The Complete Thornbriar Academy Trilogy by Mann Cali

Author:Mann, Cali
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thornfire Publishing Co.
Published: 2020-07-11T00:00:00+00:00

57

Hailey

The snow was melting. I could hear the tinkle of the icicles as they dropped. The sun had been high in the cloudless sky all day, and the temperatures had been unusually warm.

I wrapped my arms around myself as I crossed the campus. A warm glow had saturated me after our lovemaking last night, but the chill had come back with Headmaster Larkin’s note.

Come and see me in my office after your classes today.

I assumed she had news of my parents. Either that or someone had turned me in as a spirit shifter and the Council guard had come. A sour taste rose in my mouth at the thought. Would it be like this for the rest of my life? Living in fear of when they’d find me out or I’d go crazy and kill everyone and not knowing which would come first?

The spiral stairs up to Headmaster Larkin’s office seemed longer and slower than the first time I’d gone up them. My hand ran along the smooth iron as I climbed. I lifted my hand to knock on her door, and it swung open.

“Come in, Hailey,” she said, gesturing toward the sofa.

As it had been the first time I’d come, tea service was set out with teacups and small bakery items—this time cookies, decorated like flowers and eggs. Spring had apparently sprung in the kitchens, if not outside. The herbal scent of chamomile drifted from the teapot, and I wondered who needed soothing: me or her?

I knew I should make some pleasantries, say something nice, but I just stared at her, waiting for news. Her tailored suit was a pale green today, and her brown hair tightly bound in a bun.

“Thank you for coming,” she said, lifting the teapot. “Would you like some tea?”

“Yes, thank you,” I said, forcing the words out. “Do you have news of my parents?”

Headmaster Larkin poured two cups of tea, added a spoon of honey to each, and then handed one to me. Once we were settled, she sipped her tea in silence.

I mimicked her actions, glancing longingly at the sugar cookies.

“Oh,” she said catching my glance, “would you like some?” She placed two on a small plate and handed them to me.

Balancing the plate in my lap, I asked, “Brian and Margaret Cooper.”

Her lips pressed together and then she sighed. “Yes, I have news of your parents. We were able to locate records of them after some digging.”

“Records?” I asked. “But not them?”

She lifted a folded newspaper from the table and unfolded it in her lap, then passed it to me.

“Tampa couple dies in car crash on I-10,” I read aloud and then scanned the article. “Victims of a drunk driver? Driven off the bridge into the ocean?”

Headmaster Larkin nodded. “I’m so sorry.”

Even when I’d assumed they were dead or had forgotten me, I hadn’t felt like this. Sucker punched in the gut. Like the cake had been handed to me and then whisked away before I even got a bite. I guess I had really thought they’d find my parents.

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