Violet
Kylan squeezed my thigh in response, as if to say, good job.
Esther’s face twitched for a moment, but then she quickly masked it with a smile. “So you don’t need me to expel those girls for you?” she asked.
“No,” I shook my head, although that solution would make my life a whole lot easier.
“Well,” Esther now tapped her desk with her ten fingers, “the suspension will last at least a week, so you will have some time to think about it.”
I simply nodded, keeping my lips pressed together.
“Very well,” she said, her smile growing tighter. I could tell by the look on her face that she looked anything but pleased, surprised even, that I didn’t take up her offer.
As tempting as it sounded, it was much better this way. I wasn’t going to lie, Esther almost had me-but I had already thought this through. Although Chrystal tried to kill me, going after the Beta’s daughter, a noble, would not do me any good as Kylan’s mate.
“Can we go now?” Kylan asked in a hurry. “Or did you want to ask anything else?”
Esther hummed, meeting his eyes. “You can go.”
“Good.”
Kylan didn’t wait for a second longer and immediately got up, extending his hand to me. It had become our thing…holding hands.
As soon as I took it, he dragged me out of the room, barely giving me the chance to greet the woman, who had already walked back to the window again.
“What was that?” I asked as soon as the door slammed shut behind us. “Who the hell even gave her that note?”
“Just keep walking,” Kylan instructed, his tone low.
I frowned, but I did as he said, ignoring all the stares the students gave us all the way until we finally reached my floor again. “Why didn’t you want me to tell her the truth about what Chrystal did?” I wondered, since he was the one who had first encouraged me to report it.
“I don’t trust that woman,” he stated. “Her saying you should do it probably means you shouldn’t.”
I fluttered my eyelids, looking up at him. “What do you mean?”
Kylan exhaled deeply, his jaw tightening. “I didn’t give her the note, I know Trinity didn’t because she’s a loyal friend and you asked her not to. Dylan didn’t either, because he wouldn’t have known the names of those other girls,” he began. “Those girls know better than to speak up and lose everything they worked for-too much is on the line for them. And Nate? Even if she did give him those names, he would never in a million years rat out his own sister.”
I felt a soft ache in my heart at the mention of Nate. He was such a good guy, stuck with such an awful twin he was forced to protect.
“Then who did it?”
“She did,” Kylan said. “She planted the note herself. She suspended those girls, invited both of us to her office to make it look like she’s on your side-to gain your trust.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying she was there when it happened,” Kylan concluded. “I don’t know how, but she was near. Maybe she saw the others making their way back to the dorm, and me carrying you after curfew-I’m not sure yet.”
His words sank in slowly, leaving me confused. “It doesn’t make sense,” I said, shaking my head. “If she saw what happened, why wouldn’t she do something about it?”
Kylan gazed deeply into my eyes. “Maybe she wants to push you just enough because she wants to find out if your eyes can glow… just like…hers.”
I froze, understanding exactly who he meant. Adelaide.
My mind spun as I thought about the way she had recommended me for the Elite Team despite only having me see heal fish, and the time she gave me a pass for going past curfew. Even though she had avoided me for a while, that’s the kind of woman I knew her to be.
Esther knowing what happened, and not helping me, seemed so out of character for her. Sure, she was a bit strange right now-but none of it added up.
She was a well-loved RD, a good professor-and although students loved to complain about the smallest things, no one had anything bad to say about her.
Kylan leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “We need to find that Soothsayer tonight. We need to know what we’re dealing with because apparently everyone knows something we don’t.”
“Tonight?” I asked, startled. “What about tomorrow?”
How would we even find him?
I doubted he would be in the middle of a market, in his tent at night.
Kylan scanned our surroundings, giving a look to those who were staring at us in the hall, now filled with more Healing Majors. “You can’t tell me Esther isn’t keeping an eye on us. Unless she’s a vampire, I’m pretty sure she sleeps, so tonight is our best chance to figure this out.”
Just then, a noise from down the hall, followed by loud whispers, caught my attention. I pulled Kylan’s hand to stop him from walking as the door to my dorm opened. A lump formed in my throat as I saw Amy walk out, and then Chrystal, dragging two suitcases behind her.
They really were suspended.
Esther was not kidding around…
Many whispered amongst themselves, their eyes drifting from me and Kylan to Chrystal and the suitcases, and I could only imagine what crazy rumors they might’ve come up with.
It would most likely be something like her leaving because she couldn’t take Kylan’s rejection, or her dad calling her back home for failing to seduce the Lycan prince.
Heavy breaths escaped from my lips as she glanced behind her, those cruel eyes locking onto mine from a well distance.
Only I wasn’t afraid-no.
I mean, I was, but not for her-more for myself and what I was capable of because all I could think about was killing her. Time seemed to freeze as we both looked at each other with furious expressions. Her dangerous glare said everything I needed to know.
Even though Kylan had promised she wouldn’t bother me anymore, I couldn’t help but wonder what she would do when she returned.
If she could not have the man she desired-would she even care about the prince’s order?
Just because I didn’t want her expelled didn’t mean she wasn’t a threat.
A threat my heart told me to eliminate, right here, right now-while my head confronted me with the consequences of what would happen if I did.
She was so lucky I didn’t know any spells and couldn’t go full-blown witch on her-because if I could’ve, I would’ve.
“Are you okay?” Kylan asked, gripping my hand tighter.
“Oh, I’m good,” I chuckled, slowly shaking my head.
For the third time today, I felt that strange, hot feeling through my veins-just waiting to snap as the ring tightened on my finger.
After what seemed to be an eternity, Chrystal turned away, dragging her suitcases down the hall.
Only then did that strange feeling disappear, giving me the chance to think about my dark thoughts. I had never ever thought about killing someone in my conscious state-not once.
And now, today, my anger was begging to take over. First with Fergus, and now with Chrystal…
That wasn’t me, I wasn’t like that and it scared the crap out of me. All of this happened since I found out I was half witch, and if I didn’t have that ring just now, I would’ve…
“You’re right,” I said, determined. “We are going tonight.”