Academy of Blood and Magic

23🖤

The next three weeks passed by painfully slow. I sat by my phone, waiting for Jo to call me and give me updates on Brandon's case. She told me they had witnesses that saw Brandon at Nick's crime scene and were coming forward to say that Brandon had issues with Nick, as well that Brandon had anger issues and could get violent, such as the night at the party.

And they had his fingerprints.

The last part had me sick all over again. Eyewitnesses and history weren't on the same level as fingerprints. Those I wouldn't be so worried about. I didn't know much about crime or law, but I did know that fingerprints were a done deal and that part was freaking me completely out.

How the hell they found his fingerprints on Nick's body or near the crime scene, I had no idea, but I still believed with all my heart that Brandon had nothing to do with the murder and he was being framed.

Jo told me he was being held at the county jail and desperately wanted to visit him. I needed to see him in person, to hear his voice. Agent LeBlanc kept hovering over me, warning me over and over not to go see Brandon. I had to keep resisting the urge to hit him.

I was basically confined to the house. LeBlanc kept telling me I could go out if I wanted but he had to be there to escort me. I knew from the tone of his voice that he didn't want me going anywhere, and I didn't have the energy to fight with him about it. I also didn't want him hovering over me and I desperately wanted him to get out of here, to stay away from me.

My parents and Daniel did their best to cheer me up and keep my mind off Brandon's situation, but my mind wouldn't steer away from him. I was too worried, too scared for him. I tried to relax as much as impossible around them. I knew my stress and anxiety were making everyone tense, but I couldn't help it. I couldn't stop imagining what they were doing to him. I recalled the officer with the stake on their belt when Jo and I visited the station when they initially took him in for questioning.

There were prejudiced human police officers that mistreated supernaturals in their custody. I knew there were going to be prejudiced police officers in the jail he was being held in and they were going to treat him terribly.

By the third week, Brandon met with the family lawyer and was getting ready to face trial. Jo was finally able to talk to him. She said he was quiet, distant. Angry. He was furious about the whole situation and he was desperate to get out of there.

She said he was asking about me and wanted to see me.

"I can't," I'd told her, my voice cracking as tears sprung to my eyes. "That agent who was assigned to my house isn't letting me. And no, I can't sneak out. Already tried that once."

The week before, I was about to break down from not being able to see my boyfriend, so I'd climbed out my window, leaped down to the yard, and almost made it out of my neighborhood when LeBlanc's car pulled up beside me and the furious sorcerer nearly dragged me into his car. Ever since I'd been under his scrutiny more than ever. My parents and Daniel also gave me a stern talking to but were more understanding about the whole situation.

"What happened?" Jo had asked and I told her the whole spiel.

"Damn, girl." Her voice actually had respect. "I'm impressed. You actually tried to sneak by an FBI agent."

"I was getting desperate."

"I can tell."

The humor completely washed away and I asked, "Brandon doesn't think I don't want to see him, does he? Is he mad I haven't come to visit him?"

"No, I explained why. He's not mad, but he misses you and it would cheer him up if you saw him."

"Believe me, when I can, I will. Right now, I'm not able to with this idiot agent hovering over me." I'd raised my voice at that last part. I'd known he was more than likely eavesdropping on me, which was how he'd found out I'd been sneaking out.