Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

Director Yearwood

"I want to know who slipped this news to the counselors!" I snap at Ferguson who looks annoyed.

"I don't know," he looks over his shoulder at the closed door. "The only ones who know the extent of her powers are those little miscreants who went with her on their little crusade. All of them have been getting in trouble over this past month, sneaking around, getting into fights with the other students. Two of them beat up a fellow student in class yesterday. Kid was getting mouthy over Taylor being an abnormal creature. I put them both under house arrest for two days. Let them cool off. But I doubt it's any of them. Aside from that Isabel girl, nobody opened their mouths when we interrogated them."

I look down at my desk. "She was warned not to say a word. You think it was her?"

"Doubt it. She's new. All the kids she's friends with are loyal to Taylor. She wouldn't want to mess things up with them. I think this was from our side."

"Look into it," I order him. "Find out who talked and bring them to me."

Ferguson barely has the chance to turn around when there is a knock on the door. 

"Come in," I call out.

The door opens to reveal Beth Lee, one of Taylor's friends, standing there, "Can I talk to you?"

I stare at her.

Beth Lee comes from a family of werewolves. However, her parents had adopted a human child before she was born, one who was desperate to get his hands on all of the inheritance that belonged to Beth. It was her aunt who sent her here but her brother, Charlie, has been relentless in trying to get rid of her. However, humans can only go so far when it comes to harming our kind. When Beth first came here, she was meek and quiet. It was Taylor's influence that allowed her to open up.

I don't dislike Taylor. She reminds me of her father: bright, clever, suspicious of everyone, and overly reckless. She's likeable but that doesn't make her any less dangerous. 

"Come in, Miss Lee," I nod at Ferguson who walks out, closing the door behind him. Once we're alone, I look at the girl, "How can I help you?"

She looks tired as if she hasn't slept in days. But then I've heard from the counselors that she's been distracted in classes, no longer paying attention. 

"Are you going to kill Taylor?"

Her questions takes me by surprise, "Excuse me?"

"She thinks you are!" the girl bursts out. 

I half rise out of my chair, alarmed, "Miss Lee, when did you see Taylor?!"

But she isn't answering me, "She's waiting for you to kill her! You made her want to die!"

The tears in her eyes have me shocked. "I certainly did not try to kill Miss Night."

"I'm saying she thinks you plan on killing her!" Beth cries out. "She's made her peace with it. She wants to die because you put her in a prison with nothing! She's depressed and you don't care! She's not a monster! She's kind and thoughtful and she can be a little harsh at times but she killed those people to save us! They were trying to kill us! She had no choice! You can't do this to her! You-"

I round my desk to put my hands on the shaking girl's shoulders. "Miss Lee, enough! I am not trying to kill your friend! I am trying to help her!"

But Beth has always been an emotional child, especially where Taylor is concerned, "She's depressed because you've shut her away from the world! How is this helping her?! You can't punish her for being what she is! That's not fair!"

I fall silent at her words.

I've had so much damage control to do ever since the Black Wreath group attacked the islands, that the only thought I had was to stash Taylor somewhere safe and figure it all out. I hadn't considered that the isolation would impact her like this. Or that she would make her peace with death.

Maybe I shouldn't have cut off access to her friends. 

"When did you see Taylor?"

"Last night," Beth says, defiance in her tone, and it amuses me if nothing. "It was her birthday. She's eighteen. Nobody remembered or even cared."

"You're not in trouble, Miss Lee," I say, slowly. "Why don't you return to your barrack and I will consult with Dr. Brown on how to deal with this situation. We are not trying to hurt Taylor, but her powers are unstable. Even if she doesn't want to, she can hurt somebody. You've seen it firsthand."

"But that's not her fault."

"I'm not saying it is," I tell her, calmly. "But the fact remains that if I don't isolate Taylor from her peers, she can kill them, accidentally. The guilt she will go through over something like that will be too much for her to handle."

"Then at least tell her that!" Beth says, fiercely. "She thinks she's going to be 'put down,' as if she's some sort of animal or something! You can't have her thinking like that! She's hurting so much and she won't tell me! She won't even talk to me and-"

"Miss Lee," I try to console the trembling girl, "I won't stop you or your friends from seeing Taylor. But only the ones who accompanied her are allowed to go and see her since you already know the truth about her. However, each time you visit her, or you take anything to her, you have to clear it with Counselor Ferguson or me. No one else. Do you understand?"

"Wait," Beth looks shaken. "You're not going to stop us from meeting her?"

"No. I don't know how you figured out where she was but it's better you go and we know about it than sneak off."

"Okay," Beth nods. "Can I tell her you're not going to hurt her?"

"Yes."

"Can we take her a cake for her birthday?"

I raise my brow, "I understood that a cupcake went missing from the counselor's private kitchen last night."

When she flushes, I sigh, "Yes. I will allow that. You will have one given to you when you go."

"Thanks," her expression brightens. 

As she walks out, I don't know how Taylor managed to garner such loyalty from her friends, but maybe I was wrong. Maybe isolation isn't for her. 

I can't let her leave either. 

Walking back to my desk, I pick up my phone and summon the camp therapist. 

It takes her twenty minutes to reach me and I give her a grateful look, "Thanks for coming, Sherry."

"Well, you did call," she smiles at me. "Is everything okay?"

Sherry and I went to this camp together. She was a year senior to me and graduated earlier. Unlike others, Sherry remained in the human world for two decades before she found out that James's daughter, Taylor, was coming here. That's when she decided to return. 

"So Taylor's friends found her," I sigh. "At least one of them did and according to her, Taylor isn't doing well."

"I did tell you, Morrighan," Sherry looks upset. "Isolating Taylor isn't a good idea."

"This was as much for her protection as it was for the rest of the students," I argue. "They know what her blood is capable of. That's why they tried to lure her away from here. If the Black Wreath Organization gets their hands on Taylor, everything this school has stood for is pointless. They will be able to open the vaults and take the remaining pieces of the Azrath. We have to stop them at all costs."

"But keeping her in the vault like this is not humane. After what she's been through, do you really think leaving her alone without anyone is a wise choice?"

When I don't respond, Sherry's voice becomes gentle, "I have to ask this, Morrighan, but are you sure this has nothing to do with her killing Rachel?"

My head shoots up. "Don't say her name."

"You loved her," my friend tells me, quietly. "No matter how she turned out and deceived you, you loved her like a daughter. That is a grief that you will have to deal with. You can't brush her aside because of what she did."

It takes me a minute to speak past the thick ball of emotion in my throat, "Rachel took this path, knowing what awaited her. She chose to betray me. She sent an assassin after me. She never cared for me, Sherry. Am I sad that she died? Yes. But I know what she intended to do. I know why Taylor did what she did. I don't blame the girl. She protected her friends. However, she is still a danger."

"So, what is the plan here?" Sherry studies me. "Hide her away forever? Isolate her for the rest of her life?"

"No," I shake my head. "Of course not."

I rub my temples. "Perhaps I was hasty. Maybe we should let her see her friends. They can visit her. I've given them permission."

"Is that wise?" Sherry sits up in alarm. "What if-?"

"I don't think she'll hurt them. The iron bars that the wizards have enchanted should make her abilities bounce off them. But I think keeping her locked up isn't going to work. Somebody slipped up and rumors are flying about Taylor. I've had four counselors approach me, demanding I expel her. Some want to know where she is, why I'm hiding her; the students are terrified. I need to do something. I can't make her into some bogeyman that will isolate her even more."

"Then find somebody who can teach her how to control her powers, Morrighan. There are only two people who are experts on the Blood Moon Hybrid. One is Lowenstein and the other is Raeina."

"Lowenstein is insane," I murmur. "He was the one who helped her break her seal."

"Which tells you how much willpower she has," Sherry points out. "She was able to pass that test. And if she could do that, there is a very strong chance she will be able to control her abilities if given the right training."

"You have a point," I say, quietly. "Fine. I'll make the call. But to Raeina, not Lowenstein. I don't want that crazy fool giving her more ideas."

But Raeina, skilled and experienced as she is, holds a grudge against the Blood Moon Hybrids. 

I just have to hope that grudge doesn't translate into her work here.