Awakened (Unbound, Book 3)

Chapter Eleven

Through the blinds on Mr. Corbin's office window, I could see three silhouettes. The slightest of the group paced back and forth, flashes of her long blonde hair flying behind her, while the other two sat, unmoving. I could barely make out the finger she waved at them, but her voice was loud, perfectly clear.

"I don't care about your damn position—either of you!" Islene said and took a breath, but only so she could continue without pause. "If you don't smarten up, I will challenge your position myself. Succession by power is antiquated, and we all know who would win if we put it to a vote."

"Vavila died," Devland said, almost as though it made him happy. Ex or not, they'd been married. They had me. How could he not love her at all?

I took a step forward.

Calin slid his arm around my waist, squeezed my hip, and calm infused my body so that I didn't run into the office. I kept my eyes glued, not wanting to miss when Islene hit him but was forced to endure only silence. Devland, noticeably slimmer and taller than Mr. Corbin, stood to face Islene. She shifted her weight, turning so that she was now on side view, and raised her chin.

"I am talking about me," she said, and the frost she imbued every word with nearly cracked the window like a thin layer of ice on a lake that broke beneath the weight of whoever was stupid enough to venture onto it during Spring. "If you hadn't married Vavila, my family would be leading the Council, and you"—she leaned forward and poked him in the chest— "know it."

"Don't be—"

"What? Smart? Protective of my child when we all know he's innocent?"

"Nora is a bad seed," Mr. Corbin said and spread his hands before dropping them in his lap. "Calin's been spending a lot of time with her, Islene. Maybe you should pay more attention to him than your books."

Islene's head shook like she kept glancing between them, but finally decided on Devland. "You should be ashamed of yourself, Devland Dwyer. In case you haven't noticed, that's your daughter he's talking about."

"I have a responsibility, Islene."

She took another step towards Devland, slow and predatory. "Vavila raised her right, away from your taint. The ambitions of the power-hungry ingrates you let get away with abusing the Craft are foreign to Nora. She doesn't care about who is the best, Devland, and neither should you. But you should support instead of condemning your own child!"

"She can't prove her innocence," Mr. Corbin said, lifting his hand in the air. "Trouble didn't start up until she arrived."

"Innocence?" Islene shook her head. "The girl did nothing wrong, and she doesn't need to prove a damn thing. The onus of guilt falls on you to provide." She glanced from Mr. Corbin to Devland and crossed her arms. "You speak my friend's name again and I will make it very hard for you to remain the Council's leader. From now on, you need to talk to my son? To Nora? You call me first. Not only is my husband a lawyer, but he hates you after what you did, and no restriction you try will stop me from contacting Briarville."

"Nolyn wouldn't—"

"It's Aiden, right? Nancy's father? I hear he's good."

The trickle of hope I'd held onto flourished into a waterfall, instantly filling a stream of pure blue water. This is why she was my mother's best friend. I hadn't even met her, and she was doing what Devland should have all along. I couldn't let the chance of Duvessa ruining it come to pass. Not now.

If Aiden came, I could go home.

I glanced up to Calin, and then down to his hand. "Give me your ring."

He looked down and blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"Give me your ring." I pointed to his finger, and then opened my palm. "That one there. Give it to me and I promise I'll give it back right after school. Please? No harm will come to it."

"Well, Nora, I know we talked about seeing where things would go, but this is sudden." He smiled as he looked down, twisting the ring in question on his finger. Looking up, he smirked so that a single dimple popped into view. "I don't think I am ready to be giving you a ring."

I slapped his stomach and rolled my eyes. "I'm serious, Calin."

He stopped smirking and watched me, not wary but certainly intrigued. "Why do you want it?"

"You don't trust me?" I raised my hand higher and wiggled my fingers. Rolling my eyes, I added, "I will return it with an explanation right after school, I promise."

Calin studied me, hesitating. He raised his had to eye level and split focus, darting uncertain glances between me and the ring. I put on the best pout I knew how to wield, forcing him to close his eyes to think. A slow smile formed. When he opened his eyes, he was facing the window to Mr. Corbin's office. He stopped twirling the ring, pulling it off as he turned back to me.

"Don't"—Calin pointed at me— "lose it." He dropped the ring into my palm. "And yes, for the record, I do trust you."

"Great!" I stood on the tips of my toes, leaning over to kiss his cheek. Holding his gaze, I winked. "This one I'm not sorry for. I'll see you after school." Flashing another smile, I started making my way to the door.

"Wait." Calin motioned to Mr. Corbin's door. "Don't you want to meet my mom?

"Are you kidding? I want her to adopt me! But... that would be weird for... us." I dropped my head for a moment, feeling awkward. When I looked up, I glanced from the door to Calin, and found him smiling. Feeling crimson heat my cheeks, I dropped my head again, hiding my reaction and the smile it brought, and raised the ring as I turned back towards the door leading into the hall. "See you after school. Tell your mom... Well, tell her I know why she had my mother's respect. She has mine, too, along with my gratitude."

The door slammed shut before Calin could voice a reply. I shoulder-checked once to make sure he didn't follow and then ran through the halls, side-stepping everyone who got in my way. Running until I reached the washroom that I had met the twins in, I checked every stall for occupancy and then locked the door once I was sure I was alone.

Sitting in the middle of the floor, I pulled out the ring from my jeans pocket and turned it over and over again. "Now, what was that spell Zachariah had me read?"

Right.

Remembering that made tweaking it for protection easy.