Page 32 of Speak No Claim

I abruptly stood, bringing more attention to myself as I exited the class. I could feel him smiling behind me, loving the fact he got a rise out of me. I hated that everyone was holding secrets to a past I had no idea existed.

Ancient portraits stalked my every step as I walked out of the auditorium into the hallways. Their painted faces seemed to follow me, and I instantly wondered if the Devereauxs and Hawthornes were among them…

Are there more Belladonnas? Do I have ancestry here? What is going on?

Most universities tried to look prestigious. Graves didn’t have to try. It just was. Every hallway whispered sacred history. Every brick seemed to carry lifelong secrets. Every building told a different horror story.

The list of how much I wasn’t aware of and how much trauma was stored was infinite. I felt it all around me. There was no denying it, clawing at my feet. The room buzzed with conversation as I made my way through it. It didn’t stop. More whispers replaced laughter while eyes darted toward me before snapping away.

Every time I glanced out the windows, I could see the building Luna told me not to walk past. Not to enter.

Why?

By the time I walked off campus, I was mentally exhausted. On my way out, I saw Alfred sitting in his SUV waiting for me.

Or was he watching me?

I couldn’t tell the difference.

Once again, I didn’t accept his ride, but that didn’t stop him from trailing me. The quiet walk home was lonely in a way.

Did I make new friends today, or are they pawns of a much bigger game of cat and mouse?

I hated that it felt like I couldn’t trust anyone, particularly my uncle, when he was supposed to be the one I did.

I unlocked the front door. Silence greeted me.

“Tío Luis?” I hollered to no avail.

I dropped my backpack beside the staircase with a heavy thud. The sound echoed through the house, only making it feel that much emptier and more alone.

Somehow, every muscle in my body still locked up. My heart lurched in my throat as the front door opened. Immediately, I thought it was my uncle, and now I had to confront him.

The truth was, I was suddenly terrified to know the truth. If no one had told me up until this point, it was for one reason, and that was the hardest pill to swallow. They were hiding something bad. That much I did understand.

Was my father part of this brotherhood thing? Was my uncle?

“Tío Luis⁠—”

“No.” Elizabeth Devereaux walked in, revealing herself. “It’s just me.”

Tío’s fiancée appeared perfect as ever. She wore cream slacks and a silk blouse. Her high heels were impossibly tall, adding at least six or seven inches to her height. It was the diamond stud earrings that shined against the sun with her hair twisted in a sophisticated bun that held my attention.

She did look like a Devereaux now that I got a good look at her. She had the same honey-colored eyes. It must be a family trait. I’d be lying if I said she wasn’t pretty.

She paused when she saw me. “I wasn’t expecting you so early.”

“I live here.”

A tiny flicker of something crossed her face, but she blinked it away.

In seconds, I remembered what Deja informed me, “You can’t hide anything from a Devereaux. It’s how we’re made. It truly is a curse.”

She was their aunt, triggering my walls to instantly build higher than they already were.

“I heard about your first day,” she said, not giving me a second to process the knowing expression on her face.

Of course she did.