Horse Stone (Book 1 of Ilyrian Series)

Chapter 79

I slowly pulled my phone away from my ear and wiped my eyes with the edge of my sleeve. I didn't look at the Headmaster, not knowing what he was thinking or if he even cared about what had happened to me.

"Well?" the Headmaster asked in a sharp tone that I flinched away from because I expected him to hit me, something that Ethan occasionally did when I wasn't fast for him. He scowled and narrowed his eyes while he studied me. "Is someone on their way to get you?"

I nodded and cleared my throat while I looked down. "Umm..." I shifted in my seat and stuffed my phone into my bag. I didn't meet his gaze, my fear getting the best of me because I knew that he was dangerous and didn't particularly care for me.

But he does respect the throne... a small voice whispered in my ear. You are the next heir to the throne...

I bit back a scoff and decided not to roll my eyes. I had no idea how much of that was true, but I knew that my father hated him for the way he treated me.

The Headmaster cleared his throat, and I looked at him through my eyelashes, not really wanting to lift my head and meet his critical gaze straight on. "Well?" he asked zain. "Why are you like this?" He gestured to me up and down, and I flinched and ducked my head closer to my chest. "A queen should never show weakness to someone else. It will cause them pain in the end."

I bit back a breathless chuckle and hid it with a scoff while I rolled my eyes. "I guess it is a good thing that I already know pain and can survive it, then. Huh?" I asked and looked up to meet his gaze straight on, my gaze cold and hard. "I mean, that is the only good thing that he had taught me." I shrugged. "He taught me that I was weak and that I shouldn't be alive, and yet..." I gestured to myself and shrugged again... "here I am sitting in front of you."

Headmaster Renes didn't say a word and raised an eyebrow. He didn't question why I was rude to him because he knew that it was because of his behavior towards me from the beginning.

I sighed and rubbed my arm, trying to get myself to stop shaking. I wasn't blind panicking as I once was, but that didn't mean I was in the clear and able to have control over my emotions like I should. "What do you want to know?" I asked and shifted until I was able to clutch my knees to my chest. I leaned my head on my legs and stared at him. "It can't be just why I am like this because that is a long story, and we don't have time since my sister is on her way to pick me up."

The Headmaster scowled and narrowed his eyes. "Hmph," he said while he studied me. He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, but he didn't say a word. He knew what I said was true, for the panic in my voice would have my sister rushing to my aid, especially since I told her that Ethan was nearby. "How do you know about Ilyrian?" he asked, finally.

I shrugged. "Simple, really," I replied. "I touched the insignia on the door on my first day of school, and I had this vision about Shadow and how he was sent here with no horn by Dr. Wilson."

"The "panic attack" on your first day?" he asked, and I nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, Headmaster," I replied and nodded again. "That is why we were late to the meeting. I lied and said that it was a panic attack because I didn't know which one of them knew about Ilyrian and how we were supposed to be inhabitants there and not here."

"Hmph," the Headmaster said and nodded. He cleared his throat and leaned back in his seat while he studied me. "Is your rapist and abuser's name Ethan?"

I nodded, and my mouth went dry. "Yes," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I cleared my throat again and shifted in my seat. "He is my ex." I rubbed my arm with one hand and sighed. "If you had met me before I had met him and went through all the shit he had put me through, then I would be all over you for the way you had treated my sisters and me."

Headmaster Renes didn't say a word. He raised an eyebrow and stayed silent, waiting for me to say something else.

I moved a hand through my hair and sighed before I bit my lip and shifted in my seat. "What else do you want to know, Headmaster?" I asked and stared at him before I looked down because I couldn't meet his hard gaze any longer.

There was a loud tap tap on the window, and I jumped in my seat and looked at it with fear. My whole body was tense, and my heart jumped into my throat. I had no idea what was going on and prayed that whatever it was wasn't some sick joke that Ethan was playing on me.

The Headmaster stood quickly, and half ran towards the window, his whole body tense. Magic filled the air around us, and I stared at him in amazement and not at the window because I knew that even if he didn't like me, he would protect me.

There was another tap tap on the window, and the Headmaster threw the window open with a loud bang. Lucas flew into the room and landed on the desk, and I breathed a sigh of relief while he glared at the Headmaster.

Headmaster Renes blinked, unimpressed, and scowled. He didn't say a word and closed the window again, and the magic dimmed until I wasn't able to sense it any longer.

"Lucas," I breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed, and he looked at me and took his gaze off of him.

Lucas flew over to me and bowed. He looked at the Headmaster, and the Headmaster rolled his eyes and scowled.

"He apologizes that he scared you. He wanted to see if you were ok because he saw Ethan."

I bit my lip and nodded. "It's ok," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I rubbed his breast, and he dipped his head and closed his eyes. "I'm ok. My sister is coming to pick me up."

Lucas nodded and looked at the Headmaster again so that he would tell me what he said. He puffed out his chest in annoyance when the Headmaster didn't say a word and narrowed his eyes.

Headmaster Renes pursed his lips in disgust and rolled his eyes. "I am not going to be your translator, Lucas," he said coldly. He sat down in his seat and cleared his throat while Lucas gave him a "dangerous" look that he initially ignored. "Don't give me that look, Lucas," he said. "I'm not going to be your translator."

"It's fine," I said when Lucas decided to dig his claws into my leg because he was that annoyed with the Headmaster. "If the Headmaster doesn't want to tell me what you say, then it is his right. Now, would you stop digging your claws into my leg? It hurts."

Lucas did what I had asked and let go of my leg hard. He dipped his head in apology and stared at me with eyes full of concern. He looked at the Headmaster and then looked at me, and I knew that he was wondering if he should get Dr. Wilson.

I shook my head no. "I think he's going to stop harassing me as he has been," I said, my voice soft. I glanced at the Headmaster to see that he was silent and had set his jaw. I prayed that he would, now that he knew I had been raped and abused, which was why I was the way that I was.

Lucas looked at him too and narrowed his eyes. He said something to him, and the Headmaster rolled his eyes and scowled but didn't reply to his comment.

"Will your sister be here soon?" he asked, and I looked at my phone to check the time before I nodded. "Then tell me everything," he said. "I want to know. That is the only way that I will stop."

I held back a retort and an eye roll because I had a small feeling that he would stop even if I didn't tell him.

However, I didn't have anything to lose, so I told him. I told him everything that had happened to me, opening up about a piece of my life that I had hidden for so long, and boy, was it strange to tell.