Page 60 of Of Blackened Blood (The Blackened Blade #3)

MICAI

I enter the dean’s office behind Mrs. Fleur and Mr. Finch, the large room dark and dimly lit as I make my way inside.

A large dark oak desk sits to the centre of the furthest wall with an even bigger bay window behind it, but the blinds are drawn.

The dean, Mr. Griffith, sits behind it as Mrs. Brunswick, Mr. Aldeir, and Mr. Heinley stand to the front of the desk.

They move to one side, with Mrs. Fleur and Mr. Finch joining their little line-up as I make my way over.

“Do you know why you have been called here, Ms. Bane?” Mr. Griffith asks, his white hair framing his lightly tanned face as his brows pinch together.

He lifts his elbows up, resting them on the table as his large muscles test the limits of his grey tailored suit jacket.

His brown eyes watch me curiously as I take a step closer to his desk.

“If I’m going by what Mr. Finch has already said ...” I send a narrow look to the ass in question before letting a sigh loose. “And the rumours being spread by other students ... Then I believe I’m being falsely accused of hurting an old friend.”

Mr. Griffith slowly nods, his eyes never leaving mine.

“That is one of the charges being brought up against you.” I raise a brow, wondering what else I’m being accused of as he continues.

“You have also been accused of threatening behaviour against other students, of acting out of aggression and violence on academy grounds, being dismissive and contentious to faculty, and being disruptive throughout classes.”

He lists off the blatant lies from a sheet in front of him, his brows furrowing deeper as a frown tugs at his lips before turning toward the faculty members. “Is all of this correct?”

“I’m sure there is more,” Mrs. Brunswick answers as Mr. Finch quickly nods. “But that is all we have collected for now.”

“These are serious accusations. Are you sure of this?” Mr. Griffith asks, his gaze turning to each faculty member before him.

“I-I’ve never had any of those issues with Ms. Ba—” Mr. Aldeir tries to add before Mrs. Brunswick glares toward him, cutting his words short as his gaze drops to the floor.

“Quiet or indifferent in one class does not excuse her behaviour in others or outside,” Mrs. Brunswick argues before throwing a glare my way.

“I concur.” Mr. Finch steps closer to the dean’s desk.

“She has been disruptive in my class for too long. She arrives late and acts indifferent or aggressive during my lessons. Her behaviour has been threatening and violent to both me and my students. Someone of her status should not have been attending the academy in the first place, let alone my class.” His lips curl up in disgust as he narrows his eyes my way, the meaning of his words clear.

The dean snaps his gaze toward Mr. Finch, his brown eyes darkening.

“Her status does not play a role in this, Mr. Finch,” Mr. Griffith grits out. “You’ll do well to remember we treat all of our students equally in the academy and under my watch.”

I hold back the chuckle that wants to leave my lips. It’s a nice thought.

But that’s all it is. Equality doesn’t exist in this academy.

Has he been too busy or blind to see that?

“I-I only meant that it’s clear that she doesn’t care to respect the lessons or faculty. That is all?—”

“Agreed.” Mrs. Brunswick cuts Mr. Finch off, taking a step forward.

“Ms. Bane lacks any respect for her mentors and her peers. I have heard countless stories from the students of her violent and threatening behaviour.” She lifts her chin, a look of victory taking over her features.

“Before the winter break alone, she attacked Ivy Harris, Alice Parker, and Tandy Neyton. There were numerous students there as witnesses that day. She also held a weapon to Ms. Harris’s throat and heavily injured Tandy Neyton.

” She turns her gaze toward me. “But to hear now that she has dabbled in forbidden magic to ‘curse’ a fellow student ...” She shakes her head, disgust lacing her features.

“It can’t be tolerated for another day.” She turns to the dean.

“I call for Ms. Bane’s immediate expulsion from the academy.

Her abhorrent behaviour will only influence other students and?—”

“You will do no such thing.” The door slams open as Gadriel makes his way inside and takes the space next to me before meeting the dean’s gaze.

“Ms. Bane is an exemplary student who works hard and has never been ‘aggressive’ or ‘threatening’ toward another student. If there were any kind of altercation, then I believe it was because she was defending herself.” He turns to glare at Mr. Finch and Mrs. Brunswick.

“What is happening right now is prejudice against an innocent student.”

“Mr. Valor,” Mrs. Brunswick sighs, her thin brows pinching together.

“You have only just rejoined us after receiving punishment for your own violent behaviour. One should not push their luck ...” She glances toward me as annoyance takes over her features.

“Your favouritism toward Ms. Bane has also been brought to my attention by a few of your students. I do not believe you should speak so carelessly here.”

Gadriel’s glare narrows further toward Mrs. Brunswick as a slight smirk lifts her mouth, as she likely thinks she has him where she wants him. But Gadriel shakes his head, his frustration growing as his lips part.

“If you are referring to the students that took to starting fights with Ms. Bane before class time, boys who outnumbered her three to one ...” Mrs. Brunswick’s smile falls, her lips parting to argue her point, but Gadriel ignores her and continues.

“If you call punishing those boys for their violent behaviour ‘favouritism,’ then I would argue that instead I was doing my job to protect one of my students from the harassment and blatant bullying of a group of boys ... something we all should be doing.” Gadriel looks to each faculty member in the room before turning toward the dean.

“In every class and every chance meeting that I have had with Ms. Bane, I have never seen her disrespect a faculty member or be violent or aggressive toward anyone else. On the contrary, it has been Mic—Ms. Bane who has suffered from the treatment of her fellow students.”

The dean’s gaze turns toward Mrs. Brunswick.

“I am assuming from Mr. Valor’s words that your ‘reports’ of Ms. Bane’s behaviour in the academy were lacking important information.

Especially if she was the target of discrimination.

” He glances around at each teacher, some flinching under the pressure of his gaze.

“It looks like a proper investigation needs to be held.”

Mr. Finch jumps forward at the dean’s words. “T-There’s n-no need for that, Dean. To put the academy in disarray for her again ... there’s already enough evidence against her?—”

“Evidence?” I call, as all eyes in the room fall toward me. I believe I’ve been patient enough listening to all their drivel. Now it’s my turn to speak.

“What evidence?—”

“Ms. Bane, no one gave you permission to speak.” Mrs. Brunswick cuts me off, dismissing me before turning back toward the dean and faculty.

I take a step forward, closer to the dean’s desk, meeting her gaze.

“If I waited for your permission, I would never be allowed to speak. Your prejudice against me has always been loud and clear from day one.” I turn toward the dean, meeting his brown eyes.

“But I would like to be heard, especially since everyone here has an opinion about me, but not one person has asked me for my story.”

I look into his brown eyes, wondering if he will be like Mr. Finch and Mrs. Brunswick and dismiss me ... or if he will give me a chance to fight.

One curt nod is all I need from him. And I let everything I had been holding in over the year loose.

I turn to the faculty members in the room, particularly eyeing Finch and Brunswick.

“You call me violent and aggressive? But who started each fight? Did you ever ask for both sides of the story or just listen to the one of your choosing? Why are your fingers only pointed in my direction? You protect only the students you favour. Only ones with certain standing and benefits .”

“Now see here, Ms. Bane—” Mr. Finch begins before Mrs. Brunswick places a hand up, stopping him. She directs her gaze my way, a patronizing expression taking over her features.

“The students in my classes are good children, Ms. Bane. Don’t try to taint their reputation or mine with your words.”

“Good children?” I chuckle. “Would a ‘good’ student kidnap someone and put them in the beast detainment shelter?”

Their eyes widen with my words, but I ignore their expressions and continue. “Would they set those magical beasts loose in the forest after drugging me, while I barely escape with my life?”

Gadriel’s eyes widen before his brows draw downward, a knowing expression fills his gaze as Mr. Finch chuckles, shaking his head.

“Ms. Bane, please don’t waste our time with your little fables?—”

“It’s true.” Gadriel turns toward the dean.

“I can attest to Micai’s words. I watched as she stumbled feebly—with a bruised and bloody body—from the forest. She came from the direction of the detainment shelter .

.. she wasn’t in any right state.” Gadriel’s eyes fill with a look of agony as the dean’s darken.

“Why didn’t you say something?” asks Mr. Heinley, stepping forward before quickly turning toward the dean.

“It’s true that someone broke the wards on the bunker.

But we had assumed it was students from the weaker magical traces left .

.. we never thought they—” He whips his gaze toward me, his voice falling to a low whisper as our eyes meet.

“We just thought it was some stupid prank gone wrong.”