Chapter 41: Suspicion on her

Ruelle followed the guard towards Mr. Oak’s office, where soft footsteps echoed in the corridors. She hadn’t expected to be summoned—at least not today, and especially not right after the game. Her eyes flicked up to the walls, noting the portraits of staff and other important people who all appeared to be either vampires or vampiresses.

At last, they arrived at a large, intricately carved wooden double door. The guard turned to her and instructed,

“Wait here. Mr. Oak is currently occupied. You will be called in soon.”

Ruelle nodded, folding her hands in front of her. What could the head of the Sexton possibly want her? Perhaps it was about June? She was still lost in thought when the distant murmur of voices drifted closer, echoing softly through the corridor.

Turning, she saw two familiar figures approaching—it was Mr. S—Dane Slater, and Ms. Gemma Gilbert. Dane’s light-hearted tone carried through the air as he conversed with Ms. Gilbert, his easy grin making him look strikingly different from his younger brother, Lucian. Ruelle couldn’t help but wonder if they didn’t share different parents—because there was something strikingly different in the brothers’ demeanours and energy.

“I must say, I seem to keep finding you in one office or another, Ms. Belmont,” Dane remarked with a grin when he caught sight of her, slowing his pace slightly. “Getting acquainted with the staff, are we?”

Ruelle managed a polite smile. “Not voluntarily.”

Dane’s grin widened. “I heard your team won today,” he said, offering a congratulatory nod. “Quite the achievement.”

“Thank you, Mr. S. It was a team effort,” Ruelle offered a modest smile, feeling both flattered and slightly self-conscious at the praise. She hesitated a moment before adding, “If I may, the nature of the match does put people like me at a disadvantage. Facing experienced hunters and Stakers who are in their final year—it feels a bit more than uneven.”

Dane’s expression softened. He replied, “That’s fair. But keep in mind, today’s game was just the preliminary round. Consider it a first round.”

“You mean there’s more?” Ruelle asked, her brows furrowing.

“You didn’t think your physical class would end so quietly, did you?” Dane chuckled. “In a month or two, the winners from today’s games will face each other in a new round of matches.”

Perhaps she should have just laid down on the field or prevented Lucian from looking for the feather, Ruelle thought to herself.

Dane tilted his head thoughtfully before saying “I will place a small wager on your victory.”

Ms. Gilbert crossed her arms, while teasingly questioning Dane, “Playing favourites now, Mr. Slater? Isn’t that a bit unbecoming for an instructor?”

Dane shrugged. He replied, “Oh, come on, Ms. Gilbert. Surely you can appreciate a well-played game. Besides, Stakers need a little extra support now and then—I feel for them. Also, we need to support talent.”

If Lucian was here, Ruelle wondered if he would think it was talent to be considered the clumsiest.

“Don’t let him fool you, Ms. Belmont,” Ms. Gilbert said with an amused smile, leaning closer and her voice dropping to a near whisper. “He may seem charming, but he’s no stranger to strategy. Back when he was a student, he was rarely a Staker. In fact, he made a name for himself hunting the very Stakers he now claims to support.”

Dane chuckled, unaffected by her teasing. A hint of nostalgia creeped into his tone as he said, “There’s a thrill in the hunt that’s hard to explain. That rush of adrenaline, the focus, the strategy—it sharpens the mind.” He tilted his head thoughtfully.

Just then, the large office door creaked open, drawing their attention. Alanna stepped out, her expression irritated, and she rolled her eyes. Before walking away, her eyes met Ruelle’s and without a word, she exited the corridor.

The guard reappeared and gestured towards the open door. “Ms. Belmont. You are expected.”

Ruelle offered a polite bow to the instructors before stepping through the heavy doors into Headmaster Oak’s office. The warm glow from a chandelier of tall, flickering candles cast deep shadows across the room, while additional candles perched on iron stands. Her eyes were quick to catch Mr. and Mrs. Clifford standing in the room. Both had their hands clasped tightly, their faces etched with anxiety and distress.

Her earlier suspicion had been right. It was about June.

“Ruelle Belmont, is it?” Headmaster Oak’s voice broke through the silence, calm yet piercing. Seated behind his imposing mahogany desk, he regarded her with steely grey eyes.

“Yes, Headmaster Oak,” Ruelle responded, giving a respectful bow. Her gaze briefly drifted to Mrs. Clifford, whose eyes flashed with a mixture of worry and accusation.

“There is a matter that troubles the Cliffords,” Headmaster Oak continued, his gaze flicking to the couple. “Their daughter, June Clifford, has gone missing. Also, your previous roommate, I heard. Mrs. Clifford informs me that June was sent on an errand to your family’s home this past Sunday. She sent a note stating she’d be heading to Sexton afterward. And yet, June never arrived. Nor has she been seen since.”

“I am sorry to hear about June’s disappearance, but I have been unaware of her visit to my house. I was staying with a friend in her village for the weekend—Hailey Elliot. I doubt there was anyone at home since my sister is married and my parents were visiting relatives.”

Mrs. Clifford’s lips pressed into a tight, thin line. She stated, “June mentioned how you were causing her trouble, claiming it was unbearable to share a room with you. You must know something!”

“It’s quite the opposite, Mrs. Clifford,” Ruelle replied, keeping her tone respectful. “June and I haven’t spoken to each other in days. In fact, the truth is that she stole my scarf to access the library.”

Mrs. Clifford’s hand tightened on her husband’s arm as she stared at Ruelle, eyes hard with suspicion. “So you decided to take matters into your own hands, is that it? Alanna told us you might be involved.”

Of course, Ruelle thought, Alanna would jump at the chance to blame her. She replied, “Mrs. Clifford, I didn’t do anything to June. You can verify that I was nowhere near her.”

Headmaster Oak leaned back in his chair, his gaze unwavering as he studied her with thoughtful intensity. He appeared to be weighing her words, his fingers tapping slowly on the arm of his chair. He then said,

“Very well, Ms. Belmont. For now, that will be all. You may go.”

As Ruelle stepped out of the office, the soft rumble of thunder echoed faintly through the corridors, a quiet warning of the storm yet to come. Inside, Headmaster Oak’s steely gaze drifted from Ruelle’s retreating form back to the Cliffords, lingering there with unsettling calm.

Mrs. Clifford, pale with worry, wrung her hands together, her voice quivering as she spoke, “Mr. Oak, surely there is more that can be done. My daughter, my only child, is missing. June wouldn’t just vanish like this. Someone here must know something.”

“Your concern is noted, Mrs. Clifford. And rest assured, we have questioned every student who might have encountered your daughter,” he replied with a composure that bordered on indifference, his words clipped and precise. It was as if he were discussing misplaced library books rather than a missing young woman.

Mr. Clifford’s despair deepened. He asked, “And if she isn’t found? If my daughter never returns?”

Mr. Oak’s lips pressed into a thin line before he responded,

“Human lives are sadly fragile. It is inevitable that some will fall through the cracks, but let us hope she returns.” After a pause, he assured them, “Should any information arise, it will be immediately relayed to you. Rest assured, every necessary inquiry has been made. But as of now, there is no evidence to support that Ms. Belmont or any other student were involved in her disappearance.” His words were final, leaving little room for negotiation.

Out in the dim corridor, Ruelle quickened her pace, the thunder rumbling outside echoing her growing unease. She couldn’t shake the question: where had June gone, and had something terrible happened to her?

Just as she turned the corner, a hand shot out from behind, clamping over her mouth with a strange, heavy scent that dulled her senses, stifling the scream that barely formed. What was happening?! A cloth pressed firmly over her eyes, blocking her sight as the world around her slipped into a muffled, hazy darkness.

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