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H iding out in my secret spot in the forest, I ignore the guys as they try to reach me, still needing time to process everything.

Wrapping my wounds, I try to conceal them as much as possible but give up when my stomach turns for the fifth time.

No wonder they hate me… hated me. They still should if I’m being honest. I thought the Wastelands were horrible, but they spent years in the Void on and off.

The other Sena sent them there for probably no other reason than she didn’t want them as her companions. And now she’s wrapped me in another one of her messes. If I don’t find what her parents want, the four of them could end up back in the Void.

The thought alone makes me physically ill.

None of them know I’m not her—the real person who sent them to the Void—and yet they’ve already started to show me signs they care.

I can’t do this to them. I can’t drag them into this mess. Not when they’ve already suffered so much by these hands.

If they end up in the Void again and this time because of me, I don’t know what I’ll do. It’s already killing me that the old Sena had a hand in sending them there.

The day passes quickly with class and combat training being nothing but a blur.

Strange looks from the other females start making me feel a little paranoid that they all know what Sena did.

I push it to the back of my mind and head towards the library.

I should be researching more about the Variant and the barrier runes around the academy anyway. Using it as an excuse to avoid four male Shadows for a little longer, I get moving while making sure my shields are up, and Malakai can’t see where I’m going.

Walking into the library, I feel eyes on me but ignore them and head to one of the desks at the back.

“I knew she was faking it,” a voice close by says.

I ignore it, drowning out everyone and their drama to try to find anything more on the dark energy used by the Variants.

I finally come across a book when I find multiple pages missing. As if someone tore them out. I move onto another book, quickly getting lost in the pages when a shadow crosses my vision.

I glance up to find a girl with ashy blonde glaring at me and a group of others all standing behind her. They move closer when they see I’ve noticed them.

“What?” I ask wondering what she’s looking for.

“Drop the act, Sena. We all know the truth now.” She flips the phone in her hand and shows a video of…

me, but not me. I’m talking to the camera, drunk off my head, telling everyone about one big game I’m going to pull off soon.

And how when I pull it off, people won’t know what hit them.

I/She giggles and then the video cuts out.

“What is that supposed to prove?” I ask while wondering what game the other Sena was talking about.

The blonde narrows her eyes on me. “It’s over for you now. We have proof.” She waves her phone in front of my face. “You’ve been faking your amnesia this whole time and you just got caught.”

“And you got all that from me being off my head and talking about some game?” Some people have too much time on their hands. I head back to the shelves and start looking for something useful, hoping she’ll just leave if I don’t play into whatever games she’s playing.

“So, you’re admitting it?” she asks and glances over at the others giving them a ‘ I told you so,’ look.

“No. I’m ignoring you and your stupidity,” I mutter trying to blank them all out while I look for another book.

Realizing I’m not going to find anything useful in this aisle, I put the books back and start making a move to the next one when Arabella appears beside the blonde, blocking my path.

She sends me a glare before taking the blonde’s arm and giving her a sad look. One that’s completely fake of course. But the blonde doesn’t seem to be able to read past her manipulation and lies.

“I didn’t want to say anything. But when I was in that cave with her in the Wastelands, I saw Sena push Cora,” Arabella tells the blonde before forcing out a couple of tears.

Her blatant lies are like a punch to the throat. I take a step toward her. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“She tried to blame me for it, but it was her all along. I was just too frightened to say anything in case she sent her mates after me.” Arabella shrinks back as if actually frightened, but I see the dark glint in her eyes.

“ You pushed her, you absolute psycho.” I head straight for her, but the blonde steps in front of her to protect her.

I clench my fists by my side as anger slams into me.

Arabella leans around the blonde and sniffles. “Why would I do that?”

“Because you’re a horrible person,” I grit out while looking for an opening.

“ I’m the horrible person and yet you’re the one pretending you lost your memory to gain sympathy.

” Arabella glances round the library and at the large crowd now gathered before raising her voice.

“She’s probably faking being a mate too.

That or she used some dark magic to make it look like it’s real. I wouldn’t put it past her.”

Everyone in the library glances at me with frowns. Some with disgust as they fall for her lies and manipulation.

A group of male Shadows come over and glance from me to Arabella. Without asking what’s going on, they turn to Arabella and the blonde. “Get out of here.”

The blonde glances from me to them with a snarl while Arabella looks shocked for a moment before masking it with a glare. “She’s probably fucking them too. Slut!” She grabs the blonde’s arm. “Come on, let’s get out of here. I don’t want to be in the same room as a killer anyway.”

The blonde glares at me before turning around and heading out. The crowd quickly clears with the glares the group of male Shadows are sending them.

I spot Robin among the small group in the crowd and call out to her. But frown when I see the look on her face. Surely, she doesn’t believe anything Arabella has said.

“Robin?” I call out again, but she frowns at me and takes a step back, shaking her head before turning around and heading off with the girls.

“Are you okay?” the male Shadow that got rid of them asks, as his deep gray eyes scan me for injuries.

“I’m fine. Thank you,” I tell him while wondering what it is he wants.

But he just nods and shares a look with the others before heading out.

Shaking off the strange encounter, I wince when a thumping headache forms, shooting into my left eye. Seconds later, I immediately feel Knox’s bond. His energy slams into me, and the bond instantly opening between us.

“Sena! Stop blocking us out. Damn it!” Knox shouts.

It takes me a minute to answer him, still a little shocked that he just tore down my barrier like it was nothing.

“What the fuck was that?” I ask.

He drags out a sigh of frustration. “You weren’t answering me.”

“I was studying. I just needed some peace and quiet,” I say, feeling shitty for lying to him.

“Come back to the house,” he says with the hint of a demand.

“Why?” I ask wondering if the rumors have already reached him. And if we’re going to start playing their game of tricks once more.

“Cyrus misses you,” he says making me smile in relief.

“And you don’t?” I ask but wince when I realize that sounds like I’m flirting with him.

“Come back,” he says, his voice softer now.

I glance around at the library and see that most left are still sending glares at me. I ignore them and head into another aisle. “Give me an hour.”

“Sena—”

“Just an hour and I’ll be back.”

“An hour. Or I’ll come find you myself,” he promises.

I feel the bond weaken and slam it shut between us. Picking up as many books as I can find on dark energy and runes and shields, I glance around before heading to a hidden aisle near the back.

Sitting down, I start going through them, reading everything and anything I can. The words start blurring and joining together the more I read. And after an hour, I’m still no closer to figuring anything out about the Variants or the rune shields around the academy.

With the threat of Knox coming, I put the books back where I got them and then head out.

Walking into the forest, I think back to Arabella and the others. The video definitely looked real. But it could have been anytime last year with the other Sena.

I know the video is damning. But how could they believe that I’d kill Cora? The look of disbelief in Robin’s eyes constantly replays in my mind.

I don’t care what the other girls think. I know the truth. But I thought Robin was a friend. And if she believes them, then it’s only time before the guys do too.

A twig snaps, and I whip around too late to find three males surrounding me. All are dressed in black from head-to-toe with black masks concealing their faces completely.

Mentally kicking myself for not paying attention to my surroundings, I take a step back when long, dark shadows slash out and wrap around my legs and wrists. They yank me off my feet, and I hit the ground hard.

Pain explodes in my head, shooting down my side. I try to get to my feet as the world tilts and spins. Just as I crawl to my hands, an onslaught of kicks, digs and punches attack my body from every angle making me groan in agony.

As soon as they’ve started, the onslaught of hits and kicks suddenly stops. Seconds later the sound of screams and gurgles claw against my ears as I groan in pain.

I whimper and try to reach out to the guys, but darkness settles across my vision, quickly dragging me under.

Just before I pass out, I spot the blurry outline of a familiar white-haired male rush toward me.

“Shh, I’ve got you,” Theon whispers.