Page 2 of A Lesson in Obedience
“I can forgive your outburst. I may not know you well, but I have a feeling you are eager to know certain things about who you are. I can provide you that insight.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “If I say no, are you just going to kill another one of my friends?”
Chancellor Fowler ran a hand through his curls. “I would like to avoid that, but I have no qualms with crossing lines. I never have. You’d be surprised how many people you know who think just like me.”
I let my eyes flutter close as I took a deep breath. When I opened them, I glanced over at Grayson, who was looking at me with those deep brown eyes. I quickly looked away and back over to Chancellor Fowler. He gave me an expectant look, but there was no tension anywhere in his body. He would keep me here all day and night until I gave him the time of day.
I wiped my hand across my cheeks, removing any remnants of tears. Without another word, I turned around and made my way over to the couch. I slowly sat down, placing my hands on my knees. I could feel the metal of the dampener ring against my blood-soaked jeans.
“Come shadow wielder, I’ll need you when this is over.”Chancellor Fowler snapped his fingers, walking around Grayson and sitting on the opposite couch. Grayson perched himself on the arm, avoiding eye contact with me.
I licked my lips, feeling how dry they were. “Were you two married?”
The Chancellor chuckled. “Oh no. I would have married her if she would have stuck around. I would have given her the world.” His jaw ticked when he spoke about her.
“Was she aware of your…magic?” I tilted my head to the side.
He nodded. “Jillian loved what I could do. It fascinated her. I let her peek in on coven gatherings and I told her all about my dreams, my plans. Your mother was looking at colleges and I was trying to coax her into applying to Mystic Riegan where we could be together all the time. When I had to take over things changed but I tried to make it better. She was resistant but that was nothing new.”
I remained quiet, letting him continue.
“When she told me she was pregnant, I was overjoyed. She was nervous, but I tried to comfort her and let her know she would want for nothing. Our child—you— would have everything.”
I ran my palms over the top of my thighs. “Then why would she take me away from you? From all of it?”
“Maybe I had plans she didn’t approve of. Maybe she never really loved me. That is a question for your mother. She left me before you were born, hid you away without even so much as a goodbye. You cannot fault me for being upset that she took my child. And then to find out that she shielded you from me…” His expression turned into one of distraught. “It is enough to make any parent go a little insane.”
“She wouldn’t make that decision without a good reason. My mother doesn’t make decisions on a whim. Especially one of that magnitude.”
He clucked his tongue, shaking his head. “Of course, you would take her side. She did raise you for all these years.”
“She did raise me. Along with mydad.”
Chancellor Fowler cracked his neck, shaking out his shoulders. “That man was not your father. He could play house all he wanted, but you are mine. I had a late meeting with Oliver St. James and on my way out I saw Thomas’s light on and I hadn’t properly met him, so I was going to simply say my hello before I left. He was a nice enough man and we got to talking, but when I heard him mention Jillian’s name, I swore it couldn’t be the same person. I pressed for more answers and then he started getting antsy and eventually I couldn’t take it. That man was assuming my position as your father and it wasn’t right, it wasn’t fair.”
“So, killing him was the only solution?”
“I was angry and perhaps I let my control slip. You would have never come here if I hadn’t though. Your necklace was a powerful thing, but we have a familial bond, and you stepped onto a campus that was founded by our family. I was going to feel your presence.”
“I’ve been on this campus before I ever enrolled, how come you never went on your hunt for me then?”
“You had been gone for so long, Riley! I dreamed of the day you would come back. I thought it was wishful thinking, my mind and heart playing tricks on me. Once Thomas was gone, I knew I needed to make every effort to find you again and then well, the pieces just started to fall into place for me. You were right here. Right on campus where you belong.” I could see tiny flames lick at his fingertips, but he never let them get any bigger. “Your power will be every bit as strong as mine…”
“She probably knew you were corrupt.” I scoffed, my breath coming out harshly. “The smartest thing she ever did was run away from you.”
He shrugged. “Clearly it wasn’t bad enough for her to come back with that man and think everything would be normal. She really thought that necklace was going to save you from…”
“My necklace,” I interrupted him, placing my fingers at my sternum where my necklace should have been.
“Ah, that little trinket. I don’t know who did that, but Jillianmust have outsourced from somewhere. She was resourceful, clearly. That doesn’t matter anymore. You can now take your rightful place in the coven.”
I swallowed hard. “The coven? The one you’re siphoning powers from?”
“Let’s not dwell on the things we can’t fix.”
“You’re taking powers from your coven, your own people. Why would I want to be a part of that?”
Chancellor Fowler sighed, bending his one leg and placing it over the other. “I do it because the coven is mine to uphold, I should get a little something, shouldn’t I? The witches are still powerful, still in control. It’s simple sharing and no one gets hurt.”
