Awakened (Unbound, Book 3)

Chapter Seventeen

Devland was waiting on the bottom step of the stairs when I got back to the Manor, sitting with a file and a pen poised to make notations. He looked up when I entered and scowled, taking his time to rearrange the papers and close the file with the pen hooked on its cover before standing. Folding his arms, he watched me without moving as I approached.

Ducking my head, I came closer, repeating over and over that I had to remain calm. No matter what he said, he couldn't hurt me. Not that he would, but emotional blows kept popping up whenever I wasn't expecting them. So, now... Well, I couldn't be taken by surprise if I never let my guard down.

I stopped at the bottom of the stairs and lifted my head to meet his gaze. Without blinking, I said, "Excuse me. I'm tired, so I'd like to get by and go to bed."

"Dr. Stanzo called."

Keeping my face blank, I blinked but didn't say a word.

"Mr. Corbin also called after checking with Mrs. Hendrey to see how your first day went," he said, shifted his weight, and uncrossed his arms. "You were rude to her? And didn't show up for class until the end? You didn't even go to counseling but then fired Dr. Stanzo? Why, Nora?"

Shrugging, I licked my lips before forming a half-smile. "I had cramps in fourth, and I tried going to fifth on time, but nobody explained I'd have to give blood to get there. When I finally worked my way through the stupid tower security and made it to class, Mrs. Hendrey was rude. I asked her for a note to give to you, but she treated me like I was some sort of ingrate wasting her time."

"So that's why you refused help catching up?"

"Not at all." I smiled fully. "I'm not being graded, remember? I don't know what you expect with that test at the end, but do you honestly think Mrs. Hendrey can help me after I've remembered the lessons with my mother?" I rolled my eyes. "Come on."

Devland held my gaze for a minute and then took a deep breath. "You told her about Vavila?"

"You're kidding, right? Why would I let anyone know? I have amnesia."

"But you just said—"

"I remember some things, but not enough to make declarations," I said, hoping that would ease any concern he might have about the extent of my recovery. "Don't worry, I told Mrs. Hendrey that you would want to help me, so that should help with whatever appearance of the perfect family you want people to see."

"I was only following the doctor's orders by removing those boxes," he said. "I made a studio for your art, Nora. That way, when you are ready, you can face it. I wanted you to be able to look through the items on your own timeframe and not have it shoved down your throat with them in your bedroom."

Okay, I'd give him that because it almost sounded like he was being thoughtful, though I had no delusions that this was what could be expected. Switching topics so that I wouldn't have to admit he'd done something remotely caring, I said, "And yet you still haven't bothered to stick up for me."

"What?" He narrowed his eyes.

"I was with Calin at lunch, you know, and checked on him just in time to hear Mr. Corbin call me a bad seed." I put my hand on the banister and stared past Devland up the stairs. "I heard Islene, though, so it's great someone has my back."

"Nora."

Squeezing past him, I paused, smiling sadly. "I don't expect your help anymore, Devland. I'm going to find proof that Duvessa is the one who is pulling the pranks and then you'll be forced to deal with her."

"You missed supper, Nora," he called after me as I started to climb the stairs.

Smiling, I paused once I reached the top, looking over my shoulder with my hand on the banister. "You said I could miss as long as I ate somewhere else."

"No." He shook his head, his lips pressing into a thin line. "I said you could only miss supper if I knew you were eating elsewhere. That means calling to tell me where you are and who you are with before you don't show up."

"Then I guess you should have been clearer."

"Did you miss supper with your mother?"

My smile dropped and my hand clenched around the rail of the banister. Closing my eyes, I counted to ten, hoping that the anger at hearing him compare himself to my relationship with my mother wouldn't cause me to leave a charred handprint in the wood. Stupid. How could I let my guard down so quickly because it seemed I'd finally one-upped him?

The only thing I'd inherited from him was the desire to have the last word, and he'd had a lot more practice.

Opening my eyes again, I let go of the banister, flexing my hand in and out of a fist as I dropped it to my side. Forcing another smile on my face, hoping to hold on to the pretense, I turned sideways and held his gaze.

"No. I didn't usually miss supper with my mum. But then, I didn't have a reason not to want to come home. When I planned on eating somewhere else, I called to let her know." I shrugged and started walking to my bedroom. "When you start acting like my father, I'll start paying you the respect a parent deserves."

His eyes hardened and he took a step up the stairs. "Nora—"

With my hand on the doorknob, I glanced at him, no longer smiling and matching his glare. "I won't be here for supper tomorrow." I shrugged. "Just so you know."

I opened the door and let it slam shut behind me, cutting off whatever he tried to say. My body hummed, the anger built during the conversation begging for release. As soon as the door closed, I turned to face it, placing my hand on the wood and closing my eyes. I pushed thoughts of Devland from my mind and slowed my breathing.

From the darkness absence of thought created, I took an imaginary paintbrush dipped in pre-mixed colors and began to create a scene. The door and its frame, and then a metal bar—one at the top and one at the bottom—crossing the door to block anyone from entering. Setting the brush away, I imagined magic—balls of energy, fire, light... everything I could think of—and hurled it against the door in my mind.

It didn't budge.

Opening my eyes, I sighed, turning towards my bedroom. The door still looked normal—no bars to block it from being opened—but I was confident Devland couldn't get through using his abilities. The shield on my bedroom remained, providing a secondary barrier, and I went to bed leaving it intact.

Still, my emotions felt like someone had put them into a blender, and I wished that Calin was here. As much as he was able to spin me out like nobody else seemed capable of, he was also the only thing that kept me calm. It was like his emotions fused to mine with a touch. I didn't want to imagine what that meant. Was it us? Or did he have some special kind of ability I wasn't aware of? Like some sort of the opposite of an empath? I rolled over, shoving the thoughts out of my head and pulling the blankets over my entire body. I took comfort from the fact that as always, Onyx was curled up on the bed next to me, literally giving me her warmth.

By the time I made it back to Briarville, would I be able to remember what it felt like to be able to rest without having to place precautions to guard me as I slept?