The hidden key

Chapter 14

The grandfather clock in the grand hallway struck midnight. The school was completely asleep, but I was still awake, standing inside the dark administrative archives on the second floor.

Gideon was away on a routine patrol of the lower walls. This was my second chance to find the evidence against Cassandra Vance.

I did not go to the computer terminal tonight. I knew Alistair was watching the digital logs carefully. Instead, I walked toward the heavy wooden cabinets where Cassandra kept her physical files and personal belongings.

My heart hammered against my ribs, but my hands were steady inside my thick work gloves.

I stopped in front of her private locker. It was locked with a heavy brass keyhole. In my first life, I saw Cassandra pull a tiny silver key from the hidden compartment of her expensive leather purse to open this exact door.

I stepped closer to her desk. Her leather purse wasn't here, but a small, velvet-lined jewelry box sat on the side table. I carefully lifted the lid. Inside lay glittering rings and diamond earrings, but tucked beneath the velvet fabric at the very bottom was a tiny, cold piece of metal.

The silver key.

My stomach twisted with a mix of excitement and fear. I picked up the key and walked back to the brass locker. I slid the key into the hole and turned it. With a soft, heavy click, the wooden door swung open.

Inside, the shelf was filled with old folders and sealed ledger books. But near the back, my eyes caught a small, velvet bag. I pulled it out and opened the drawstring.

A wave of cold, heavy magic rolled out of the bag, making the hairs on my arms stand up.

Inside the bag was a heavy silver stamp. It was Cassandra’s official family signet ring, the physical tool she used to approve illegal inventory shipments before tracking them on the digital ledger. If I could get an impression of this ring, I could prove she was the one signing off on the stolen artifacts, not my father.

Suddenly, a violent, searing heat flared deep inside my chest.

I gasped, dropping the velvet bag onto the desk as a wave of intense agony rushed through my body. The dark, volatile magic from the Vance family stamp had triggered my royal bloodline magic. My vision turned blurry, and a thick pool of hot copper flooded my mouth.

I choked, clamping my hand over my mouth as I fell to my knees against the desk. I forcefully swallowed the blood down, my teeth grinding together so hard my jaw ached. I looked down at my wrists. Beneath my sleeves, the golden threads of my veins were pulsing brightly, glowing through the fabric of my shirt.

“No, please,” I thought desperately, gripping my chest. “Not now. Get back down.”

"You are very persistent, Miss Cross."

A deep, freezing baritone voice echoed from the doorway.

My soul nearly left my body. I froze on the floor, my heart slamming against my ribs like a trapped animal.

Alistair Vance walked out of the shadows. He wore his long, dark wool coat, his massive shoulders completely blocking the exit. His amber-golden eyes were glowing slightly in the dark room, his powerful Alpha aura expanding until the air became too thick to breathe.

He walked slowly toward the desk, his heavy boots clicking rhythmically against the floorboards. He stopped right in front of me, looking down at my trembling form.

I forced myself to stand up, leaning heavily against the desk for support. I quickly tucked my glowing wrists deep into the pockets of my oversized grey jacket, keeping my head low so he couldn't see the gold tint in my eyes.

"Principal Vance," I whispered, my voice tight and strained from the pain. "I was... cleaning the dust from the lower shelves."

Alistair didn't look at the shelves. His piercing gaze dropped to the desk, landing directly on the open locker and the silver signet ring sitting in the open velvet bag.

His jaw tightened, a dangerous, predatory glint flashing in his amber eyes. He stepped closer, crowding my space until I could feel the intense heat radiating from his chest. He reached out, his large, scarred hand firmly gripping my chin, forcing my face up.

"You are standing in the dark, holding my sister's private seal, smelling of fresh blood," Alistair whispered, his deep voice vibrating with a terrifying, quiet intensity. His eyes narrowed as he stared into my face, his thumb pressing against the corner of my lip where a tiny drop of red had escaped. "Tell me the truth, Evangeline. Before my patience runs out."

The pressure of his dominant aura was suffocating, but I refused to break. I looked straight into his frozen eyes, using every ounce of my willpower to force the golden fire in my veins back down into the darkness.

"Your sister is building a cage, Principal Vance," I said clearly, my simple words ringing with absolute truth in the quiet room. "And she is planning to put my father inside it. I am only looking for the key to break it."

Alistair stared at me for a long, breathless moment. The silence between us stretched so tight it felt ready to snap. His thumb brushed against my jaw one last time, a lingering, possessive touch, before he slowly released his grip and stepped back.

He looked at the silver ring, and then back at me, his marble mask locking securely into place.

"Put the ring back, Miss Cross," Alistair commanded coldly, turning his back to me. "And leave this office immediately. If I catch you here a third time, not even Gideon will be able to protect you from the consequences."

"Yes, sir," I murmured.

I quickly placed the ring back in the bag, locked the cabinet, and walked out into the cold hallway, my body shaking from exhaustion. Alistair knew I was hunting his sister, but he hadn't stopped me. I was playing a dangerous game with the apex predator of the academy, and the clock was ticking closer to the final trap.