Chapter 19

As I walked through the halls of the castle, my footsteps echoed faintly against the stone floors. The lanterns on the walls cast soft, flickering light, but it didn’t do much to settle the weight in my chest. I kept telling myself this was just another step, another task to cross off, but I couldn’t shake the tension crawling up my spine.

My mind was stuck on one thing—Mom.

It felt like forever since I’d seen her. I could still hear her voice from that night, trembling as she told me to run. And Jason? He’d swooped in, fed me half-truths, and dropped me here without answering any of the questions that actually mattered.

But maybe she could. The headmistress.

When I reached the tall, engraved door to her office, I hesitated. My hand hovered mid-air, inches from knocking. What if she didn’t know anything? Or worse, what if she did, and it wasn’t what I wanted to hear?

I shook the thought away and knocked twice, firm enough to get her attention but not too hard.

“Come in,” her voice called, calm and even, like she’d been expecting me.

I pushed the door open, stepping inside. Headmistress Katherine sat behind an enormous desk, papers and books spread out in an organized chaos. Her gray eyes locked onto mine, and just like that, I felt like she could see straight through me.

“Ah, Alex,” she said, motioning for me to come forward. “What brings you here?”

I swallowed, suddenly unsure how to start. “I, um… I wanted to ask about something personal.”

Her gaze sharpened slightly, but she didn’t rush me. “Go on.”

“It’s about my mom,” I said, and just saying the words felt like a punch to the gut. “When Jason dropped me off here, he told me she was taken. By vampires.” The word still felt ridiculous, even after everything. “I just... I need to know if he told you anything about her. Where she might be—or why they took her.”

For a moment, her face was unreadable. Then she leaned back slightly, her hands folding neatly on the desk. “Your uncle did inform me of the circumstances leading to your arrival,” she said slowly. “He mentioned your mother’s disappearance and the danger surrounding you. But I’m afraid he gave me little else to work with.”

My chest tightened. “So he didn’t tell you anything? Nothing about where she might be or why they wanted her?”

She shook her head, her expression calm but not cold. “He seemed more focused on ensuring your safety here at the academy. Beyond that, he kept the details sparse.”

Of course he did. Typical Jason. Always holding back, always keeping me in the dark.

“Can’t you do something?” I asked, the frustration boiling over in my voice. “You’re the headmistress of this place. You have power, connections—can’t you, I don’t know, look for her?”

Her eyes softened, but her tone stayed measured. “I understand your frustration, Alex. I truly do. But my primary concern is your safety. Searching for your mother could draw attention to you—attention we cannot afford right now.”

“No!” The word burst out before I could stop it, and I felt my hands ball into fists. “She’s my mom. She didn’t do anything wrong. I can’t just sit here and do nothing while she’s out there, alone or—or worse—”

“Alex.” Her voice cut through my panic, firm but not unkind. “I would never ask you to forget your mother, nor would I expect you to. But the supernatural world is vast and treacherous. Without more information, we’d be chasing shadows.”

Shadows. That word hit me like a punch. Was that all this was? A hopeless chase, one I had no way of winning?

I sank into the chair across from her desk, my anger draining into exhaustion. “Why didn’t Jason tell me more?” I muttered.

“Perhaps he believed it was for the best,” she said, her tone gentle but frustratingly diplomatic. “He may have thought protecting you meant withholding certain truths.”

I frowned, staring at the edge of her desk. Jason, deciding what was best for me without asking what I thought. It wasn’t like I could trust him to give me the full story now, even if I asked.

Still, I couldn’t let it go.

“Is there anything you can tell me?” I asked quietly. “Anything that might help me figure this out?”

She hesitated, her eyes studying me like she was weighing her words. “Only this: the people who took your mother wanted something. Whether it was her, you, or something else—I cannot say. But I don’t believe their motives were random.”

That sent a chill down my spine. Of course, I’d suspected as much, but hearing her confirm it made it all the more real.

I stood up slowly, my legs feeling like they barely wanted to move. “Thanks,” I said, though the word felt hollow.

“Alex,” she said as I turned to leave. I paused, looking back at her. “Remember—you are not alone. My door is always open, should you need guidance.”

I nodded, though I wasn’t sure how much comfort her words really offered. As I left her office, my mind was already racing.

Jason had answers, and I needed them. If he wasn’t going to tell me willingly, I’d have to find a way to make him. One way or another, I was going to figure this out—and I wasn’t going to stop until I did.