Love's Cruel Redemption (The Ghost Bird #12)(29)

During that time, he talked about what was happening with Nathan, how he was coerced into letting Danielle and Marie spend the night, and then further was asked to get Marie, and Danielle, out of school in exchange for information on my mother’s real name.

“She’s been in the house with my mother, and monitored, right?” I asked Mr. Blackbourne.

He nodded, focusing on the road. “This is the sort of thing we hope to hear about. We’ve been listening.”

“I’m not sure how she’d learn without someone overhearing as well.” I paused. “But...maybe...”

“Maybe what?”

“Maybe she remembers a name. Maybe she remembers more than I do about relatives coming by the house. But if she died...there’s no way she would remember meeting her. She was one when I was born.”

He was quiet for a moment, considering the thought. “What do you think about giving them what they want?”

“I don’t know why Danielle wants out of school. Wouldn’t her parents notice?”

“I imagine she wants more than just being allowed out of school,” he said. “This shouldn’t have been a surprise. We knew about her getting called in to see Mr. Hendricks, but it was the same questions and empty threats.”

“We should have stopped those before.”

He frowned. “And we should have done much more. We did coach her a bit about what to say to Hendricks and let her know the threats were empty. Your sister should have been monitored at school more closely and whenever she left the house.”

“I didn’t know she was leaving the house.”

“It isn’t often, but we monitored where she was going. Our concern for her safety and catching information didn’t extend to following her everywhere. Just within the house.” He looked over at me quickly. “I think we failed you there.”

“There was no way to know,” I said. “I should have been in touch with her to find out what I could. We can’t prepare for everything. You can’t put cameras up at Danielle’s house, too.” As for her getting called into Hendricks, that was something I should have known would happen. If I wasn’t there, he was going to ask her about me.

He pulled to a stop, waiting for a red light to change. “Let’s wait to talk about the rest when we’re with the others.”

Mr. Blackbourne and I remained quiet for the rest of the drive to Ashley Waters.

It was difficult to put out of my mind the family issues I was facing, with Marie knowing about my real mother, with Danielle possibly knowing the same information and using her to get what she wanted. I think that bothered me more than learning the possibility of who my mother really was.

That Marie wouldn’t come tell me when she figured it out. That she went to Nathan, not me. Maybe it was all Danielle. Maybe it was a trick. That’s what had me concerned. Thinking how they could manipulate us by withholding information showed me we needed to protect them from learning anything else about what the Academy could really do.

Ashley Waters High School’s drab brown brick building hadn’t changed much since a few weeks ago. The bushes along one side appeared dead mid-winter, blending in with the brickwork.

Mr. Blackbourne parked where the student lot and the teacher lot met, split only by a drab grass-covered divide one could easily drive over. Students were already arriving, parking in prime positions to escape easily during the after-school rush.

When he parked, he rushed around, opening my door for me before I had to chance to even release the seatbelt. I appreciated the nicety, something I was getting used to as part of the culture in the South.

“Should we be concerned about...what people think?” I asked. “I mean with me arriving with you?”

“Not today,” he said simply. “When we walk in, stay by my side. You’re officially one of us now.”

One of them.

I swallowed and smoothed my hands across the outfit once, making sure everything was neat. Nerves electrified inside me. I’d already been gone a week since winter break ended and school started again. Unfortunately, I wasn’t invisible any more, and I thought of a few people who might ask questions.

And everyone would notice the uniform. The boys being in uniform was one thing. Adding in a girl was another.

And I’d be the only one.

I trusted this was part of a plan of some sort. There was nothing they did that wasn’t part of a plan. I had a feeling this wasn’t for students, though. Our focus was Mr. Hendricks. This was meant as some sort of intimidation. Some sort of shake up.

I didn’t carry a bookbag, but Mr. Blackbourne collected a messenger bag from the trunk of the car. Once he had it strapped to his shoulder, he and I walked toward the entrance of Ashley Waters High School.

The closer we got, the more I felt the need to walk behind Mr. Blackbourne, to appear more like a student.

When I tried to slow down, he slowed as well. He kept his head high, focused on the doors. “Chin up, Miss Sorenson,” he said with a little more power behind his tone. “By my side...”

I matched his pace and kept my head up, but my eyes flitted everywhere, never staying on anything very long. I wanted to appear confident, but I felt like an outsider returning where I wasn’t wanted. Maybe it was the jitteriness I was feeling from the coffee and sugar rush, but I was more nervous than I realized I would be.