Page 6 of Buried Secret 295

My eyes close when I hear the name. It feels right, yet foreign to me. The name causes anxiety to take root. It’s the name for which I have been repeatedly punished. “I’m not supposed to use that name.” The words come out before I can control them, and I wince away as if he is about to strike me. I force my eyes shut as we wait for the pain. The longer it takes has my body tensing as it feels as if pain should be inflicted about now.

He kneels and reaches to touch me. My body jerks away, not wanting his hands on me. His eyes go wide, and he holds his hands up in surrender. I’ve had little to no contact and wasn’t about to accept it from him. “Nobody is going to hurt you.”

That comment raises my hackles, and anger flares up in my chest. “Don’t you dare tell me nobody will hurt me! I don’t know you or what you’re capable of. That’s a promise you can’t keep, even if you mean it.”

“I am here to help you. The two ladies—”

“Don’t you dare say they are on my side! That they are going to help me!” I tap the side of my head, and tears fill my eyes. I hate the fact that I am crying, but I can’t control the overwhelming emotions I am feeling. Every emotion feels immense and all-consuming. “The beige lady wants us all put down like we are nothing! She wants to see it, or at least looks forward to seeing it. That’s someone who isn’t on my side. Not to mention, the nurse doesn’t want to be in the same room as I am. I’m just a freak that she is stuck taking care of.”

He clears his throat and stands up, grabs a wooden chair, and sits in it. He leans back into the chair and steeples his fingers. “I honestly don’t know what their agenda is—met them a few hours ago when I showed up here. My agenda is the only one I know.The nurse works here for this hospital. The beige suit lady works for the ministry, leading the case for them.”

I tilt my head and narrow my eyes on him. “What does that make you?”

His lip tilts into a small smile before disappearing as quickly as it came. “I am a professor and on the board of directors at Black Rose Academy. A few hours ago, something happened. I think it happened when your magic reawakened.” He pauses and tilts his head. “That’s what they do, right? Trap your magic? In other cases, I’ve read about what happens in these types of prisons, at least that’s what I’ve read happens.”

I shoot him a confused look. “Why the hell does this matter? Do you want to study me or something? Because I’m not interested.”

Once more, he holds up his hands in surrender. “You’re right, this doesn’t matter. No, I do not want to study you. I apologize. Sometimes, my curiosity gets the better of me, but I suppose that part doesn’t matter. As I was saying, I thought it was a myth. The Academy had magic that would awaken when a student’s magic was found, and it wanted them within its walls. That your magic and the Academies would somehow reach out to and merge or somehow work together.” I shoot him a look that has him clearing his throat. “Sorry. Anyway, your name and where to find you appeared on the database. It’s something I’ve never experienced before. I did some digging into you and needed to see for myself. Little did I know I was about to discover that you were living in the anti-fae prisons.”

My head shakes no, and my lip purses into a straight line. “So, you are here to tell me I should attend Black Rose Academy?” I roll my eyes and blow out a breath. “Well, I hate to be a giant waste of your time. I didn’t even complete middle school. My education comes from an insane man who spent his time torturing and experimenting on me. Apparently, my brainwavesrespond better when stimulated. I seriously doubt that I will be welcome with open arms.”

He scoots his chair slightly forward. “I don’t think you know how extraordinary you are or this whole situation is. This isn’t something to take lightly. We can arrange for a tutor to help you.” His turquoise eyes are bright with excitement. “There is time before the new year starts. We have a few weeks to get you ready. I spoke to your parents on the way here. I informed them of our meeting, and they’re very excited about having you back home.”

“Don’t you dare! How could you do that?” My body shakes with rage, the overwhelming feeling taking over. Bulbs begin bursting around the room, glass shattering and falling from the air in slow motion like sand. The room’s temperature drops, and as the man exhales, you can see his breath. “I have no family. You need to leave, call him, and tell him that. My only family is probably here or elsewhere, waiting to be shipped to who knows where! Get out!” I point towards the door. He isn’t on my side.

His face hardens, yet he doesn’t seem bothered by the cold. He proceeds, all while acting like this is an entirely normal change in the weather. “Listen, I have no loyalty to Marcus Tempest. As I previously stated, I work for Black Rose Academy. I don’t work for Marcus Tempest, and I don’t give a shit what kind of weird daddy issues you got going–”

I release my shadows, which spring into action as they wrap around his throat, squeezing his neck like a snake. His eyes bulge slightly while his face turns red. “Marcus Tempest is not my father. That man is the reason I was in that hellhole. I would rather die before I take his help. See yourself out and tell him that.” I barely recognize my voice. It sounds deadly and vicious. My shadows squeeze tightly once more in warning before abruptly releasing him.

He coughs and sputters before glaring at me. “Put your magic away!” Light bursts from his hands and my shadows hiss as they retreat inside me. “Psycho. I’m here to help you!” He motions to the door with his hand. “I don’t see anyone else lining up to help. Unless you want to take your chances on them? I can bring them back in, and then you can weigh your options.”

I cross my arms and roll my eyes. What a baby. It was only a little choke. I bet he didn’t even see the black dots clouding his vision. “I can’t go back to live with Marcus. So, whoever has a better idea than that gets my vote.”

“The man can’t do anything to you. Black Rose now knows about you. It will be on record as well. What are you so afraid of?” He inquires as he smooths his suit.

My teeth grit while my nostrils flare. “I am not afraid. He can pay people, his pockets are heavy, and he has a lot of power.” He looks ready to argue with me, so I continue. “Marcus can always arrange an accident to find me. He probably arranged my disappearance as well. He will probably spin it to look like he is the victim, getting sympathy from the masses.”

The man’s eyes soften on me before he clears his throat and shakes his head. “If what you are saying is true…” His voice sounds exhausted as he pinches his lips together. “… we will find you a sponsor.” His lips pinch into a hard line, and his eyes slightly narrow. “After getting to see your magic firsthand. I have a good idea of who your sire is. Or, at least, a good idea of who he could be.” He chuckles darkly. His head snaps back, and he groans as he looks up at the ceiling. “Fuck, my life just got complicated.” The man groans out like I signed him up for his death.

My heart beats at that news, but I don’t voice it out loud. “Why would you do that for me?” It’s a fair question, but I almost constricted his airway with my shadows. It might have been a little choke, but it doesn’t seem like a good way to make friends.Not everyone is like 203, who would probably laugh and tell me I didn’t squeeze hard enough.

“Because I believe in this Academy. It wants you there. You do not know how special that is.” He groans out before his turquoise eyes narrow on mine. “If what you are saying is true, then I have a lot of work to do tonight.” He lets out a sigh, reaches up, and loosens his tie as if it is what is choking him. “I will make some calls and hopefully get some answers by tomorrow’s visiting hours.”

My gaze goes to the door before returning to him. I’ve already gone this far; I might as well ask a little more of the man. “Can you find out anything about 203?”

He grimaces before tilting his head. His eyes soften on me slightly. “I can’t. Not because I didn’t want to, but because they only had a handful of paper files. Your file notes for the day were there, but everything else has been scrambled. Everyone who lived there is at various hospitals trying to get identified. You are one of the lucky ones. You can add a request with the Ministry.”

“Lucky?” I raise my eyebrows, feeling the anger slightly. Even if I understand what he is talking about, it doesn’t make me like it. “Is that who the beige lady works for?”

“The Ministry of Magic Protection Service,” He points at me as he stands up. “It’s important to address it properly. Trust me, she will care. Might want to sit up there like a good little patient while I go and get them.” As he walks to the door, I do just that.

I tuck myself into bed and try to focus on trying to be a model patient. Fuck, beige works with or for Marcus now. I wonder how close he is to running it as head chair. She comes in with her face pinched together. ‘Low power doesn’t mean I should have to be an administrator. This time, I mean it. I am putting my two weeks’ notice in.’

“You aren’t going to do it.” I scoff at her. My eyes narrow on her before continuing. “Plus, then you won’t get to see whathappens to the ones that get disposed of.” I roll my eyes at the woman who looks like her dark lip shade is the only daring thing she has ever accomplished. Her eyes widen, and she looks nervous. She bites her lower lip, taking some of the dark color away by doing so. I know I should play nice, but I don’t want to.

“Excuse me?” She looks at me like I grew a second head as her face pales. The Black Rose man comes back inside and raises his eyebrow, looking from me to her.

“You won’t put your two weeks in. So, let’s get this over with. You can complete your report, and we can move on with our lives.” Her face loses its color. “I don’t like it any more than you do. You were a little more bloodthirsty when you first came in. Own it.” I shrug my shoulders and narrow my eyes on her.

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