Demonspawn Academy: Trial Three by Annabel Chase

Author:Annabel Chase [Chase, Annabel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Red Palm Press LLC
Published: 2019-11-25T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

“According to our contacts, Ana’s missing.” Liesel tucked away her phone as she joined Rafe and I on the balcony of his loft. The sun was shining in direct contravention of my mood.

Jessup was murdered and now his mother was missing from Dominion? That didn’t bode well.

“Missing how?” I asked. “As in kidnapped?”

“No, she was given permission to spend time with her husband in California as part of her grief leave and didn’t return at the agreed-upon time.” Liesel hovered high enough to seat herself on the balcony ledge.

“So, she’s gone AWOL,” Rafe said.

“Jessup was her only child and they were close,” Liesel said. “I have to imagine she’s taking his death pretty hard.”

“Then why not tell Dominion that she needs more time?” I said. “Why let them think she’s missing?” A thought occurred to me. “Unless she’s afraid.”

“Afraid of what?” Liesel asked.

Rafe’s eyes brightened. “That she’s next.”

Liesel crossed her ankles. “You think she knows something about Jessup’s death?”

“Based on the memory I saw of her,” I said, “Ana was probably privy to a lot of information as a royal handmaiden. It stands to reason that she knew what Jessup was involved with.”

Rafe faced me. “And maybe she suspected the information that the Book of Admissions might contain.”

“We don’t know that she knew of my existence,” I said. “The memory only suggested that my mother and her cousin were close. That’s it.” Maybe Ana was simply hiding with Jessup’s father in order to give herself time to grieve. There was only one way to find out.

“Handmaidens hear everything,” Liesel said. “It doesn’t mean they share it, but there’s a chance she was coerced.”

I thought of Elder Sam and his scars and knew that Liesel was right. “Let’s have Barris do a locator spell. If she’s in California, we should be able to narrow it down.”

Rafe nodded. “Just tell us what you need.”

“It would be helpful to have a personal effect, or something that once belonged to her,” I said. I tried to remember the contents of Jessup’s apartment. If they were as close as they seemed, there had to be a useful item there.

Rafe seemed to arrive at the same conclusion. “We can still access Jessup’s apartment. I bet there’s something there we can use.”

“You don’t think it’s been emptied?” I asked.

Liesel hopped down to the balcony. “Nope. They won’t do that until a new Watcher has been assigned to his area and they’re dragging their feet.”

“Is that typical?” I asked.

Rafe and Liesel laughed in unison. “Yes,” she replied. “Very. You’d think they were choosing a new pope. Dominion doesn’t respond quickly to anything. Too many royals with opinions.”

“Then let’s go now,” I said. “I can take whatever we find straight to the academy and have Barris perform the spell.” He’d be pleased to be asked. He loved flexing his djinni muscles.

“Tell me what you find,” Liesel said. “I need to go back to my place and do research for another Watcher. He’s convinced there’s a gnome digging up gardens in Villanova and he needs a way to trap it.

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