Academy of Blood and Magic

26🖤

I was glued to the TV, watching the evening news.

Brandon's mugshot was posted on the screen as the caption below his picture read: MURDER SUSPECT ESCAPES JAIL. BRANDON SMITH NOW A WANTED FUGITIVE as well as a phone number to call if someone spotted him.

Brandon would never break out of jail like that. No way. He was bursting to get out and be free, but he would never hash out an escape plan. He was way too smart for that. He knew that breaking out of his cell would raise suspicions up even further and he would be charged for escaping police custody alone even if he wasn't found guilty for the murder.

Someone had taken him as Jo said. Somehow someone had kidnapped him and took him out of his cell.

The news anchor droned on about how the police were currently searching for him at this very moment and encouraged people to call the number if they had any idea where he could be. The knot in my stomach twisted even more.

"Do you have any idea where he might've gone?" Agent Hyles asked for the millionth time as she and the other agents stood behind me. She and Agent Morris were two of the five agents that came to my house after LeBlanc informed them about the hooded figure being near me. They'd also been informed of what was going on with Brandon and were questioning me about the Dream Stalker and where Brandon could've possibly gone or if I had anything to with him disappearing from his cell.

The next several hours consisted of me telling them repeatedly I had no idea what could've happened and where he was and I had nothing to do with him escaping and I assured them over and over that, I had seen the Dream Stalker out in public. I felt like a broken record and I was ready to scream from frustration.

I wanted to insist that he was not a dangerous fugitive and he was a victim in all of this, but I knew they wouldn't listen to me, no matter how much I screamed or fought for them to hear what I was actually saying, it wouldn't be any use. They didn't care what I had to say except for the answers they wanted to hear, and all the answers I did have, they didn't want.

"We need to take her down to the station for questioning," I heard Agent Morris tell my parents.

That caused me to wretch my gaze away from the TV screen for the first time in hours.

"Is that really necessary?" Mom snapped, her gaze flushing with anger. "You've been questioning her enough here already."

Daniel placed a warning hand on her arm. "Mary Lou. . ."

Mom, without looking over at him, shook his hand off and fixed a withering glare I knew too well on the agent. "My daughter has been through hell and back and she's worried and scared enough as it is, not to mention tired and frustrated from the constant questions you've been throwing at her for these several few hours without even giving her a break and now you want to bring her down to the station for even more questioning?"

Agent Morris met my mother's gaze calmly. "Mrs. Kain, I understand your frustrations and concerns over your daughter's predicament, but it's important we take her down to the station to process her official statement as soon as we can while the memory is still fresh in her mind. We promise, we're trying to make this as painless as possible and it will be if you give us your full cooperation."

I stood from where I'd been kneeling on the floor. "I'll do it, Mom."

"Are you sure?" she asked, wringing her hands nervously.

"I'm sure, Mom."

I was quickly taken to the station after that in their van. They brought me to the station Brandon had been kept at which spiked my anxiety even more. I was briskly led to a cold, empty interrogation room. I was rushed into the room so fast I didn't have time to take in my surroundings.