Page 45 of Venom (St. Sebastian’s at Cravenmoor Academy #1)

Venetia

“ S o, we’re agreed then?” I ask. “Tomorrow at noon, St. Seb’s becomes my throne room.”

Blake’s smile is razor-sharp. “The message has gone out. Every significant heir and legacy student will be there, desperate to make their financial nightmares disappear.”

“Good.” I stand and stretch, feeling stronger with a full stomach and a clear plan. “And what about tonight? I’m restless.”

“Tonight, you rest,” Viper says, his gaze dropping to my ribs briefly.

It irritates me that he is coddling me. I ignore him and move to the window. The quad below is empty in the gathering darkness except for a single figure standing in the centre, looking up at our window. They’re holding something dark in their hand.

“We’ve got company,” I say, voice steady despite the chill crawling up my spine.

The three of them join me at the window. The figure raises their arm, and even from this distance, I can see what they’re holding: a black lily.

My phone buzzes in my back pocket, and I pull it out, something making me want to see what this message is.

The graduates send their regards.

“What the fuck does this mean?” I ask, showing the message to Blake, who is standing closest to me.

Blake’s face goes rigid. “The Graduates. I would say this is the group of alumni. You know, those that Viper effectively wiped out when he took over the South Side.”

“Oh, fucking great. So, a bunch of elite killers trained in St. Sebastian’s special programme.”

“This makes sense now,” Viper growls. “Something hasn’t sat right with me since Anton called me.”

“What makes sense?” I ask, turning to him.

“They aren’t just after you, they’re after me.

This is why Anton placed me here, even though he knows next to nothing about me.

It’s why he chose me to protect you. It was one great big fucking plot that just happened to fall at his feet.

He must’ve thought all his birthdays came at once when you got shot at in my club. ”

“Oh, my dad is going to be in for such an arse-kicking next time I see him,” I growl. “He knows way more than he’s letting on.” Admittedly, he hasn’t let on that he knows anything , so that’s not really something to go by.

“Okay, shit just got real. How many are we talking about on campus right now?” Rafferty asks, his voice clipped.

“Fuck only knows,” Blake mutters.

The figure below suddenly moves, dropping the lily and melting into the shadows with disturbing efficiency.

“Well, fuck,” I mutter. “I guess this is coming to a head.”

I turn back to the room, my brain whirring with this new development. “So not only do we have an academy coup to execute tomorrow, but we’ve got elite assassins gunning for us tonight.”

“We should cancel the meeting,” Viper says immediately. “It’s too dangerous.”

“No.” My voice is firm. “That’s exactly what they want. To make me cower, to force me to retreat. We stick to the plan, but we add a new element.”

“Which is?” Rafferty raises an eyebrow.

“We strike first. But first, I need to sleep. We can’t do shit if we’re exhausted.”

“You want to sleep? Now?” Rafferty looks at me like I’ve grown a second head.

“I’m pragmatic. We need rest if we’re going to face whatever comes tomorrow.”

“She’s right,” Blake says. “We take shifts. Two sleep, two watch.”

“I’ll take first watch with Viper,” Rafferty volunteers. “You two get some rest.”

I don’t argue. The adrenaline crash is already hitting me hard, my limbs feeling heavy. Blake and I take the bed, fully clothed and ready to move at a moment’s notice. Blake wraps his arms around me with a smug look on his face. “I get to sleep with you.”

“As long as we actually sleep,” I murmur, staring into his forest green eyes.

“Don’t tempt me, my queen. I’m barely holding on as it is,” he whispers, tracing my bottom lip with his thumb.

“No one’s asking you to.”

His eyes darken, and he leans forward to capture my lips in a kiss that is demanding and controlled. He pulls back suddenly. “I’m asking myself to.”

“Why?”

He slides his gaze over to Rafferty before he looks back at me, searching my eyes.

“You have the instant gratification with him. I want to relish the process. I want us both begging to be taken but still edging ourselves until we are nothing but panting messes desperate for each other. When that time comes, I will take you for all to see, Venetia. It will be a public claiming, savage and brutal.”

My heart thumps wildly. I want it more than anything, but he’s right. We need to take things slower than Raff and I have. That was lust, adrenaline, and a need to force Viper’s hand. Luckily, it has worked out, but it could quite as easily have backfired on my arse.

I nod and snuggle into his chest, closing my eyes with a smile of contentment.

Despite everything, sleep comes quickly in the safety of Blake’s arms.

When Viper wakes me three hours later, I feel sharper, more focused.

Blake and I take over the watch while Rafferty and Viper get some rest. The night passes without incident, which only makes me more uneasy.

The quiet feels deliberate, like the calm before a hurricane.

They aren’t making their move, which means, they are expecting me to.

The element of surprise is non-existent.

As dawn comes with weak autumn sunlight filtering through the curtains, I stretch, working out the kinks from being crammed into a chair for the last three hours. The others are already up, Viper checking his weapons while Blake scans his phone for updates.

“We should head to breakfast,” I say, running a hand through my tangled hair. “Act normal, keep your eyes on everyone.”

As I open the door to step into the corridor, I freeze. Lying on the threshold is a black lily, its petals gleaming with an oily sheen that catches the light. Attached to it is a small white card.

“What the hell?” I mutter, carefully picking the card up.

The card bears a single line of elegant script: Your court is marked. The crown comes with a price.

Rafferty steps past me, looking up and down the hallway. “Holy shit.”

Following his gaze, I see what’s stopped him in his tracks. Outside every door on our floor lies a black lily.

“They’ve marked everyone,” Blake says quietly, taking in the scene.

“It’s psychological warfare,” Viper adds. “They’re trying to isolate us, make everyone too scared to stand with you.”

I walk down the corridor, counting. Twenty-six doors, twenty-six lilies.

“They’re threatening anyone who might support me,” I say, anger building in my chest. “Trying to cut me off before I can even start.”

“You need to turn their intimidation tactic into your recruitment drive,” Blake says.

“We will. I’m going out on the quad in an hour. This will be a public reckoning.”

“What about the one outside last night?” Blake gestures back toward the window.

“Let them watch,” I say coldly. “Let them see exactly what happens when you threaten me.”

We move through the hallways with purpose, Viper’s solid presence at my back keeping me steady. The academy feels different this morning, shadows deeper, the silence heavier. Students peer nervously from doorways as we pass, whispers following in our wake.

Blake mutters something into his phone and then hangs up. “Three have been spotted on campus. Two men, one woman. Armed and dangerous.”

“How do you know that already?” I ask.

“I have eyes everywhere.”

“Fair enough. Let’s go hunting.”

Outside, the morning has fully brightened, the newly autumn air crisp and cool. Leaves skitter across the pathways, rustling with each gust of wind. The perfect cover for someone moving in silence.

We make our way to the main building, the central point of St. Sebastian’s.

“Two figures heading toward the science block,” Blake murmurs.

I nod, and we move silently through the grounds, keeping to the shadows. The science block looms ahead, its glass facades reflecting the morning light. As we approach, I spot movement—a figure slipping through a side door.

“There,” I whisper, pointing.

Rafferty signals for us to split up. He’ll take the front entrance, Blake does recon outside, and Viper takes the rear, leaving me to follow the figure we spotted.

I edge around the building, staying low beneath the windows. The side door is ajar, a sliver of darkness inviting me in. Drawing my knife, I slip inside.

The science block is eerily quiet, the familiar smell of chemicals sharp in my nose. I move from shadow to shadow, straining my ears for any sound of movement.

Carefully, I make my way to the stairs, testing each step before putting my weight on it. The knife feels reassuring in my hand, its balance perfect. At the top of the stairs, I pause, listening.

A figure appears at the end of the corridor—tall, lean, dressed in black with a face that could belong to any of the posh boys who strut around campus, except for the dead eyes. He smiles, raising his suppressed handgun.

I don’t give him the chance to fire. I throw myself forward, ducking under his arm and driving my knife up into his abdomen. He grunts in surprise, the gun faltering in his hand. I twist the knife and pull it free, blood warm on my fingers as I shove past him toward the stairs.

Behind me, I hear him slump against the wall, but I don’t look back. We don’t know how many more of them are going to come out of the woodwork.

I burst through the stairwell door, nearly colliding with Rafferty coming up. “Got one,” I rasp.

He nods, eyes focused. “Didn’t encounter anyone.”

“Shit.”

A shot rings out from above, and we both dive for cover in opposite directions as a bullet ricochets off the metal railing. Rafferty returns fire, emptying half a clip up the stairwell, flying blind due to his location.

“Did I get him?” he whispers.

A body tumbles down the stairs in answer, landing in a broken heap at our feet. The man’s eyes stare sightlessly at the ceiling, a bloom of red spreading across his chest.

“I’d say that’s a yes,” I say solemnly. “Two down. How many to go?”

“None to go,” Viper’s voice comes from behind us.

He steps into view, dragging a limp female form by the collar.

Blood drips from a nasty gash on his forehead, but his eyes are clear and cold.

“She put up more of a fight than expected.” He drops her unceremoniously.

“Thought you might want a chat before we finish this.”

“We need to move,” Rafferty says, checking the woman for weapons. “Security will be here soon, and we don’t want to explain three bodies.”

“Two bodies,” I correct. “We’re taking her with us.”

We bind the woman’s hands and feet, and Viper hoists her over his shoulder. We move quickly through the building. Blake meets us at a side entrance, his expression grim.

“We have a problem,” he says without preamble. “The headmaster’s called an emergency assembly for nine AM.”

“That’s soon,” I frown. “What’s it about?”

“Security concerns. Apparently, someone’s reported dangerous intruders on campus.” His eyes flick to the unconscious woman. “He’s bringing in additional security personnel.”

“He’s trying to shut us down before we even start,” Rafferty growls.

“Then we move faster,” I decide. “We don’t wait. We take control at his assembly.”

Blake raises an eyebrow. “Bold.”

“Necessary,” I counter. “If we wait, we lose momentum. The headmaster’s trying to reassert control. We can’t let him.”

The woman is starting to stir, dark eyes blinking slowly as consciousness returns. She struggles in Viper’s grasp, and he dumps her on the ground behind an ancient oak tree.

“Venetia Corbyn-Hale,” she says, voice raspy but controlled as her eyes land on me. “You’re not what I expected.”

“Sorry to disappoint you,” I reply coldly.

“Oh, I didn’t say I was disappointed.” A smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “You killed James. Not many people could manage that.”

“Who hired you?” Viper demands, moving to stand beside me.

She laughs, a harsh sound in the quiet morning. “You think I’ll just tell you? Professional courtesy doesn’t extend that far.”

Viper crouches down next to her and holds his gun to her head. “Talk, or they’ll be cleaning up your brains for weeks.”

“Viper Stone. You are a thorn in our sides,” she hisses.

“I think you’ll find I’m more than that,” he says, his legendary calm in full force. “Talk or I lean too heavily on this trigger.”

She considers her options, clearly weighing her death against her loyalty. Finally, she sighs. “Don’t know who. Order was to escalate until the target is isolated, then eliminate.”

“The target being me,” I clarify.

She nods. “And anyone who tries to protect you. The client was very specific about that.”

Something clicks in my mind. The client knows me. Knows how I think, how I react.

“That it?” Viper asks.

She nods.

Viper pulls the trigger.

“Three down,” Rafferty says.

“And more to come,” I reply.

Up above us, the leaves continue to fall, yellow and red and gold, covering the ground in a blanket of death. Nature’s own little funeral shroud. “But they’ll fall like these autumn leaves, one by one, until there’s no one left standing against us.”