Page 332 of Blood & Betrayals

“I left class because I was crying, and I felt something brush against me, then I felt…” I swallow and try to find my voice again. “Those eyes on me.” I shake my head. “So I walked to the bathroom, and they followed me, so I came to get you.”

“Wait here,” he growls, and a portal appears. Through the darkness, I see the door to my last class. The headmaster steps through, and it snaps closed behind him. Less than a second later, he appears again. “Nothing,” he says, standing with his hands on his hips, studying me. “Can you show me?” he asks.

It takes me a moment before I realize what he means. He wants to look through my memories. I feel the blood drain from my face, but I need to do this. I need to protect my family. My stomach twists at the upcoming invasion into my memories, but I nod.

The headmaster places two fingers on each of my temples. He looks down at me and says, “Close your eyes and focus on that memory.”

I wrap my fingers around his thick wrists to ground myself and close my eyes, making sure the memory starts when I’m leaving class. He can’t see that rune. I don’t want anyone to see it ever. I concentrate on the feeling but try to skim over the moment I thought of the stranger. Why the fuck am I still protecting him?

Though I can feel the headmaster probing, it’s not painful or uncomfortable, and I can tell he’s limiting himself to that particular memory. I’m very aware that he could easily comb through my mind, seeing absolutely everything and leaving me nothing but a husk. It seems like hours pass, but it’s only a few moments before he slips out of my mind.

Suddenly, my whole body starts to shake, and the tears come. The headmaster conjures a blanket and wraps it around me before leading me to the sofa.

“You’re going into shock,” he says, pulling the blanket tighter around me. “I need you to focus on my voice.” My whole body shakes and trembles as the adrenaline continues to course through me. Not only was the experience terrifying and horrible, but I just had to live through it a second time as he replayed the memory. The trauma of it seems to have opened the floodgates, and all the fear and pain from the last week surges through me. The headmaster kneels in front of me and grabs my arms. He squeezes gently, his silver eyes on mine. “Say your name.”

“S-s-s-summer…”

He nods. “Again.”

“S-s-s-summer.”

He nods again, keeping his gaze on me. “Who are you?”

“S-summer,” I say, the stammer improving.

He tightens his hands on me, the pain grounding me. “Say your name.”

“S-summer Tuatha D-de Daanan.” The shaking eases.

“One more time.”

“Summer Tuatha De Daanan,” I say, my tears continuing to fall. He nods, and I close my eyes. “I’m sorry, sir.”

“For?”

I shake my head. “I want to go home.”

He nods and stands up, helping me to my feet. I slip the blanket off my shoulders and lay it over the back of the couch. He fixes the glamour, and we leave his office. Connor wraps his arm around my back as he walks me through the corridors and out onto campus.

“What’s the matter?” he asks as we walk through the quad.

Unease settles heavily on my shoulders, and I can’t quite explain why. “I just want to get home.”

We walk faster, and when we arrive back at the Morningstar House, the headmaster comes in with me. He drops his glamour when the door closes and follows me to the couch, sitting down next to me.

“Miss Tuatha De Daanan?”

I lean my head back against the couch. “I’m okay. Just tired,” I say, exhaustion sinking deep into my bones.

“I understand. It’s wearing having someone walk through your memories.” The headmaster stands up and takes a couple of steps toward the stairs. “Mister Morningstar,” he says, raising his voice a little. Connor appears a moment later, coming down the stairs. He looks at me and frowns.

“You guys are back early.”

I look up at Connor, smiling softly.

Connor walks to the couch and sits beside me, cupping my cheek. “Babe?”

The headmaster opens a portal, and I meet his gaze. I can see the same unease in his eyes that is roiling through me, but neither of us voices it. He nods once before stepping into the portal. I wait for it to slam shut before I smile up at Connor and lean into his hand.

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