Bloodline Diplomacy: A Young Adult Urban Fantasy Academy Novel (Bloodline Academy Book 3) - Lan Chan (thriller books to read .txt) 📗

Professor Mortimer nodded even though he looked slightly green in the gills. “The Council are still trying to come up with a way to ease the populace into accepting the Sisterhood are back. This is just a precaution we’re taking to alleviate the backlash.”

“And believe me,” Jacqueline added, “there will be backlash. No matter what the grand mistress –”

“Samantha. Her name is Samantha.”

Jacqueline wrote something down on the notepad in front of her. “Right. No matter what Samantha says, their motives are suspect. They believe we’re monsters, so slaying us wouldn’t be condemned in their eyes. They will continue to petition for Giselle’s release. On the other hand, we will find it difficult to protect ourselves. They are human. We’ve taken oaths to protect the human populace. I know this is difficult after all you’ve sacrificed to fit in. But it would put the minds of the parents at ease if the children are protected.”

“What about the parents of the other big babies on the senior campus?” I said. “If everyone is so worried I might as well just leave Bloodline.”

“We’ll do everything we can to ensure your education isn’t impacted,” she said. “Most of your professors have said you probably didn’t need to even stay in the junior campus this year.”

I wanted to tell her it wasn’t about study. It was about the way this would look and about the fact that I would be leaving my friends behind. Yeah, it was weird that an almost eighteen-year-old was friends with thirteen-year-olds, but I didn’t really care about that.

“And another thing,” Jacqueline said. “Given the circumstances, we think it might be best if you are withdrawn from any House-related activities this year.” This just got better every second.

“I’m sorry,” Jacqueline said. I shook my head.

“It’s not your fault. It just...sucks.”

“Yes, it does.”

I swiped my hand over my face. “Any other surprises I should know about before I go running headlong into them?”

Jacqueline pulled out the parchment that held the skeleton for my schedule. It came from her top drawer, so I gathered she had tucked it in there hastily when I’d arrived.

“We’re having a difficult time working the timetable. It makes the most sense for you to attend Terran Academy Thursday through Friday. Some of the classes you would have had this year are only held later on during the week. It means you could miss out on the practical field portion of your Weaponry and Combat as well as your Potions class.”

“Not to mention most of my weekends are gone.”

“Your weekends still belong to you,” Jacqueline said.

I gave her a pointed look that said I was on to her. As if both Academies wouldn’t be trying to make me use my spare weekend time for their purposes. If nothing else, they would try to make me catch up on the things I had missed during the week.

“Are there any other classes you think you might be able to do without?”

“Aside from my two favourite classes that Samantha just decided to pull me from?”

Professor Mortimer patted my hand. Without Arcane Magic, I wouldn’t be seeing much of him either.

I perused the schedule. Now that Sophie wouldn’t be in my Potions class, I was on my own. I wasn’t a fantastic potion brewer, but it was a skill that I thought would eventually come in handy. I would have loved to drop Dead Languages like a hot potato. Like Weaponry and Combat, it was the class that I was least proficient in. Sadly, that was towards the beginning of the week as well. I was beginning to see why they were having so much trouble. And then it hit me that one of my classes was in bold and therefore static.

“Why is Elemental Magic non-negotiable?” I asked. “I’m not Fae.”

Professor Mortimer scratched at his short beard. “You might not be, but some of the other low-magic users have proven able to harness elemental magic in order to boost their powers. As a hedge witch, imagine if you could control the structure of the earth in which you grow your seeds.”

“I haven’t really had a problem getting anything to grow so far.”

They looked at each other. “That’s a good point,” Jacqueline said. Her cheek puckered like she was biting the inside of it. “At the same time, I think it might be useful as a backup in case you’re ever in a situation where you might need to call on elemental spirits.”

“I think I’d be in a lot more trouble if I suddenly need help from a Fae. I don’t want to be spending any more time with them than I have to.”

Professor Mortimer suddenly clicked his fingers. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of it earlier,” he said. “If we move these two classes to the earlier session and Lex gets an Elemental Magic tutor, it might make up for the lessons she misses out on.”

“Hang on, a tutor? No way! I already have too much going on!”

But Jacqueline’s eyes had gone starstruck at the idea. She grinned at the professor. “I love it!”

“I don’t! I’m not getting a Fae tutor. Unless Thalia can do it.”

“Thalia is already booked solid. Most of the professors don’t have any time to take on a mentee. Your best bet would be to –”

“Don’t say it,” I warned. “I am not asking one of the fourth-years to mentor me. And I am definitely not going to be tutored by Brigid Harcourt.” Whatever else I might think of her, Brigid was good at school. She was powerful in her own right. And she seemed to be a hard worker. It was just unfortunate that she hated my guts and believed me to be the spawn of the devil.

“I’d never suggest something like that,” Jacqueline said. Though she kind of looked like it was exactly what she might be suggesting. “There are plenty of Fae who are more than capable of catching you up on