Page 36 of Blood Witch

Her steely eyes glared at the headmistress of our school, and I knew there was no love lost between the two witches. Fin was speaking to Headmistress Armstrong in a voice so low I could not make out what he was saying. The older witch seemed to follow me with her eyes, and as disturbing as that was, I didn’t care as much as maybe I should. All I wanted was to get to Fin.

“Come on. You just solved our case, even though Stolbright had a cow! Let’s get out of here,” Enid whispered, grinning as she packed her things and handed me my bag.

We headed for the door where Fin waited with the older woman. I did not know what was going on, but my skin was buzzing with magic, my innermost self was happier than ever just to see him. It was like a piece of me had been missing while he was gone, and I

“Headmistress,” I murmured, but my eyes were glued to Fin, and I wished we were alone.

His smoldering gaze seemed to say the same, but he satisfied himself by reaching out a hand and clasping mine tightly. Nothing felt as good as having Fin back, and I planned on telling him that the second we were alone. But my plans changed when the headmistress invited the three of us to her office.

We walked in tense silence to the main office, and I took in Armstrong’s appearance. Braid coiled on top of her head as always, she wore long robes and an emerald medallion, looking like something out of a Halloween special. One of those after school specials they used to put on at the orphanage.

She always looked so strict and straight-laced. I bet she’d never spent even a minute on a cold city street. Never mind the nights I’d spent huddled with a newspaper blanket under a bridge.

“Hey, where’d you go?” Fin whispered, and I realized I’d stopped in my tracks.

I shook my head, continuing to follow Armstrong and Enid, who were chatting softly. For some reason, I felt weird around the headmistress. I always had. She made my skin itch with nerves. Like she was always watching me, judging me for something, and I didn’t know what.

My stomach tensed and I felt my magic waking up, a slow, burning hunger that I hadn’t felt in days. As we walked through the halls, I noticed something else. Westwood was old, and many of the hallways had thick stone walls, some built with tiny little bricks, others with huge slabs of one mineral or other. But this was the first time they seemed to whisper to me, and that had my eyebrows disappearing into my hairline.

“Miss Marlow?” Armstrong whispered, gesturing for me to go ahead of her.

Fin pressed his hand to the small of my back, nudging me gently, and I went. Inside, Rio, Tana, Jade, and Maia were all waiting, their mates with them. They all wore matching expressions of concern. I looked at Fin, his eyes narrowed, and I could tell he did not know what this was either. Suddenly, I felt like I was facing a firing squad.

“What is this?”

“I asked you here to discuss some things, Mabe,” Armstrong began.

“What things?”

“Well, your magic, for one. Your supposed lack of elemental affiliation. Your claiming of this Enforcer behind you, and the fact you eliminated his contract with the Counciland with me. Though for that, Fino Apellare, I must beg forgiveness. I do not know who put that loophole in the contract or why they tried to manipulate an Enforcer, but I will investigate it. You have my word,” Armstrong said before turning her gaze back to mine. “Last,blood, Mabe. I would like to discuss blood with you.”

Oh fuck.

“How would you know anything about me?” I asked.

Anger.

That was what I felt. Suddenly, it was like I was filled with a rage so intense, my vision turned hazy and crimson. The last thing I needed was to get allblood witchyon the headmistress, but fuck her for acting like she knew me. I had no one in my life who knew me.

No.

That was not true. I had Fin. And my friends. I had Jade, Tana, Maia, Rio, and Enid. Not to mention Arlo, Magnus, Enok, and Brandon. They had my back too. Just like I had theirs. Another wave of hunger hit me, and I realized my anger was costing me my peace of mind and body.

Fuck. Oh fuck. OH FUCK.

“Please, sit down, Mabe,” Headmistress Armstrong began. “I will explain everything.”

CHAPTER12

“I think I’ll stand,”I answered.

With Fin’s strength at my back, and my friends rising to their feet, bracketing me on either side, their men behind them mimicking Fin, I felt stronger and more powerful than ever. Ever since I claimed him with my bite, something I had no idea a witch could even do, it was like I could read his emotions.

A soft rumbling sounded in my ear. It was like a hushed sort of thunder. Part of me recognized it even before my consciousness did, but I knew what it was.

It was blood.

Blood had a sound. It had a scent. It had meaning. And I was just learning what that was. Twelve hearts were beating inside the tiny office. Twelve lives supported by a vastly brilliant circulatory system.

---