Page 43 of Of Blackened Blood (The Blackened Blade #3)

I make my way quickly to the vending machine and grab a few of the beverages inside and make my back just in time to catch the end of Knox’s words.

“I’m so sorry we broke our promises, M .

..” Tears fall from his wincing eyes, pain still holding him tightly.

“I should have protected you from your bullies, but instead I walked away and let them hurt you ...” He shakes his head as I place the fizzy drinks on the table, handing one to him to drink.

He shakily takes it from my hand and begins to drink it as Creed moves and I take my place beside my Mate again.

Knox finishes the drink and moves on to another, the sugar giving him a quick lift. The creases in his brows smooth out, his eyes a little clearer as he turns our way, and the slight worry in Micai’s eyes eases.

Creed steps closer and toward Knox, pulling his attention up and toward him.

“Micai’s half-sister, Seria .” Creed says her name like it leaves a bad taste on his mouth. And it has a small smile tugging at my lips.

“Other than all the mind games and manipulation going on, do you know anything else that has been happening around her lately?”

Knox’s brows furrow in thought as he continues to sip his drink.

“Like what?” he asks, meeting Creed’s dark gaze before flinching.

“What do you know about the people around her?” Creed begins, his hands leaning on the table as his brows cinch down further. “Who does she spend her time with? Have there been any unusual figures around her lately? Any weird phone calls? Or are there any places she goes to but won’t bring you?”

Knox’s eyes widen before quickly narrowing, flickering toward the table. A beat passes as he finishes his second drink before he answers.

“She spends most of her time with us, or with friends from her second-year class, like Ivy and Alice. Her free time is spent with them or around the academy. She also goes shopping regularly, but we usually tag along for that ...” He meets Creed’s gaze, his own more steady.

“I’ve never heard or seen any new or strange people though. ”

Creed sighs, his hands fisting into tight balls on the table.

And I could see my brother’s frustration growing by the second.

These answers were of no use to us. They wouldn’t help us with finding out where our attackers were located or how we could deal with them. It was all useless chatter.

“That can’t be it. There has to be something .

” Creed questions Knox, his glare burrowing into him.

“The names of people she contacts less frequently? Or calls you might have overheard her on that sounded a bit different than usual? Anyone that felt a little off or looked shady? Or a person that you’ve never seen before that her eyes lingered on a little longer than they should have?

There has to be something, even small, even tiny, that you remember. Just think .”

Knox’s brows scrunch together in thought before quickly wincing in pain.

“There’s nothing ... I-I can’t think of anyone.” He looks toward Creed. “Her behaviour has been slightly off lately, but I haven’t seen her around other people?—”

“How has she been off?” I ask, but just as Knox opens his mouth to answer me, his phone begins to ring.

He tries to ignore it and continue our conversation, but it begins to grow louder until he finally takes it from his pocket.

He looks at the name on the screen and sighs.

“It’s Xander.” Knox meets my gaze, then turns to Micai and Creed.

Creed gives him a nod and our consent to answer, and once he does, a gruff voice bellows out from the other side asking where the hell he is.

Knox waits for him to calm down before answering, telling him he’s running a couple of errands in town for a project and was just grabbing a bite to eat.

Xander chews him out for not asking Seria or the rest of them to go with him before telling him to “come back straight away.”

Knox wearily sighs as he hangs up and puts his phone away before pulling himself up and standing. He stumbles forward, but Creed and I reach out and quickly catch him, steadying him on his feet.

“Sorry, just a small dizzy spell.” He tries to chuckle, but it comes out sounding weak and feeble.

It looks like breaking free from whatever power she had him under is taking its toll on him.

Micai steps forward, taking a drink from the table and handing it to him, telling him to take care of himself and that we’ll meet to talk again soon.

Even with everything that was said, my Mate still has a soft side.

Knox nods, straightening himself as Creed leads him to the door, talking to him on the way. He was probably trying to see if there was anything else he could pry from him. But I doubt it.

I don’t think we’ll be able to get any good information from Knox about Seria. Whatever dealings she had with our attackers, or whatever connection they have, she clearly kept it far away from her daily life.

She had controlled and manipulated the people around her for years. Hiding what she doesn’t want others to know would be a simple task for her.

But me, my brothers, and Micai aren’t normal people.

We’ll find out everything she’s hiding, even if we have to tear the academy apart to do it.