Barnaby had been inside my head.
The thought plagued me. I couldn’t get it out of my mind. The very idea made me want to throw up. I hated not knowing what he’d done, where, or when. It must have happened at the Student Union Bar when I first suspected him. The events of that night hadn’t added up. My flesh crawled when I remembered his smug grin. Although, really, it could have been any time—I wouldn’t know.
Jack and the others had the capability to tamper with people’s minds, but they scarcely did so out of principle. Barnaby had no such scruples. He clearly enjoyed having power over others. And what was he doing? Reading minds or riffling through their memories? Why? Just because he could? No, he was up to something.
I stared down at my fingernail. The little crescent shape the colour of a faded bruise was a brand. A horrible reminder that he had violated my mind and done who knows what without my knowledge or permission. It was so wrong.
Keeping my head down didn’t last long, as I ran straight into Sadie and Caroline after my seminar.
“Eliza, where have you been? I haven’t seen you in ages,” Sadie said. “We’re going to a house party tonight near campus. Are you going? You have to come.”
They wouldn’t accept any of my excuses, so I reluctantly agreed. I regretted my decision almost as soon as we got there. Word had spread around campus about the party, and the house was packed to the rafters. Not five minutes after we arrived, Caroline came back from the kitchen, fighting her way through the crowd to where Sadie and I stood in the hall, to tell me she’d seen Dane.
“He said he’ll come and find you later,” she told me, straightening her black sequinned miniskirt. I subconsciously smoothed down my dress. I was ashamed to admit I had also let them talk me into wearing monochrome, under the guise that it was slightly more subtle than the pink thing.
A haughty laugh drifted down the hallway, and my stomach clenched.
“Eliza, are you listening? I was saying, the best way to make Dane jealous…” Sadie trailed off as she followed my gaze to where Barnaby was speaking animatedly to a willowy redhead. “Will you look at that? Barnaby doesn’t look very heartbroken.” Sadie’s eyes gleamed. “Where was Roxy’s head, at ditching him and running off? She’s crazy if you ask me. He’s a ten.”
“A hot, rich guy like that always has a flock of girls waiting in the wings ready to pounce. Honestly, I’m surprised he stayed with Roxy as long as he did. Look, he’s already found himself a new girl to keep him warm,” Caroline said.
The redhead whispered something to Barnaby, and he gave her a sinful smirk. They were right; he was putting on a real show of laughing and flirting like he didn’t have a care in the world. He slid his arm around her waist, and he led her down the corridor. As he passed us, I held my breath. Barnaby cast his heavy gaze over us.
“Ladies,” he drawled. And then he winked at me as he strolled by. My blood boiled as I gaped at his back.
Caroline fanned herself. “Sorry to Roxy or whatever, but he is so sexy.”
Her expression turned apologetic when I glared at her. She gave a little shrug.
Sadie elbowed me and raised her eyebrows as Barnaby and the girl headed upstairs.
Panic flared in my chest. I couldn’t let him hurt her. Was he really that brazen? Plenty of people at the party had seen them leave together. If she became another spiking victim, he’d be an obvious suspect.
“Look after my drink,” I said, shoving my cup into Sadie’s hand.
“Eliza, don’t cause a scene,” she hissed after me as I took off for the stairs.
Squeezing past partygoers, I took the stairs two at a time. I didn’t have a plan. I just knew I had to stop him from messing with that girl. I circled the landing just in time to see Barnaby disappear into a room at the end of the hallway. When I reached the door, my hand hesitated on the handle. Chances were good I’d walk in on them fooling around and embarrass myself. But what if they weren’t? I twisted the handle.
It wasn’t locked and swung right open. When I stepped inside, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Of all the compromising positions I thought I might see, I certainly didn’t expect to find Barnaby, alone, arms folded with a big fat smirk on his face.
“Eliza.”
“Oh h-hi,” I stammered, glancing around the bedroom. The redhead was nowhere in sight. “I thought this was the bathroom.”
I had walked straight into his trap.
Barnaby regarded me, his smirk turning sinister. “I don’t think that’s true. I think you thought you were going to catch me in here doing something I shouldn’t.”
“You can do what you want. You’re single now.” My voice sounded stronger than I felt.
“I sure am,” he said, his tone teasing.
“What happened to Roxy?” The question flew from my mouth before I could stop it.
Barnaby lifted his eyebrows. “You tell me. She came to me on the night she left, terribly upset over an argument she’d had with you. Next thing I know she dumped me and took off. Seems like you’d shouldn’t point the finger.”
“You’d love that, wouldn’t you?” I snapped.
“I understand you’re looking out for your friend. But you are starting to annoy me.”
“Why? Why can’t I ask questions? My friend has disappeared. If you cared about her, you’d be just as worried as me.”
“If you really knew her, then you wouldn’t be surprised that she left. She was unhappy, not enjoying her courses. She had mentioned leaving a few times. Her fight with you must have tipped her over the edge.”
I folded my arms. He was so transparent, trying to deflect my suspicions by undermining our friendship.
“She wasn’t unhappy,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Perhaps not on the surface.”
“Perhaps you’re making stuff up,” I shot back.
“Deep down there were plenty of signs. Didn’t you see them? You were her roommate. You were supposed to be her closest friend.”
“I am her friend. And I’m not going to drop this until I speak to Roxy myself.”
“Tell her hi from me when you do.”
Something about the way he said it made me snap.
“I know what you’re up to,” I said.
The snide smile disappeared from his face, and his eyes narrowed.
“And what is it you think you know, Eliza?”
“I know that you’re the one behind what’s been going on around here.”
He gave a nasty, throaty chuckle. The sound made my skin crawl.
“What exactly are you accusing me of?”
Okay, Eliza, learn when to shut your mouth and not make the situation worse. I took step back. Behind me the door clicked shut. My stomach sank as any hope I’d held onto that I could be wrong had vanished. The pretence was over. Barnaby was behind all of this.
“People saw me come in here with you,” I warned him.
His lip curled. “Not a problem.” A streak of white light lit his irises. A hot, sticky sensation crept through my veins. I staggered in the direction of the door. I should never have come in here. “I’m getting sick of you sticking your nose into my business,” Barnaby growled as he stalked towards me.
“Stop,” I choked out, rubbing my temples. I couldn’t think straight. My head felt like it was stuffed with cotton wool. I knew I should run away, but I remained frozen to the spot.
Barnaby closed his hand around my neck, and his features shifted. Only for a moment, a flicker, I saw blood-red eyes filled with smoky darkness. Thick, reptilian scales shimmered over iridescent blue-green skin. His real face. Or maybe not. Maybe he was just trying to scare me. Congratulations, it was working.
His lizard face disappeared almost immediately, morphing back to handsome, affable Barnaby—except the darkness in his eyes was still there. His hand tightened around my throat as he pinned me against the wall. The fog dispersed, allowing my thoughts to clear slightly, but I still couldn’t move. My body was a lead weight.
“Where’s the real Barnaby? Did you kill him? How long have you been masquerading as a student?”
“I don’t need to explain myself to you.” A sinister grin stretched across his lips. “But don’t worry, you’ll find out for yourself soon enough.”
I tried to ask him what he meant, but my lips wouldn’t move. Numbness spread across my face, yet I still felt his breath as he leaned in close, his nose almost touching mine.
A whimper escaped my throat, and Barnaby’s grin widened with delight. He inhaled deeply, almost as if he was smelling me. I tried desperately to move to no effect.
A small frown appeared on Barnaby’s face. “Well now, what’s this?” He drew back and tilted his head to one side, his eyes roaming over my face as if he were seeing me for the first time.
He went still at the sound of someone clearing their throat.
Jack leaned against the doorframe. A wave of relief washed over me. I had never been so happy to see someone in my whole life.
Barnaby released me and stepped back. The thrall he held over me instantly evaporated, and I sagged against the wall.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything, mate,” Jack said causally, instantly taking me back to when we’d first met and he’d stepped in when Dane had been harassing me.
Barnaby held Jack’s gaze, sizing him up or trying to enthral him—either way, whatever he saw made him back off. Without another word he stalked out of the room.
“Are you okay?” Jack hurried over and took my arm. I nodded. His eyes swept over me, landing on my neck. From Jack’s scowl, as well as the tender prickle of my skin, I knew Barnaby’s grip had left a mark.
Jack let go of my arm and unravelled his scarf. Without a word he looped it over my head and tied it gently, being careful to keep it loose against my skin. I watched him silently, trying to ignore the fact I was enveloped in his scent.
“Can you walk?” he asked once the scarf was in place.
“Yes.” I wished my voice didn’t sound so croaky.
“Good, let’s get out of here.”
He stalked to the door, and I followed. I knew what a massive mistake I’d made. Who knew what Barnaby would have done to me if Jack hadn’t saved me? From the look on Jack’s face, I was going to hear about it.