Legends of Mirandis Academy

Chapter 46: Tainted

Brielle couldn't allow herself to be scared. She was a Prescott: assured, confident, unbreakable. And yet the meeting still worried her. So many outcomes could unfurl right there. She didn't even know who the mystery blackmailer was, she didn't know what to expect.

And yet the moment she saw him, it made sense that it was Samson Clef.

"Unsurprising to say the least," Brielle droned. "You're telling me you're the one behind this?"

"Not alone," he chuckled. His hands were in his pockets and he leaned very heavily on the library's brick wall. "The letter did say we. I just have the pleasure of being the messenger."

"Well yes, you certainly don't have the intelligence to do anything like this on your own." She rolled her eyes, crossed her arms, and leaned back on one leg, her most comfortable position. "All right, what are your terms?"

"I do have a few, actually."

"Oh, I'm so excited to hear. Just get down to business, would you?"

Brielle would have expected him to snarl, to somehow respond to her cutting tone, but instead he laughed. He was in a place where he actually had an upperhand, and it made Brielle feel small.

"First. I assume this will be easy considering you don't really care for either of them..." He pushed up from the wall and began walking around her, then making slow and wide circles like a predator relishing the kill. "I want you to have a conversation with that little freshman, Backup Food. Tell him the truth about Luna. Because she is not his friend. He needs to see that she's a liar, a manipulator." Samson's hands curled into fists. "She doesn't care for anyone in her life, only what she can get from them."

"Strange, but easy enough, I suppose." It didn't feel right. None of it did. When Brielle was in a low place, was Luna not there to help her? Did she not scoop her up from the floor? But hadn't she lied, too? Luna had a tendency to avoid questions, to lure into false pretenses, to constantly scheme.

If Brielle convinced herself that it was true, she could so much easier convince others.

"Is that all?"

"One more," Samson continued and held a folded sheet of paper out for her. "Go into the shop—" her shoulders tensed in sudden anger, "find the circular saw, follow these instructions."

She glared at him, took the paper, and opened it up to read it. Her fury was immediately flooded with thorough disgust. "I'm not framing her for anything!"

"You will, and you will do it exactly like that paper says. Iridia Trilliaris will be pulled away from her beloved hideaway, banned from equipment, and driven out of any safety that stupid girl may have." Samson's eyes blazed. "I want her to hurt."

"I don't give a shit about your stupid vendetta with her." Brielle stepped in front of him, stalling his lazy march. "I can give you what you want with Backup Food, whatever, but I'm not doing any of this." She whipped the paper around in the air. "I'll tell my parents myself before I hurt her."

His jaw clenched. A vein worked in his temple, and for a moment Brielle felt a flash of fear. She was about to signal to Duran for help—but then, he stepped back, swallowing his anger. In a smooth voice, he said, "I'm surprised you're so dedicated. Don't you remember how I know what I do?"

"You're lying. She didn't tell you shit, someone else did."

"There was only one witness, Miss Prescott. One witness to see the hunger you had for him in the kitchen, two bottles down so eager for each other. Cabernet Sauvignon is such a snobby choice for a drinking competition." A grin started to pull at his cheeks as color drained from hers. How did he remember more than her? "And up at the top of the stairs, because she followed you, she watched you two go into his room. Heard some interesting sounds up there. Some unmistakable sounds."