Thornwood Academy: Live To Tell by Swallow LJ

Author:Swallow, LJ
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Emu House Publishing
Published: 2023-11-21T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 25

ROWAN

I make another note of timestamps in the footage from the USB ready to show Violet, hoping she’s deciphered something useful in the diary to help. I’d expected Violet to come over last night and inspect my work, but just me and Leif worked through everything. Her message asking if we’re both okay almost had me rushing over, but when she later responded she’s fine, I backed off.

Violet wasn’t wrong about the mundanity of this girl’s life. Many of the clips are Madison and the same two girls who Julius mentioned, camera often focused on their three faces, with wherever they visited in the background—malls, classrooms at their academy, and evenings out where the alcohol fueled the giggling further.

Seems Madison downloaded everything from a phone—Julius never found that. She would have had it with her at the dance, I suppose, so no footage from that night.

Although there aren’t any dates attached, the changes in season as the clips progress tell me the footage covers a couple of years in Madison’s life. There’s a guy named Archie in some of the earlier clips, who seems close to Madison, but he disappears after a few months. A failed relationship that’s too old to link to the murder? I note timestamps of the places he’s clearly visible anyway.

Madison and her two friends are tight knit—exclusive but not in a bitchy way. They’re witches who keep to themselves, a mini-coven and a trio who are in every part of each other’s lives. If Madison is as powerful as Julius and his family claim, there’s no evidence, even in the classroom footage, because she isn’t studious. But as I know, showing everybody how potent your magic is isn’t always the best idea.

Somebody rounds the bookshelves that act as our barrier against the academy, and I look up, ready to speak.

Mrs. Eldridge, carrying a stack of large books held against the green sweater embroidered with leaves that she often wears. I stand, offering to help her but she refuses.

The comfortable relationship we’ve built over the years due to my often hiding and studying in the library left us the moment we met in the artifacts room. The woman who’s helped me locate books and information kept something important from me, even when I specifically asked.

And she doesn’t usually approach me.

“Rowan,” she says evenly, not dropping her new officiousness.

“Hello, Mrs. Eldridge,” I reply with stiff politeness.

The librarian places the books on the desk with a thud. “I hear that Julius spoke to you about his sister.”

Oh? How much has Julius told his ‘useful person to know’. “He has. Do you have anything to add that could help us?” I point at the books.

“These? They’re just books I’m shelving. Human.” She turns them to show the spines. Literary books bound in black leather.

“Do you know anything that could help us?” I repeat. “How involved are you in his research?”

And with him. She’s older than Julius—not that I’m judging—but too young to match Madison’s age and place her at the academy around the same time.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.