CHAPTER 19
Chancellor Grimshaw stood behind his stately mahogany desk, absentmindedly stroking his short beard, his expression dead serious for once.
Phantom, his greyhound familiar, was curled up on a couch nearby, his coat blending into the leather so thoroughly that I hadn’t seen him when we’d first arrived.
Right away, I’d observed that the chancellor’s office was more than just an office.
The first floor had an impressive display of bookshelves on one side and a sitting area on the other, leaving the back wall free to showcase five intricately-arched windows and a majestic mountain view.
But in the middle of the room was a curved wrought-iron staircase that led up to what I assumed was a loft apartment. Talk about not being able to get away from your work.
With his gaze fixed on the spellbook that floated inches above his desk, Chancellor Grimshaw said, “I’ve analyzed the book as best I can without touching it but can’t detect any residual magic.
Whoever cast that curse was experienced and knew how to mask their signature, which makes me think that an upperclassman must be responsible.
First years haven’t been taught black magic yet. ”
“The other academies might not teach black magic, but they could have learned it at home,” Thorne countered. “Many covens know black magic in some form and even possess grimoires.”
True. The Mayweathers still had a family grimoire several generations old. Gran had hid our Book of Shadows so they couldn’t confiscate it after our excommunication.
Instead of focusing on the spellbook used to almost destroy me, I carefully watched Chancellor Grimshaw’s expression.
He appeared somber but not angry that one of the students under his authority had tried to curse another.
Did situations like this happen often at Heartstone, or did he just not care that I’d almost died?
Remembering how quickly he’d dismissed the warlock’s death during my Initiation Trial, suspicion churned in my belly. What if he’d been involved somehow? What if he orchestrated the occasional student death to cull out the weak and keep the student body as a whole on their toes?
Bile climbed up my throat, but I forced it back down, unwilling to show any more weakness by puking in the chancellor’s office.
Still, my unease remained as he replied to Thorne, “I’ve considered this, but a curse that intricate would have taken years of practice to learn.
My guess is that a third year chose to target Winter hoping that her death would weaken your position here.
You’ve gone unchallenged for a while now, and some of your peers could be making their move.
Like it or not, the mentorship program ties Winter’s fate to yours.
Many would see that connection as a golden opportunity to bring the Head Prefect down. ”
“I’m aware,” Thorne said through clenched teeth, instantly making me feel guilty, “but outside of a trial, this level of attack is forbidden. I want a full investigation made right away and the perpetrator expelled the second they’re caught.”
Frowning, the chancellor glanced up at Thorne across the desk from him. “I doubt it will ever come to that, unfortunately. As I’ve said, whoever did this covered their tracks impeccably, and without any proof or witnesses—”
“I already have a pretty good idea who did it,” Thorne interrupted him. “We can start there.”
The chancellor looked surprised, studying Thorne’s resolute expression before focusing on me. I wiped my face clean of all emotion, not wanting to give away that I now had two suspects.
As he opened his mouth to respond, the door to his office burst open. Thorne moved behind me in an instant, an intimidating wall between me and whoever had just barged in.
“Where is she?”
Recognizing the voice, I tried to peer around Thorne, only for him to block me with an arm. Annoyed, I shoved at the arm, but it didn’t budge.
“Thorne,” I hissed, and he finally lowered his arm, albeit reluctantly.
The second Professor Holt spotted me, the worry on her face melted into relief. “Oh, you poor thing. What a scare you gave us.”
Us? More like just her. It felt good to have someone genuinely care about me, though. Not everyone here hated me, and that was definitely a consolation.
“I came as quickly as I could. You must have been so terrified,” she continued, her heels clicking against the stones as she approached.
Seeing my spellbook hovering just above the chancellor’s desk, a scowl pulled at her full lips.
“What a vile thing to do. How were you able to counteract the curse?”
I could practically feel Thorne stiffen, like he didn’t want me to tell her. No worries there. My amulet would definitely be confiscated if I told a professor about it.
“I don’t know,” I began, doing my best to feign ignorance. “When I got to Thorne, I was pretty much dead. Maybe the cuts stopped because I didn’t have any more blood to spill.”
She exchanged a look with Chancellor Grimshaw before replying, “It’s a possibility, I suppose.
My, what a mess this is. I knew it would be hard for you here, but to curse you in such a manner is a disgrace.
I’ve already informed the student body of the situation at morning assembly, reminding them that such behavior is forbidden and that the culprit will be punished accordingly.
” Heaving a sigh, she asked me, “Do you have any idea who did it?”
When Thorne didn’t stiffen this time, I tentatively said, “Maybe. Blaze McGrath has threatened me multiple times. Cursing me is definitely something he seems capable of doing.”
She crossed her arms beneath her full chest. “I’ve personally seen him try to attack you, so I understand why you think it might be him.
That said, we can’t officially convict anyone without proof.
I’ll start looking into his background and learn what I can about his family and coven.
The more evidence we can find that he’s capable of such a thing, the stronger our case becomes. ”
“We could also interrogate him,” the chancellor said, finally suggesting something helpful.
“With Truth Potion.” At Thorne’s words, both professors turned to him wide-eyed.
“You know that Truth Potion can’t be administered without consent, Thorne,” Professor Holt reminded him.
“Free will is sacred to our community, even more so these past one hundred years, ever since that fateful day when one witch’s actions ignited a war between two powerful races.
We’ve struggled ever since, which is why that rule cannot be tampered with. The consequences are too great.”
“I understand,” Thorne said, “but there are exceptions to that rule.”
The chancellor frowned again. “Such as?”
“Such as wiping human memories to protect the supernatural world. We never ask for their consent. We just do it.”
“That’s different,” Professor Holt began, but Thorne didn’t let her finish.
“I agree. Allowing humans to know of our existence would cause widespread panic and death, which is why I was all for excommunicating the elders after they tried to stop the vampires from breaking their curse. They wanted vampires to be exposed, all so they could end up on top again. So I’m all for taking away free will to protect our community, even if that means protecting the community from itself. ”
No one spoke for a while, his speech brutally cutting through to the heart of the matter.
I wanted to be mad at his words. Although he’d been too young to vote on the disbanding of the elders a decade ago, it was clear he would have cast me and my family out if given the opportunity.
But even knowing that, I couldn’t really blame him.
My ancestors had risked the safety of the community for ambitious gain, and in our world, that was unforgivable.
Eventually, Chancellor Grimshaw cleared his throat and replied, “I get what you’re saying, Thorne.
The safety of our community should always come first, and I commend you for standing firm on that.
Without a doubt, you are exactly the type of leader this community needs during these troubling times, but to break one of our most sacred rules for one person’s misfortune is rather rash. ”
Wait. One person’s misfortune? Okay, I was definitely angry now.
Curling my hands into fists, I prepared to spout off at him when Thorne said in a scarily quiet tone, “Rash? If history has taught us anything, it’s that one person’s misfortune can befall us all.
We need to band together when one of our own is in trouble, even if that means taking severe action to solve the problem.
Freddy Goddard died in Jade Wing Tower last year, and we never solved who murdered him.
Despite the need for this school to cull out the weak, I find that unacceptable, and I won’t allow Winter to be the next casualty due to managerial incompetence. "
Holy. Crap.
That last part had my jaw dropping, and not surprisingly, I wasn’t the only shocked one. Both professors looked gobsmacked, but before they could respond to Thorne’s harsh words, he pivoted on his heel and grabbed my hand. “Let’s go.”
In too much shock to protest, I let him pull me across the room and out the door, nearly choking on my spit when he slammed it behind him. Dear ancestors, did he really just roast the chief executive officer and vice-chancellor of Heartstone Academy? To their faces?
It wasn’t until we reached the end of the hall that I realized he still held my hand. I tried to pull away, but his grip only tightened, anger practically pulsing from his skin and into mine.
“Thorne,” I finally protested, pulling again as I struggled to keep up with his long strides.
Noticing my struggle, he slowed and let go of me, then raised the hand to yank it through his brown tresses.
Not wanting to agitate him more but needing to say something, I spoke barely above a whisper, “You shouldn’t have done that. They could punish you.”
“No, they won’t,” he replied, tailoring his speed to mine as we descended some stairs. “And it needed to be said.”
I hesitated another beat, then said, “I didn’t need you to defend me.”
He slowed some more so I could pull even with him, glancing my way before responding, “Maybe not, but my words carry a lot more weight around here than yours. If we want justice for what happened, this is the fastest way.”
I opened my mouth, then closed it, at a loss for words.
I was just about to thank him when he faced forward again and said, “And before you think I did this for you, I didn’t. I just really hate that cocky, foul-mouthed bastard who did this to you and would like nothing more than to send him packing.”
Aaand there he was, killing my gratitude once more.
“Even more than me?” I sardonically replied.
He was silent for a long moment, so long that I didn’t think he would reply. Then, “Yes, Snowflake. Even more than you.”