Page 20 of Buried Secret 295

Marcus growls, and you can feel his hatred fill the air. Dean Campbell clears his throat. “Thank you both for coming here and trying to solve this amicably. That’s what I wanted to say before that outburst, Constantine. Can you perhaps pretend to be professional for one afternoon?”

“Odds are not in his favor, no. I will act how I see fit because he has made this even more difficult than necessary. I’m not sure why or what is so hard about it. We have filed the formal paperwork. Yet,” Constantine motions to Marcus. “Somehow, his office seems incompetent and doesn’t seem able to know how to open mail. Let alone file it.”

Marcus leans back in his chair and tilts his head to the side. “Her mother wants her to come back home. It’s a reasonable request. A girl, no matter what the age, needs her mother.”

“Why the hell would I do that? We both know I won’t be welcome there.” I tilt my head and look at them both. I close my eyes, breathe, and focus on what Monica and I practiced. “As a 19-year-old, I am firmly within my rights not to be in your care.”

“You ran away from a hospital after attempting to attack a doctor. I would hardly call that being mentally capable of making rational decisions.” His eyes narrow. “I would also like to know how you escaped so easily.”

I shrug and give him an unamused look. “Maybe I have new talents since we last saw each other. As for the doctor, I felt threatened. It was convenient that two nurses had tranquilizer guns in hand. Seeing how I was tossed on the floor, I simply figured it wouldn’t matter if I disappeared.” I shrug. “On top of that, I have been in capable hands.” I motion to Constantine, who straightens slightly.

“One of the Seven Deadly Sins. I wouldn’t call that an excellent influence on an immature mind. You reappear after being gone for years. The hospital was vague on the details of why you were there. You can’t blame us for being concerned parents.” His lip curls up like somehow he has won. He is bating me, and the worst part is that it’s working. Even though I know that is what he is trying to do, it’s hard to control my emotions.

I hold up my hand to him, my eyes close, and I take a steady breath. “Please do us both a favor and drop the act. You don’t care about me. You only want me silenced. Stop acting like you didn’t know where I was.” My voice shakes, yet I hold firm. “You just didn’t expect me to still be alive. If you were a concerned father, you could have come and picked me up. The fact is you’re not my father. I would have pretended you were, if that is what you wanted.” I’ve kept my voice calm, yet I am shaking withrage inside. “You aren’t my father.” I point to Constantine. “This is my father.” Constantine squeezes my hand. He pushes his emotion to me. Tears spring to my eyes as my rage disappears, and I am filled with pride.

“Let’s refocus. From our data, you aren’t in our system properly to register you as whatever type of creature you are. So, that process has been delayed as well.” Dean Campbell looks through notes before him. “The hospital detected multiple different fae types in your blood.” His eyes harden on me. “How can I ensure the well-being of my other students if you claim to be multiple different species?”

“Sir, if I may,” Simon starts. “There is interbreeding between species all the time. Two different species have children from the union. This situation should be treated the same way.”

Dean Campbell huffs out. “This seems to differ from one of those situations, from what I see. Let me look through my notes,” he dramatically pages through his notebook, licking his finger as he turns the pages. “Yes, it seems that she claims to have been in one of these anti-fae prisons for six years. I have yet to see any evidence of this.”

Constantine scoffs. “Did the hospital not send it over?”

Dean Campbell looks through all the paperwork. “No. I have contacted the hospital to ensure I have everything they received. They have noted that they thought she came in with the prison raid, but nothing else to note. One nurse claims she was dropped off at the ER doors anonymously.”

Anger flares inside me, and Marcus’s smug face smiles. “We have looked into this, and there is no proof of you being in the prison raid on any of the records.” Marcus at least has the decency to look like a concerned father.

Dread sinks in my stomach like a lead balloon. “What are you talking about? How else do you explain my blood abnormalities?”

He shrugs and nonchalantly frowns, looking at everyone. “I have looked into these claims, even interviewing the officers who oversaw the raid. Nobody remembers you ever being there.”

Before I can answer, Constantine slams his hands on the table. “I read those documents myself.” He stands and looks from me to them. “She was in that prison, being experimented on and fighting beasts and monsters.” He glares at my mother, who pales under his gaze. “What the hell has he done to you?”

Her lip trembles and Marcus slams his hands down on the table. “You don’t address my wife! She is mine, not yours.” He nods his head over to me. “You got all that you are going to get from her.”

Simon lets out a loud whistle, and everyone’s eyes go to him. “I went to the hospital when Salem first got there. The FPS brought her from the prison raid. I read the files, and Lydia from your office did, too. There are many witnesses to confirm this.”

“I do not know if there ever has been a Lydia who has ever worked in my office. We are welcome to call and speak about this. However,” he looks at me, his eyes narrowing. “None will corroborate with this story you weave.”

A growl leaves my throat. “I need those documents. It’s the only way to find—” Constantine’s shadows fly out of his hand and swirl around my mouth, cutting off the following words.

Dean Campbell smacks his hands on his deck. “I’ve heard about enough of this!” He points to Constantine and me. “You two are on thin ice! The Chancellor and his wife agreed to meet with you to make you see reason. If it were up to me, you wouldn’t attend this Academy. Powers above me have insured your place here. However, you are not above a three-strike rule. You are already on strike number one.” Simon looks shocked by the proclamation. Dean Campbell looks at Simon. “You will sit in that chair and not say another word. These people mightfool you, but that doesn’t mean that the rest of us are so easily manipulated.”

I can feel my beast wanting to come forth, and my eyes are changing. “You must keep in control of your beast. Are you even registered as a shifter?” Dean Campbell says in a mocking tone.

Constantine shakes his head. “Her DNA is still mutating.” He scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Because, according to you all, this must have happened naturally. Perhaps through an illness or something.”

“Perhaps drugs? This is another reason you should come with your mother and me. We can get you the help you need,” Marcus points out, and Dean Campbell shakes his head in agreement.

“Over my dead body, will she be going anywhere with you!” Constantine says through clenched teeth. “She is a Midnight Beast. The only recorded ones were from my bloodline. We are doing our research on what she needs.”

“Once again, I ask, how am I supposed to ensure the safety of my students if there isn’t any research of her kind?” Dean Campbell tilts his head, his eyes challenging Constantine.

“You have rare creatures here already! Some of them could take out half the Academy before you could do anything about it. If the rare creatures that go here don’t have to be leashed, then she shouldn’t either. We are figuring this out, and that’s more than anyone else has ever done for her.” He points his finger at the Dean. “How dare you?”

Dean Campball’s face blanches, and he averts his eyes. “Either way, mental assessments must be made–”

Once again, Constantine slams his hand down. “If you bothered to read your emails, you would already see we have done one.” I keep my face neutral. We have done an assessment, but I haven’t been to a therapist. Maybe I should go to one, but I don’t want that now. I don’t feel ready. “She is sane. Traumatized but sane.”

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