Renn wanted to say no, but at the last mont he changed his mind and stayed behind. Maybe this was his chance to get sothing out of her about Evan’s case. As soon as the others were gone, she turned to him and asked quietly, "Have you told them about us?"
"Why should I do that?" Renn replied, his arms folded tightly across his chest, his brows pulled together in anger. "You want to tell them that my mother is alive and that she is Principal Valois?"
Her silence burned through her. Hearing him say those words cut deep into her heart. She knew it would never be easy to win him back.
"Did you think I would welco you with open arms after you left all those years ago?" Renn asked, his voice heavy with pain. He hated how the mories rushed back, the scars of his childhood reopening. "You claim to be my mother, but you were never there. You gave away to my father the mont I was born. You chose everyone else over , and now you want to see you as a mother?"
"I know I failed you," Valois whispered, forcing herself to et his eyes. "I am asking for a second chance to redeem myself." She could see the anger he had carried for years, the hurt that only grew deeper with ti. She wondered if it would ever fade or if it had already carved itself into him forever.
"Second chance?" Renn’s voice rose as his chest tightened. "Did you ask before you left? Did you care what I wanted back then?" She shook her head, tears already falling. "So why do you need my permission now?"
"You don’t understand. I had my own battles," she said, standing slowly. She walked toward him, her hand trembling as she tried to touch his face, but he shoved it away.
"Don’t," Renn said sharply. "You missed that chance years ago. You knew how cruel that family was, yet you ran and left there. What kind of mother does that? I don’t need your excuses. I don’t need a mother. And Dad... I don’t rely on him either."
Her voice broke. "Don’t say that. You are breaking my heart with every word."
Renn’s eyes burned, but he refused to let her see his tears. "You ripped mine long ago. You’re lucky you still have yours," he said, turning his face away. "Now, can you say what you need to say so I can leave? I have a class to attend, Principal Valois."
She nodded with pain in her heart. It was better to let things rest for now. Sooner or later, he would co back to her, because no child could truly stay away when he knew his mother had the power to help. "I want you to be careful. You cannot leave the Academy without my permission. I will—"
"I don’t understand. Why? Are you planning to babysit now?" Renn cut in, his tone sharp.
"No. It’s for your own good."
"Let’s not go back there," Renn muttered, rubbing his forehead with both hands. He was exhausted from repeating himself to her. Was she really so blind that she could not understand? "I don’t want a mother in my life. I am fine the way I am."
"It is not about that," Principal Valois replied softly, her eyes full of worry. "Your safety matters to more than anything. I don’t want to lose—"
"What is going on?" Renn interrupted, searching her face. There was fear in her eyes. But fear of what? "Wait. Does this have sothing to do with Evan’s case? What are you hiding? If you know sothing and you keep it from , I will never forgive you."
"If I tell you, you will go straight to your brothers and they will turn it against ."
"I tell them things sotis, but not everything," Renn said quickly. It was a lie. He always shared information with them, but right now he only wanted her to talk. "So tell the truth."
Principal Valois let out a heavy sigh and lowered herself onto the edge of her desk. "I won’t lie to you. His case is complicated. I am not directly involved. I spoke with the staff yesterday, and we are still trying to find out what kind of creature did this. The autopsy will be ready tomorrow."
Renn’s eyes narrowed. "And the footage? Who took them?"
"I don’t know, Renn. Are you sure you saw sothing like that?" Miss Valois asked carefully. Maybe the boys had been mistaken that night, thinking there was a cara in the room when there wasn’t.
"I know what I saw," Renn shot back, his eyes narrowing with frustration. "Don’t make look like I’m insane when I’m not. You need to push further. If you didn’t go back there to clean the ss, then soone did. It had to be either a student or one of your staff."
"We are on it," she answered quietly. "Let’s wait and see what tomorrow brings. For now, you and your brothers must stay quiet about this."
Renn leaned closer, his voice firm. "What about the Malynsters? How well do you know them?"
The question struck her like a blow. Fear flickered in her eyes, and for a mont she could not breathe. The Malynsters were a family that even she dared not speak lightly about. "Why are you asking about them? Did you have an encounter with one of them?"
"No. But I saw one of them here yesterday. What’s going on?"
She let out a shaky sigh of relief, grateful that he had not been caught in trouble with them. "He is looking for a girl with a crescent mark. And he will not stop until he finds her. I know the Malynsters. Once they want sothing, they never let go until they have it."
Renn’s heart pounded in his chest. "What does the mark an? Is it tied to their family heritage or sothing else?"
"I don’t know," she admitted, her voice breaking with worry. "But I do know this—whoever that girl is, she is in grave danger."
A cold shiver ran through Renn, and his thoughts went straight to Angela. She was the one in danger. He needed to warn the others before it was too late. "So what will you do if you find her? Will you hand her over to him?"
"Yes, Renn," Miss Valois replied with a firm, almost cold resolve. "I will give her to him without regret, because only a fool would choose to stand against the most dangerous family on earth. I will not risk your life again."
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