Page 104 of Cursed

Dean Cranish’s eyes dart to Rourke and Branden to see their reactions to the accusation. Apparently, word hasn’t spread that Mannyx is my father. Or Shade is Landis’ sire. Good. We don’t need that attention yet.

“Come with me.” Cranish leads us back to the school’s administration building.

The guards escort us inside the gorgeous vintage building. It feels like years have passed since I’ve been here, but it’s only been days.

My eyes travel up to the tall ceilings, carved wood paneling, and trim. The marble floors echo with our footsteps as we march in silence to our unknown fate.

He turns to us when we get to the Dean’s office waiting room. “Professor Hollis, Mr. Lewellyn, and Ms. Willows, I’d like a word alone with you.”

One of the many guards escorting us says, “But sir—”

“I can handle it. If they were going to kill me, they could have done so by now, so stand down. Keep an eye on this bunch. And by that, I mean you should protect them at all costs.”

The guard darts his eyes at us and then nods curtly.

Rourke takes my hand as we walk into the dean’s office—a clear sign that our mate bond has been settled.

As Dean Cranish takes his seat behind his huge, intricately carved wood desk, he smiles when he sees our joined hands. Some tension leaves his body with the sight. He motions for us to take a seat. We sit, anxiously waiting for what he needs to say in private.

He leans back in his chair, then rubs his face as if he hasn’t slept in days. The way his eyes droop and because he looks like he might have aged a decade since I saw him last, I would say he hasn’t rested since Lewellyn’s attack. “Professor Hollis…” he pauses, shaking his head. “You put me in a spot by taking off like that with no warning.”

“I know, but my fated mate’s life was on the line. I didn’t want to risk her by telling anyone my plans to get her back safely.”

“Mate?” Cranish asks. But he doesn’t look all that shocked—just maybe surprised Quade confessed our bond. “We’ll have to address that if you wish to remain a faculty member here. But for now, I have heard what happened at Ravenhollow. Is it true that you were taken prisoner there?”

“Yes,” Quade answers for us. “Landis, Shayla, and I were captured by corrupt Enforcers who were ordered to abduct Myra Hurst from the hospital. We had heard through… sources, that she was going to be taken and killed because she was waking up. We assume that Mannyx, Shade, Lewellyn, and Silva were worried that she would identify them if she did wake. And she can.”

“Then I’m glad you got to her first.” Cranish rubs his chin. “And what about the asylum?”

“They were going to drain me… kill me,” I answer. “They were using supernaturals to make themselves the most powerful supes in the realms and allow the rest of us to die off.” I don’t mention how Mannyx planned to use me to become a supreme power. If word got out about my unique ability now, I would be in danger once again.

“That’s quite the accusation, but I know it to be true.” Cranish frowns. “I’ve been hearing rumblings of this sort for a while now. Seers, like Ms. Cranish, have been warning about this scenario for the last decade—some of them even longer than that. But we didn’t have any hard evidence.”

“The evidence is at Ravenhollow Asylum.” Quade frowns, remembering the bloodshed and death.

“You will have to answer special agents’ questions. However, I believe your accounts will only corroborate what they have.”

“What happened to the asylum after we escaped?” Quade asks.

“Well, there were a few of us and some on the council who were waiting for a moment of weakness to seize back control.” Cranish nods to Rourke. “Drake Lewellyn alone was powerful enough and rich enough to wipe out the entire council. So the few who refused to get involved in their schemes were afraid for their lives and for their families. I believe all the council will be replaced now, since they all turned a blind eye to what was going on.”

“So we aren’t in trouble for what happened?” Rourke asks.

“Not from what I expect. But there will still be a hearing. Though I assume it will merely be a formality at this point.” Cranish shrugs.

“What about Shayla leaving campus?” Quade asks.

“Although technically against this year’s rules and the mandate Drake Lewellyn personally placed upon Shayla, she was with her mate, who was within his mate-rights to save her from any threat.”

I sigh with relief. But then I remember what Cranish hinted about Quade’s position at the school. He might not be allowed to stay.

Cranish sees me looking at Quade and answers my unasked question. “Hollis, as we are still short-staffed, I was hoping you would stay on through this semester’s exams.”

“But you want me to leave after that?” he asks.

“I imagined that you might want to pursue your life goals before you were subjugated to working for the academy.”

“I want to stay near my mate, and I wouldn’t be able to live here anymore if I was no longer employed, would I?”

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