Fleur rambles on, my thoughts turn to how none of her white-and-shining dickheads had joined her in annoying us or ‘ defending ’ her as they normally would.

I glance over toward the spaces they would usually take up in the centre of the room.

They are all there sitting beside her, but the atmosphere around them seemed a little strange. A little stifled and stiffer than before.

My brows furrow as my gaze meets two brown eyes, a strange sombre look in them as they linger on me. A small feeble smile appears on Knox’s lips, but I quickly turn away.

Whatever happened between Knox, Seria, and the other asshats is no longer my business. They made that very clear.

And they’ll more than likely make up from whatever disagreement they’ve had just as quick as they had it. Idiots like them usually forget things quickly.

Either way, they no longer hold any part in my life that warrants me to care .