Page 115 of A University of Betrayal

“It’s not your place to ask questions,” I pressed out, stepping toward her again, while hoping she didn’t see how much her unexpected self-confidence had thrown me off. “Answer my question!”

Julie’s expression was unreadable, and with every second she stared at me, I realized how powerful it made her that she was unreadable.

Damn,this girl was going to be my downfall if I didn’t find a weak spot soon, if I didn’t act now and use my physical superiority to my advantage.

“It would be wise of you, Professor, to let me go now,” Julie continued. “If you would like me to keep your thousand little secrets to myself.”

She eyed me carefully.

This little beast.

My free hand clenched into a fist while the other still clung to her chin, gripping it tightly.

I didn’t like the fact that my ring was touching her skin.

That was the point where I yanked my hand away and backed away, ashamed of myself.

It was eating me up to think about J when that nasty little witch was around. Added to that was the rage Julie Blair triggered inside me.

Thud.

Startled, we both wheeled around to the window pane where a black raven was sliding down.

Those bloody birds...

As if that had been a signal, Julie shot past me, unlocked the door, wrenched it open and stormed out into the hallway.

Petrified, I listened to her hurried footsteps as they faded into the distance.

I should have run after her, dragged her back to my office and tied her to my desk, grilled her about the Councils and filled her with Salma until she didn’t even know who her mother was.

Instead, I let her escape.Again.

The problem was that I didn’t know enough about her, that I hadn’t expected someone spying on me, driving me to confusion.

It had been one sentence that prevented me from acting quickly.

“Do you really think I want to remember?”

What had this girl experienced that she didn’t fear consequences? What had she meant by that?

I remembered the scars on her wrist, which she now wore hidden under the white blouse of her uniform. I didn’t need to be a psychologist to know that she had inflicted them on herself.

My jaw was still working as I pulled myself out of my stupor and walked around my desk to the window to look down on one of the many courtyards that existed at Vanderwood.

I needed to sort out my thoughts, clear my head, and try to find out more about the Quatura girl before I planned my next steps.

She had threatened me. I wasn’t going to let her get away with this.

Something was pinching in my pocket, so I reached in and pulled out the silver bracelet with painful realization.

That night I never wanted to forget, J had left it in my back seat. And so, it was the only thing that confirmed to me that I hadn’t just been dreaming. The last thing I had left as a memory of that night.

I clutched it tightly and rested the fist it was in on my chest, feeling my pulsing heartbeat. It was beating for this divine woman, and it would beat for her forever. Even if I was doomed to perish with this town and the gods refused to allow me to worship her as she deserved.

Chapter 23

Julie

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