Blood Pledged (Arcane Arts Academy #3) - Elena Lawson Page 0,13

of the officers behind her scoffed at her choice of words. “Miss Dellamora was found on the grounds this morning by Professor Ironside.” She paused, as though unable to say the next part. I wondered if she was found smoking pot, or perhaps she’d stolen something. Rich kids did that a lot, didn’t they? It didn’t matter because in that brief moment, I knew whatever this was had nothing to do with me, and I slumped into my chair, relieved.

Granger’s eyes met mine for an instant before her gaze settled on a spot just above all of our heads. Looking, but not really seeing anything or anyone. “She’s dead.”

A shriek sounded from near the windows, a girl who looked to be a first-year student had broken out into sobs. The girls around her sat in varying degrees of shock, disbelief, and despair.

I didn’t know her, but I ached just to see the effect of the loss.

Distantly, I hear Bianca over the rush of whispering echoing around the cavernous room. “It was Lacey’s first year,” she said, and I heard the thickness in her voice.

“Did you know her?” I whispered back.

She shook her head. “Not really. My uncle was friends with her father, so I saw her sometimes.”

My skin had grown cold, and I chaffed my arms to stave off the chill.

“Please!” Granger projected her voice as much as she could without outright shouting over the voices clamoring to be heard. “Please,” she repeated, her voice strained, and the students quieted. “The Arcane Authorities are launching an investigation to uncover what exactly was the cause of this—of this unfortunate event. I, of course, have offered the full co-operation of the academy.”

Another teacher, the one who taught Ancient Languages joined Granger at the front. “Students personally affected by this loss will be permitted to return home until such a time as they feel able to resume their studies.”

Granger inclined her head to the other professor, silently thanking him for finishing when she could not.

“In light of these events, classes are canceled for the rest of the day and will be canceled tomorrow as well. Thank you,” she added as an afterthought and rushed from the room, the sound of her heels clicking against the marble floors might as well have been gunshots, it was so damn quiet.

Once the authorities had filed from the room, The Ancient Languages professor drew in a breath. “Will you all please make your way back to your dormitories in as calm of a manner as possible. Dinner will be served at the usual time.”

“Awesome, a long weekend,” I heard Tucker, the guy who I’d seen making out with Kendra in the hallway several days before, say to his buddy. They bumped fists and a heat sizzled up my neck.

“Have a little respect.” It was Kendra who’d said it, shocking the anger out of me. “A girl just died, you idiots.” She pushed off from the table and tossed her hair as she walked away, calling back to her little blonde minions, “Let’s go,” but not stopping to make sure they listened.

So, she had a heart after all. Had to have been buried deep, though, under layers of blackmail, nail polish, and two cans worth of spray-on tan. Ever since I told Granger the truth about Cal and Adrian, Kendra Van Damme hadn’t so much as glanced in my direction. Now that my secret was out, it would be easy for me to tell Granger that she’d been blackmailing me, but I didn’t.

It was much more fun watching her squirm. Crossing the hall to avoid me. Leaving the lavatories when I entered. It was glorious.

Though I’d won this round, I knew it wasn’t the last time I’d be bitten by her.

“I’m going to get ready to go,” Bianca said, stealing my attention. “I might as well head out to see my brothers. They’ve been bugging me about picking up some new gaming console thing for them.”

“Will you be back soon?”

“Yeah. Maybe tomorrow or Saturday. I still have some ruined clothes to replace if you recall,” she said with a smirk. “And I could use some retail therapy.”

I managed a weak laugh, grimaced. “Right. I will pay you back you know.”

“Oh, I know you will,” she said. “See you soon!”

I caught a set of gray-blue eyes watching me from the corner of the room near the doors and lifted my hand to give Elias a little wave.

He looked delicious standing there in his baby blue button-up, dark gray vest,