Page 78 of Rogue Witch

Chapter Thirty

BLADE

Leaving Leilah’s bed has never been easy. Tonight, was nearly impossible. Once I finish my business with Chelsea, I’ll return and make love to Leilah all night long. Despite the fact I just left her, my cock begins to harden, again.

I reach the infirmary where Chelsea is being held. Anger flares in the center of my belly. Fifteen and she tried twice to kill another student. I enter the building and close off my mind. Chelsea is a gifted mage and empath. She might know I’m on my way to see her. If not, she will sense my feelings once I’m in the room with her.

Cromwell emerges from the nurse’s office. “I’m immensely relieved you’re here. I called the girl’s parents. They’re on their way—and furious.”

I grunt. “I would be surprised if they weren’t. House Nightlow is an influential house. Lady Nightlow won’t ever believe her daughter is guilty of attempted murder.” I recall running into Chelsea on campus a couple weeks ago and thinking that she hadn’t displayed any of her mother’s fanaticism. She has now.

“Her mother is going to make trouble,” Cromwell mutters.

“No truer words have ever been spoken. Olympia will deal with her.” I frown. “Speaking of Olympia, have you seen her?”

“No,” he replies. “One would think she would want to welcome the students back.”

“Yes,” I murmur. “One would.”

Cromwell unlocks the exam room door and I enter an empty room. I race across the room to the window, which stands open. Cold air pours in.

“Cromwell!” I shout.

He bursts into the room. His eyes lock onto the window and widen.

“When did you last see her?” I demand.

He hurries to the window. “About two hours ago, when we locked her in the room.”

I curse. This is my fault. I should have come directly here, instead of going to Leilah.

“The window was sealed with magic.” He runs a finger around the window seal.

“The girl is a strong mage,” I mutter.

“Penelope cast the spell,” he says. “Chelsea is no match for her.”

“I think you’re wrong on that score,” I say.

“I’m not mistaken.” He pulls a small wand from his back pocket and waves the tip over the window as he murmurs “Revelare.”

A whisp of smoke-like energy appears and slides along the seams of the window, then fades.

Cromwell looks at me. “A libertas elemental. Is Chelsea’s mother a powerful enough mage to command elementals on Academy grounds all the way from Pennsylvania?”

“Maybe,” I say.

His mouth thins. “We’ve strengthened the wards around The Academy. At the very least, we would have been alerted if someone tried to enter the grounds. I think someone here at The Academy cast the spell. I should have sensed the magic.”

“The girl created magic strong enough to thwart Ethan, Leilah Crowe, and other students when she made the attempt on Leilah’s life,” I say. “Chelsea is stronger than we realized.”

“I’ll get a search team together,” he says.

“She’s long gone.”

“Maybe. But no matter how strong her mother is, she couldn’t have reached The Academy yet. That means someone else helped her. If they’re still here, I’ll find them.”

“Let’s expedite things,” I say.