Hierarchy of Need [t.r]

Chapter Twenty Three

"What?"

"Never mind, he's just painfully conniving." There was a brief moment of silence before he gestured for them to start walking, Delilah easily falling in step with him. "Wait, so you don't know what happened?" She spoke slowly, watching his profile carefully.

Running a hand through his hair, Elio shook his head and let out a huff. "No, but I'm assuming it's bad if it made Abraxas look that guilty."

Delilah froze then, her muscles going rigid and the hair on the back of her neck stood up.

Abraxas had lied to her. Right to her face, and he didn't even blink.

Did that mean Pyrrhus and Cain were also involved?

And Merlin, that absolute fucker.

Elio hadn't noticed she'd stopped walking until a few moments later. Looking over his shoulder, his brows furrowed at the expression on her face. "Delilah?"

"I'm going to kill him." Her voice was steel as she stalked forward and took hold of Elio's arm, dragging him into the nearest empty classroom. The lack of sarcasm in her tone was a bit concerning, "kill who?"

"Riddle. God I'm such an idiot! Three times! Three fucking times! Maybe even four, who knows? And he- fucking hell," she slammed the door shut and cast a silencing charm. At the complete cluelessness written over Elio's face, Delilah sighed and her nose twitched slightly.

"They branded them, Elio. Branded."

He paled then and tugged at his tie, loosening it as much as he could. Feeling suffocated all the sudden, but there was a fire building up his spine, setting off his nerves in a sleeping inferno. "What did they write?"

Elio's tone was stiff and Delilah eyed him warily. He looked torn between either passing out or ripping someone's head off.

The disappointment she felt in the boys probably didn't even compare to what he was feeling. Elio's known them for years, they've grown up together, they were brothers. Part of her was scared to tell him, but she knew she had to.

"A multitude of things, Blood traitor, mudblood, and," she took a deep breath, hoping to god what she was about to say next would mean nothing to him. "On Katerina's back, 'Property of the Knights of Walpurgis' was-"

Delilah jumped to the side as Elio suddenly stalked towards the door, throwing it open with a wave of his wand. She merely blinked before following after him, all her questions about where he was going and what the Knights were appeared to be falling on deaf ears.

But once he turned down one hall, Delilah's blood ran cold. She knew exactly where they were heading.

"Wait, Elio we don't even know if it was them! They never told you anything-"

He spun on his heel, making Delilah collide with his chest and stagger back slightly. She's never seen him so furious. "Seriously, Delilah? I know you don't want it to be true but face it, this isn't even the first awful thing they've done."

Her brows furrowed, what did that mean? A thought occurred to her, did that mean Elio was in the Knights of Walpurgis? No. He couldn't be, if he was he'd know about Xan and Kat already. Elio stormed off again, his fists clenched at his sides and she struggled to keep up with him.

The moment the head boy and girl's door was in his sights, he threw it open, making a few students in the hall raise their brows. Delilah's own eyes widened, realizing what sort of confrontation was about to be held. Hurrying after Elio, she was just able to shut the door and place a silencing spell when all hell broke loose.