Chapter 105

"And Morrissey..." the headmistress continued. "I knew her Effman family name, but dark ancestors don't mean the entire family is corrupted. Still, I should've kept a closer eye on her. I've made a lot of mistakes in the past year."

"I've made a lot of mistakes my whole life, so..." I shrugged.

"I doubt that very much," she said with a kind smile. "You've had unimaginable hardships."

I squirmed in my seat and decided it was a good time to redirect. "Has Quiet been found?"

"No," she sighed. "Ryze's return has fuddled magic, so we've sent for the best water diviners to help us search for the pond. You'd think an entire pond would be easy to find, but it just vanished."

"And the woman?" We'd told her everything that had happened outside, except for the part about stealing two hands from a dead man. Mine was safely tucked away in my pocket, a comforting weight, but I hadn't yet turned my hair coal-colored. I would, though, as soon as I had time.