Page 46 of Venom (St. Sebastian’s at Cravenmoor Academy #1)

Blake

“ W e need to get this cleaned up,” I say, already dialling. I know enough people who will get this swept under the rug for the right price.

“Shame we didn’t get a name,” Rafferty says.

“It doesn’t matter. This is an organisation. Names don’t matter.”

I walk over to the fallen woman, taking in her lifeless form with a detached kind of curiosity.

The blood pooling beneath her head looks almost black against the fallen leaves.

There’s something poetic about it—the way death can look so beautiful in the right light.

A few whispered words, and it’s done. I pocket my phone.

“Whoever sent them knows we’d be able to handle a few assassins,” I say, kneeling to search her pockets.

“This wasn’t a serious attempt. It was a message. ”

“A message saying what?” Viper asks, wiping his gun clean before tucking it away.

I find a small card tucked into an inner pocket of her jacket. I pull it out—blank on one side, but on the other, a simple black lily has been embossed into the heavy cardstock. “A calling card. They want us to know who we’re dealing with.”

“The lily is significant,” Viper says, giving Venetia a hard look. “You sure this isn’t Nathan?”

“My instincts are telling me no,” she says, shaking her head. “But I see how it looks. We shouldn’t rule it out.”

He nods.

“We need to move. My people will handle this. They’ll be here in ten minutes.” I rise. “The assembly starts in a few minutes.”

“Are we really just going to hijack his assembly?” Venetia asks.

“Why not?” I ask with a smile. “Your reign begins with a coup, not a committee meeting.”

Venetia’s eyes spark with that delicious fire that first drew me to her. This girl doesn’t just want power; she understands it, craves it like oxygen. It’s intoxicating to watch.

“The assembly gives us everyone in one place,” Rafferty adds, checking his watch. “Maximum impact, minimum effort.”

We move across campus towards the main hall, careful to avoid the areas where we’ve left our deadly handiwork. Students stream in the same direction, faces tight with confusion and fear. Everyone is on edge, whispering, glancing over their shoulders.

“Don’t look so grim,” I murmur to Venetia as we approach the hall’s massive oak doors. “You’re about to become queen. At least pretend to enjoy it.”

She shoots me a look that’s pure venom wrapped in honey. “I’ll enjoy it when I know who’s trying to kill me.”

“Fair enough.” I grab her hand and hang back. “We’ll be a second.”

Viper and Rafferty move away, but not far enough for my liking.

“We need to talk,” I mutter.

“About what?”

“Us. This.”

“Now?” she asks, an eyebrow raised. “You could’ve picked a better moment.”

“True, but it’s a challenge to get you away from those two.”

She flicks a glance towards Viper and Rafferty.

“Do you know where you stand with them?” I ask carefully.

“More or less,” she replies, drawing her gaze back to me. “You, on the other hand, are an enigma.”

I give her a rueful smile. “A trait born from being a Locke. Always keep everything close to your chest. But let’s not pretend that either of us is particularly straightforward,” I tell her, watching her pupils dilate slightly.

The predator in me recognises that sign of interest. “But I want to be clear about one thing before you take that stage.”

“Which is?” Venetia’s voice drops to a whisper, her gaze intensifying.

“I’m not sharing you because I have to. I’m sharing you because it pleases me to watch you with them.” I step closer, my lips nearly brushing her ear. “But make no mistake—what I feel for you isn’t casual. It isn’t convenient. It’s consuming.”

I hear her breath catch, that telltale hitch that tells me I’ve hit my mark.

Before she can respond, I continue: “When you take control today, I want you to know that I will destroy anyone who tries to take this from you, because your reign is inevitable, and I want to witness every glorious moment of it.”

“That’s quite the declaration,” she murmurs, her eyes searching mine.

“It’s merely the truth.” I brush my thumb across her bottom lip, savouring the softness. “Where do I stand with you?”

She sighs. “I’m not sure. All of this is happening so fast. A few days ago, I had no one, and now I have three of you all vying for my attention. It’s… a lot.”

“I get that. I feel circumstances have placed you here amongst us for a reason.”

“It wasn’t circumstance, it was my dad.”

“Either way, you were meant to be here. We were meant to be here to help you.”

“You getting mushy on me, Blake?”

I smile. “I’m trying to be honest about how I feel. It’s difficult.”

“Tell me about it.” She takes a second and then speaks again. “This loyalty is appreciated. I need people I can trust. I feel I can trust you. All of you. I know things will move forward with us. We both want it. It’s a mutual attraction, and you have something I want.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Oh? And what’s that?”

“The ability to build me an empire.”

I smirk at her words. This woman continues to surprise me at every turn. Most people would be cowering after facing three assassins, but here she stands, plotting her rise to power with the same cool calculation I’ve spent my life perfecting.

“An empire built on the ashes of those who wish to destroy you,” I murmur. “A worthy foundation, wouldn’t you say?”

“I would. But you could have anyone, Blake. You could build your own empire without anyone else. Why me?”

The question hangs between us, her green eyes searching mine for truth. Why her? It’s a valid question that deserves a real answer, not my usual calculated charm.

“Because you’re the only person I’ve met who matches me step for step,” I admit, the words feeling strange on my tongue.

Honesty isn’t my default setting. “I’ve spent my life three moves ahead of everyone else, and it’s lonely.

But you…” I pause, measuring my words carefully.

“… you see the chessboard the way I do. You understand power not just as a means to an end, but as an art form. I could build an empire alone. I’ve been aiming for that since I was old enough to understand what the Locke name means.

But what’s the point of ruling if there’s no one beside you who truly understands what it took to get there? ”

The corner of her mouth quirks up. “So, you’re saying you’re tired of being the smartest person in the room?”

“I’m saying I’ve found an equal,” I reply, allowing a rare moment of complete sincerity. “And that’s worth more than any empire.”

She studies me for a long moment, weighing my words against whatever internal scale she uses to measure truth. “I can work with that,” she finally says, a smile spreading across her face that makes my heart stutter in a way I’m not entirely comfortable with. “Let’s go seize my throne, shall we?”

I offer her my arm, and she takes it with a regal confidence that makes something primal stir in my chest. This woman was born to rule, and I was born to be by her side.