Page 115 of Every Shade of Shadow

“Seeing Darkwood and Dale Donovan talking, just the day before his murder, doesn’t quite prove the act,” Mrs. Jameson states, her own tone unchanged.

“They weren’t talking. They were arguing,” Ms. Howard corrects her. “There’s a difference.”

“A professor was telling off a student. How unusual. And suspicious,” Mrs. Jameson argues, a touch of irony in her voice. “I’ll notify Isadora, but you know how chummy those two are. If Damien did play a part in Dale Donovan’s death, it’s more subtle than we realize. That’s how his beloved Black Arts work. In subtle, yet very effective ways.”

“I’m still not sold,” I tell Cassandra, my tone stiff. “Mrs. Jameson is right. It’s one thing to argue with someone, but quite another to murder them in cold blood.”

“Oh, I agree,” she interrupts, raising her voice over mine. “And that’s true—for most. But your precious Professor? He’s a psychopathic prick who gets off on flaunting his power on weak, fledgling witches. I have first-hand experience.”

Ava and Lily pull closer, eager to hear what she has to say.

“What exactly are you referring to?” Ava says.

“Ask her,” Cassandra urges, nodding towards me.

Oh, fuck. Here we go. She’s really going for it.

“I wouldn’t have suspected Darkwood’s involvement in the murders had it not been for this crazy shit he pulled on me. He’s completely unstable, isn’t he, Ana?”

I want to cave this bitch’s head in. I’m sure Damien would do it for me if I asked. He threatened as much, didn’t he? Which in a way kind of confirms what Cassandra is saying.

“Ana, what is she saying?” Lily asks, her voice firm as she settles her gaze on mine.

God damn it.

I knew this would come back and bite me in the ass.

My cheeks flush, Lily and Ava’s inquisitive staring too much to bear. They’re eager to get an answer, and I’m less than willing to part my lips.

“Damien isn’t a killer,” I murmur, doing my best to look them all in the eye, to stay strong. “He wouldn’t hurt a student. He was quite distraught when Stephanie’s body was discovered, actually.”

I think it’s been clear to both Lily and Ava I’ve been spending time with him, but this confirms it, makes it real.

“Yes, but what did he do to Cassandra?” Lily asks, an edge of concern appearing. “Because she sure as shit ain’t going to tell us.”

There’s no way to sugarcoat this or back out. I’m not going to lie to the only friends I have here.

And Cassandra? I’ll deal with her in good time.

“He, uh…” I falter and look away. “He used a petrifying spell on her, to make her watch while we…you know.”

“Fuck me,” Lily says with disgust, before flinching away. “Why?”

“He was punishing her, for the way she was treating me.”

“That’s quite the punishment,” Ava adds. “And you just let him?”

I’m not going to explain our complex relationship or debate the ethics here, even though I admit saying it all aloud does make the both of us sound completely deranged. “He’d already petrified her when I got there,” I explain. “There wasn’t much I could do. In my defense, he’s had me under a mind-control spell.”

“You enjoyed it, didn’t you?” Cassandra snarls. “Every single fucking second of it.”

I’m not letting her get the upper hand her, to turn Lily and Ava against me. ““My body? Yeah, it did,” I admit, still feeling the heat in my cheeks. “My brain was protesting, but, like I said, the mind-control was too powerful. Darkwood is too powerful.”

I don’t tell them about my small magical win over him; don’t tell them how powerful I have grown thanks to our sessions.

Lily puts her hands on her hips, shaking her head. “Fuck, Ana. We told you to be careful. Darkwood’s dangerous.”

“I’m inclined to agree,” Ava nods. “And while this doesn’t incriminate him per se, what you’re saying he did to Cassandra, to you? That’s kind of vile. You can’t trust him. We can’t trust him.”

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