Awakened (Unbound, Book 3)

Chapter Forty

I caught my breath and looked away from Devland and out the window into the backyard. It hurt to look at someone who was partially responsible for my own existence and be disgusted with what I saw. With how different he and my mother were, it was no wonder she'd left before he could influence me.

"Are you ever going to be satisfied?" he demanded. "First, you hated me for not saying enough in your defense. Now, I've stuck up for you and followed your lead to prove your innocence, and you're still mad at me. What do you want from me?"

"You didn't prove my innocence, I did. I made sure I had an alibi. I pointed you in the right direction and made sure that Duvessa used her magic in front of you," I seethed. "If I hadn't done that, you'd have probably let Mr. Corbin expel me!"

"Nora."

"What happens when she does this to someone who has no way to defend themselves?" I questioned through gritted teeth. "What happens if next time her stupid, infantile pranks kills someone? What are you going to do then? Have Mr. Corbin send her to her room?"

"That's enough!" Devland exploded. "I don't have to explain my decisions to you. I am the leader of the High Council, and as such, my decision stands. When you become a leader, you can make those decisions. Until then, you are going to respect and abide by my rules!"

"I would never be a leader like you."

"That's right, Nora, you won't. You won't even admit to having powers!"

"Yeah, but you aren't stupid, are you? Don't get me started on that because I remember, Devland. You wanted me to prove who the prankster was just so I would prove to the community that I have powers so you would look good." The anger began to recede from me as I leveled my gaze on him. "Happy? You're going to get your wish, though I'm certain nobody is going to like it. You and me, though? We. Are. Done. And I am making sure everyone knows I am a Fallyn, not a Dwyer."

"I am your guardian," he reminded. "Until you're eighteen, you will live and abide by the rules that I set."

"We'll see," I retorted sweetly.

I briefly entertained the idea of taking advantage of the strength of my abilities, cloaking myself from him until I was eighteen and running back to Briarville. The idea was short-lived, though. If I left, Duvessa would just turn on someone else who probably had no means of defending themselves.

That's what she'd done with Maible before I'd arrived.

Raising my eyebrows at him in a silent challenge, I turned on my heel and stormed out of the library in the same fashion as I'd entered, ignoring Devland as he called me back. Nothing he could've said at this point would've changed things from what they really were.

I no longer cared about keeping the peace with him.

*****

"Are you okay?" Calin asked as I entered the hallway from the library and immediately reached out his arms to embrace me in a hug, and I felt the leftover anger dissipate as I stepped into him, resting my cheek against his chest.

I hadn't heard him arrive, but I was grateful he was here.

Mrs. Renaldi stared at me, seemingly shocked. They'd both heard at least the back-end of my argument with Devland, though Mrs. Renaldi likely heard every word. I could tell she was worried by the pinched expression etched upon her face, but I had no words. Everybody knew that nobody faced Devland as I had and walked away unscathed. In my short time in Wickenton, I'd heard enough to know that was true, and I was teetering on a dangerous tightrope by challenging my father.

"Um, Maible wanted to come and see what was going on, but she had another fundraising meeting that couldn't be missed," Calin said, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had descended, and I felt the anger rise at the reminder of why the fundraising committee would have to meet after the bake sale gone wrong.

The tension, unfortunately, was here to stay.

"That's sweet, but I'm fine," I lied. I was fuming, finally understanding what people meant when they said they were spitting nails mad.

"Liar," Calin whispered in my ear, keeping one arm around me. I leaned into him, enjoying the support of someone I knew I could rely on.

"Are you okay, darling?" Mrs. Renaldi asked in a motherly tone, reaching for me and then letting her hand drop to her side after thinking better of it. "Can I make you anything? Hot cocoa? A snack maybe?"

"I'm good but thank you, Mrs. Renaldi. I'll be fine after I take some time to cool down, you know?" I shrugged, trying to muster a sincere smile but falling short.

"Okay." She smiled and wandered back into the kitchen.

"The school called. I excused you from fourth period, Nora," Devland said emotionlessly from the doorway of the library. "Do you need to be excused, Calin?"

"No, I didn't miss any class, thank you," Calin said after clearing his throat and looking down at me, gently nudging my shoulder with the hand he'd placed around my shoulders. "I still can't believe you ran all the way here from school."

"I was motivated." I shrugged, giving Devland a meaningful glare. "How about we go watch some movies in my sitting room?"

Calin coaxed me towards the stairs as an answer, neither one of us looking back to see Devland's reaction at being dismissed. It didn't matter. He no longer mattered, not to me. At best, he was a source of information. From now moving forward, he would be the leader of the High Council and that was it, though I would never pay him the respect that the title deserved because as far as I was concerned, he hadn't earned it.

At least, not today.