Reaching Answers (Artemis University #8) - Erin R Flynn Page 0,80

glanced around and took in the scene, seeing several people filming the altercation for what they undoubtedly thought was proof. The one thing I focused on were the two guys who were holding Darby towards the back of the group. “Let him go before you piss me off and we have a problem. I’ll play this act and enjoy it but if you cross the line and touch my boyfriend, we’ll dance and you will hurt.”

They were smart enough to let him go, but Darby didn’t push things and stayed where he was on the outskirts.

I glanced around again and saw the teachers were staying out of it, meeting White’s gaze and feeling better when she gave me a nod to handle this.

“Take ten steps back so I can throw up a barrier before anyone tries to touch me, and I’ll play your games,” I told the crowd… Of vampires.

Confusion was all over Holly’s expression but she came to some sort of decision, snapping over her shoulder to have everyone move back. The confusion turned to pure shock when I took off all my charms and protective magic necklaces, handing them over to Izzy.

Who muttered I had balls the size of Canada.

Sure I did.

“I like you, Holly. You’re my favorite person ever,” I said so everyone could hear. I glanced around. “You could all tell I was lying there, right? No charms to block my reactions or keep me safe. You could smell it, yes?” I waited until over a dozen nodded.

Including Holly.

I met her gaze full on. “I’ve never murdered anyone. I have killed people in self-defense. Some of you have witnessed that and honestly, that’s a drop in the bucket. But I have never committed murder. I’ve never gone after anyone to kill them. I did not murder Jordan Holmes and the others.”

“She’s not lying,” someone whispered, a few others muttering agreement.

Holly wasn’t giving up though. “Fine, but you were—”

“Playtime over,” I chuckled, taking back everything from Izzy. “You’re not the cops or anyone I ever have to fucking answer to. Any of you. I don’t owe you answers. You don’t deserve shit from me after how you’ve treated me.” I glanced around and let that sink in. “I answered that one question because some of you were truly afraid.

“Your community—those guys and their families starting most of it—is spreading all kinds of shit that I’ve got a beef with vampires and now I’m a murderous monster. I have a problem with assholes, and those guys and their families are assholes, but I still didn’t murder them. So, I was fair and answered so you’re not scared you’re on campus with a murderer.”

Well, not me, but Jordan Holmes and the others had been murderers, and I doubted the only ones. Really, I did.

“Someday, someone will bust you on what you are, and this shit will end,” Holly threatened under her breath when everyone else seemed satisfied and moved on. “All you’ve really been up to will come out, and this image of you being a saint we’ve all needed will be destroyed.”

I wasn’t stupid enough to respond where others could hear, flipping on my telepathy as I smirked at her. “Yes, one day it will come out, but not by you and your stupid ploys, Holly. And when it does, you will not be happy with the answer, so I suggest you stop trying to rush that day. Because I swear to you that the attention will never stop being on me then, and that’s the opposite of what you want.”

“You’re not as special as people are pushing you up to be or think you are.”

“I don’t think I’m that special at all. I simply have the courage to fight when others won’t and the determination to go all-in. You’d sell anyone out—and have—to save your own ass, which is why no one will ever take much note of you. But whether I’m special or not won’t change the fact that the attention on me will get worse when people get the answer. I’m doing you a solid—stop trying to get it.”

“Whatever, freak. You’ll burn out soon enough like the other unknowns and probably die young.”

Which was Holly’s biggest fear. She stormed off, but I had already long known that secret. She hated me because I was always around and her biggest nightmare. It was stupid of her to react that way but in her mind, her logic was like having a fear of spiders and being forced