Chapter 16
The campus was massive, but Eden felt like he’d be able to navigate on his own once Ares had shown him the important locations.
He memorized the paths to the cafeteria and the music hall, and how to get back to Castle Black from there, as they went, not wanting to rely on the Black Hart indefinitely.
He was used to doing things on his own. Adjusting to having a partner of sorts was already an internal struggle. On the one hand, he was finally getting somewhere after years of dead ends, on the other…
Eden wasn’t the type who could pull off the sort of vengeance he felt was earned, but he also wasn’t sure how far he could actually allow this to go. Zonnie had been peeled apart, strip by strip. Bones broken in specific places to result in the most pain, but no chance of the relief of death.
Ares had done that.
For Eden.
It was Eden’s reaction to it all that had him the most torn. Not the vomiting—that had been the most normal thing he could have done. The appropriate thing, even.
It was the rest.
How he’d still wanted to fuck him that very same night.
How he’d literally dreamed of Ares’ cock while he’d been sleeping next to him, even though the Black Hart was clearly a devil and he’d rendered Eden unconscious with his stamina.
How he wanted to climb back on and ride to his heart's content, take control, and show Ares two could play that game and win. Eden wanted to take the reins and teach the Black Hart who he was dealing with. That Eden wasn’t the type to cower and run.
But he should be.
Gods. He should be.
Was turning into the same type of monster as those who murdered his family worth it?
Dilemma.
“There’s somewhere else I want to show you,” Ares cut through his thoughts. They were roaming the fourth level of the music building. He’d already shown Eden his classroom and his office and introduced him to a few other staff members, who’d all acted around Ares the same way the Dean had.
“Sure.” Eden wanted to see it all, soak it all in.
Distract himself from the disquiet within him.
Everything had happened too quickly, and he was still struggling to process.
Just two weeks ago, Ares had been a stranger, and Eden had lived on the other side of the planet.
Now he was in Aeternus, working at the most prestigious university in the galaxy, with someone who was clearly one of the most influential members.
“It’s here.” Ares brought them to a closed door, grabbing onto Eden’s wrist to stop him from moving forward. “I’ll give you privacy, but I will remind you, you’ve chosen the long game.”
Eden frowned, reading between the lines.
One of them was in there, and Ares had led him straight to them.
“Play it smart,” Ares finished, releasing him and stepping back.
He thought there’d be some hesitation, but Eden found himself going for the door without so much as a pause.
He pushed it open and stepped into a large lecture hall, leveled rows of seats forming a partial semi-circle with steps leading down to a stage-like front of the room.
A few students turned their heads to look back at him, but Eden paid them no mind.
It wasn’t hard to find the person he was looking for. Though it’d been a while since the last time they’d met, the man currently conducting the lecture was unmistakable.
Inzer Yezaers.
The professor had his back turned and was flicking through a series of slides on a projection screen. He was dressed nicely, in pressed khaki pants, brown loafers, and a white shirt. Inzer even had on a pair of wire-rimmed glasses, which he adjusted with his right hand.
Was that the same hand that held the gun that killed Ella?
Ares had rehashed his conversation with Zonnie before Eden’s arrival.
The guy had given up everything, including sharing details of his friends' parts in the crime. According to him, he’d lost his cool first. Beating Eden’s mom had been an “accident”, but afterward, he’d been too afraid the family would press charges and news would leak to the public, smearing the Dephik name and costing him his position as heir.
Sedos and Zonnie had both taken part in beating Eden’s father before the first had shot him. Inzer supposedly tried to stay out of it, only reacting at the end, when Ella had appeared and seen their faces.
Years of hopeless wondering, of replaying different scenarios of what could have happened in his head, and just like that, he’d gotten answers to it all.
Thanks to Ares.
Slipping into an empty seat in the top row, he sat patiently for the rest of the lecture, listening to his ex-friend talk about the discovery of the latest wormhole and how scientists believed it was a chance to finally make a breakthrough in the parallel universe theory.
A female student up front commented on how sad it was they’d yet to prove it after thousands of years, and Inzer agreed and laughed.
Like he had no care in the world.
Like he hadn’t helped destroy an entire family and steal four lives.
Once class finally ended, Eden remained in his seat, waiting for most of the crowd to disperse.
When it was just the two of them and the three students who lingered, discussing something with Inzer, Eden stood and slowly descended the steps, sure to smile broadly when the professor’s gaze lifted and caught sight of him.
Inzer’s eyes widened, but there wasn’t even a flicker of worry or guilt. He excused himself from the small group and moved off the platform. “Is that Eden Baldur? Or should I call you Ransom?”
Eden chuckled like he was meant to and accepted the brief hug. “Eden is fine. How’ve you been?”
“Good, good. I’d ask about you, but according to Vanity’s popularity, I don’t think I have to.” Inzer kept a friendly smile on his face. “What brings you here?”
“Funny story, we’re co-workers now.”
“Really?” Still nothing. He was the picture of an old friend running into someone they were fond of and had lost touch with. “That’s fantastic! Let me guess, you’re filling Merit’s position?”
“That depends. Was he the old classical music professor?”
“That would be him. Terrible what happened to him.”
Eden quirked a brow. “I heard he transferred to a school off planet.”
“Yes, well.” Inzer tossed an arm around his shoulders and pulled him in conspiratorially. “Friendly word of advice? This place is great, so long as you steer clear of the Black Harts. People tend to disappear whenever they’ve crossed one of them.”
“You’re saying a student is responsible for a staff member's disappearance?” Eden feigned concern. “Surely you’re not suggesting the man was murdered?”
“Murdered, blackmailed into running,” he shrugged, “who knows. There’s no evidence, there never is.”
“Right. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Please do. I would hate it if anything happened to you.” Inzer patted him on the back. “Wow, how long has it been? It’s so nice seeing a friendly face.”
“You don’t know anyone else here?” According to their intel, Inzer was well acquainted with Sedos. He wondered if the two of them pretended otherwise, and if so, if it had anything to do with their past crimes. The man before him certainly wasn’t acting like someone with a guilty conscience.
With the way Inzer was acting, however, it could very well be that he kept his friendship with a student on the down low simply to keep up a professional appearance.
There weren’t as many years between them as there were separating Eden and Ares, since Sedos had chosen to double major and extend his schooling by two years, but still.
Inzer didn’t come off like someone inflicted by remorse. He held Eden’s gaze unflinchingly. If Eden hadn’t known better, he might even question whether or not their intel was correct.
But Ares wouldn’t make a mistake like that.
Eden didn’t know why he was even giving Inzer the chance to fool him. Maybe he felt that if his old friend was honest with him about something, it might ease some of the fury swirling in his gut. Might make him rethink all the things Ares was planning to do for him.
Might make him step back from the ledge and choose to save even a smidge of his humanity.
“I relocated alone.” Inzer sighed. “But I’ve befriended most of the staff in the year I’ve been working here. How about we grab lunch? I can introduce you to a few of them.”
“Sounds great.” Eden allowed Inzer to take the lead, heading back the way he came. They took the steps up to the exit leisurely. That, added to the invite, made it painfully clear that Inzer held no regrets about what he’d done. “Hey, I’m sorry for losing touch.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, things just got…difficult for me after what happened with my family. When I found out you also work here, I thought it’d be the perfect opportunity to rebuild some bridges. My father always liked you.”
“Mr. Baldur was a kind man,” Inzer agreed, though he at least dropped his gaze this time.
“Honestly, I think it was because he knew Ella had a crush on you.”
“She was a sweet kid.” He reached for the door. “I’m sorry about what happened to them, Eden. I think of them often.”
It was only right that he did, since he’d been responsible, and yet Eden didn’t believe him for a second.
“Thanks,” he forced out, keeping his composure as Inzer opened the door and stepped into the hall.
Only to freeze when he discovered Ares standing across from them.
The Black Hart was leaning against the wall, ankles crossed, left hand in his pocket. The other was tapping away on the screen of his multi-slate, beeps and tiny explosions mingling with an upbeat musical track Eden was familiar with.
He was playing one of the Vanity mini games.
Inzer shifted uncomfortably on his feet and cleared his throat, going laughably still all over again when Ares briefly lifted his gaze from his device and rested it on him.
“Professor,” Ares greeted, then continued with his game, leaving the three of them to stand there.
Eden lightly elbowed Inzer, keeping his voice low when he played na?ve and asked, “What’s up?”