School of the Crown Assassins

24

It hurt, but I couldn't blame them. Ever since the attack two weeks ago I became more on edge. I reported it to the school and they did a full investigation of my room. Most of them didn't believe it when I told them how the killer just vanished in seconds. And then they interrogated me in case I was the killer and only trying to throw them off.

After two whole days of investigating—which required Alphas be shoved into the available lower dorms, a change none of the Alphas enjoyed—they gave up and Principal Cartwright left with only a warning thrown in our direction to be careful. They didn't even place any guards or security measures for accessing the suite, but I preferred it that way since the tighter security could've interfered with my plans.

Not that they were going well as it is. I needed to talk to Axe after this mission about what we were going to do in such little time and if he came up with any ideas for our next moves. But for now, I needed to focus on the mission ahead.

I picked up my pace, slowly passing Axe and Nydia until I ended up next to Damien. I tensed when I was picked up out of my thoughts and dropped on the reality of where I was and who I was standing next to.

Damien swatted the air in front of him with an unappealing scowl. "Why are there so many mosquitos?"

"Good question," Nydia called from behind us. "I have no idea. They literally don't do anything to the ecosystem. We should just kill all of them. They're too annoying."

"The kill list better include Damien," a voice called from ahead. I was surprised to see Xavier smirking over his shoulder.

"It does."

"I'm not annoying!" Damien whined.

"Yes, you are. That's why I'm trying to kill you."

"Axe doesn't think I'm annoying," Damien said, pointing behind him.

Axe looked up. "I'm sorry to break it to you, but I'm joining her plot."

"It's technically Xavier's plot," Nydia stated, "But I'm not complaining."

Damien pouted before turning back around. "Ari, you must-"

"Don't even try with me," Arielle shot over her shoulder. "I've been trying to strangle you since the day you were born."

"Infanticide's not a good look."

"It is on me."

Damien rolled his eyes and set his attention on me. "Surely, you don't think I'm annoying enough to kill, right Indigo?"

Damien's lips were quirked into a small smile, a teasing one that I had seen for months and thought to be genuine. But now it carried a hidden message, one that made me writhe away in the embarrassment of my own stupidity and want to punch him square in the jaw. He knew what kind of effect his regular behavior was having on me and he was reveling in it.

But two could play that game.

I shrugged and gave a fake smile I knew he could see right through. "I think killing you would be the best thing in my life."

"You're so mean," he countered. "Besides, I wouldn't die. I would kill you first."

His eyes were locked into mine in a challenge and I knew it was an open threat. So I challenged back.

"You can try."

Damien's smile faltered. Mine stayed strong as I continued to stare him down even though I risked tripping over a root, and he reciprocated the action.

Axe, being the only member on the team who knew what this was truly about, cleared his throat. "How much longer until we get there?"

Arielle looked down at the map of the woods in her hands. We didn't bring our Tabs just in case whoever this was could trace them once they were in range.