Malice by Amity Hope Page A

true. He’d been at the B&B for a week and I’d barely seen him. One of the few times I had seen him, I could’ve sworn he was trying to get into Mom’s private office.
    “He just gives me a creepy feeling,” Finola admitted. “Have you noticed that every afternoon, he’s here chatting with a different girl?”
    I shook my head. “No. I’ve gone home almost every afternoon right after school to help Mom out.”
    “Well, trust me. Every day he’s chatting up someone new,” Finola said. “Yesterday when I got here, he started asking me all sorts of questions.”
    “Like what?” I asked.
    “What my last name was. Where my family was from. What affinity was the strongest. He wanted to know if anyone in my family had special abilities.” She frowned. “I told him that really wasn’t any of his business. I tried to be polite about it only because he’s staying at The Bella Luna. But the way he asked, it just really rubbed me the wrong way.”
    “Well,” I said, trying to be diplomatic about it, “he is doing research. He kind of has to ask questions.”
    She swirled her cocoa. “I suppose. It just felt…I don’t know. Invasive.”
    I mulled that over. Invasive didn’t mean malevolent. Considering the subject he was dealing with, it was almost impossible not to upset some people.
    “He showed up at my grandma’s house,” Finola continued. “She said she regretted letting him in because it seemed that all he wanted to do was stir up trouble.”
    “Trouble?” I echoed. Her words were nearly identical to Tristan’s accusation.
    She nodded. “No one likes to remember the days when The House of Negrescu had so much power. He asked her what she thought of them coming into power again.”
    “That would never happen,” I insisted. It was before my time but the stories were still swirling around. Crime rate was at an all time high. Dark magic was used on a daily basis. People were afraid to leave their homes after dark. No one liked to talk about it but I’d heard tales of Strigan Necromancers raising the dead.
    In all honesty, that act was what likely gave all Necromancers a bad reputation.
    “We hope that never happens,” Daphne corrected. “No one likes to think about it. No one wants to talk about it. And no one wants Levi Devane walking around getting people riled up wondering if it’s possible. Not to mention dredging up family histories, making everyone in town question one another.”
    Was that really what he was doing? That didn’t exactly sound like research. Maybe Finola’s grandma was exaggerating, or taking the conversation out of context.
    Or maybe she was right and I should start seeing our guest in an entirely new light.
    “All I’m saying is that he sure isn’t winning anyone over.”
    “What does Daphne think?”
    “What does she think of what?” Daphne asked as she dramatically dropped into the booth next to Finola.
    I gaped at her for a second, embarrassed at being caught talking about her. And also annoyed with myself for being so wrapped up in conversation that I hadn’t noticed her come in.
    “Levi,” Finola supplied.
    “Oh, pfftttt ,” Daphne said as she waved a hand my way. “I’m over it. I thought I was interested in him but I changed my mind. I have more important things to worry about. Like,” she said as her gaze swung between us, “the two of you. My love life is officially on hold until I’ve helped the two of you.”
    I groaned and pulled my hands through my hair.
    “You’ve done enough for me, thanks,” Finola dryly informed her.
    Daphne leaned over and bumped Finola’s shoulder with her own. “Don’t give me that. I saw Alex at your locker this afternoon.”
    “What?” I asked as my head snapped up from my drink.
    The predictable coloring flushed through Finola’s cheeks again. She bit her lip and gave me a small nod. “He walked with me from Chem. Mostly we just talked about the assignment.  He didn’t say a word about the napkin,”