AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My mom spun around to point at her. “You work for my daughter’s father? Show me a picture.”
“I’m not sure I?—”
“Give me a picture or get out. No one interferes in my daughter’s life without my permission.” Her sharp words made me want to cry. It was me and her against the world, and no rich stranger was going to change that. I loved her so much.
“Hold on a moment. I will request permission for your…” Miss Tertrue turned away, texting on her phone for a few minutes while I smiled at my mom and she glared at me, and I rolled my eyes and she wordlessly gestured towards me, like I was too careless and would make her die from worry. She had no idea, which was the whole point.
“Here,” Miss Tertrue said, holding up her phone to show a picture of a man in a casual shirt at breakfast. The most elite gargoyle in the world had just sent a selfie. Surreal.
“Send it to my phone,” my mother demanded.
Miss Tertrue winced like she was in pain, then turned away to text again, while my mother mouthed at me, ‘He’s hot!’
I covered my face with my hand, because this wasn’t what I needed first thing before magic school. I was way too old for this. My mom’s phone beeped, and she stood there staring at his photo with the weirdest expression. She had a collection of handsome men pinned to her bedroom wall, all of them attractive to her in some way, but he had all the attributes, blue intelligent eyes, strong jaw, soft mouth, thick brows, and dark red hair that was backlit just so at breakfast so it looked like he was burning. I guess that was a kind of hot.
She finally put her phone away and turned to face the woman. “You said that you’re here to take my Gabby to school. What school?”
“Gray College was the one your daughter selected.”
My mom turned to frown at me. “Isn’t that a magic school?”
“Yeah. I can do magic, as of yesterday. Surprise!”
She looked hurt, not just angry and worried, but hurt. “Congratulations.”
I should have told her, but with Percival there… I should have told her anyway. “Also, there’s a demon after me,” I said because apparently I wasn’t lying anymore. I exhaled heavily and my shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t want to worry you.”
She grabbed my face, scowling at me. “I’m your mother. What else do I have to do? Demons? What in the world have you gotten into? And this father of yours, is he rich?”
“Yeah.”
“And he’s paying for school?”
“And clothing and protection,” Miss Tertrue added, like she didn’t trust me to tell my mother everything. She was my mother, so I was the one who got to be honest with her. My dad was officially stepping over the line with this whole visit.
“Yeah. He insists as his price for healing me.” Which made no sense when I said it out loud, I mean, forcing me to go to an elite school and wear clothes he chose for me, and be watched by his people? It was just creepy.
“Did he try anything funny?” She narrowed an eye and raised a brow, looking adorably lopsided.
“Not yet, but this whole thing is starting to really piss me off.”
“Watch your language.”
“Human biology is a beautiful thing.”
She grabbed my shoulder. “Are you sure he’s your father?”
“Well, I was starting to turn to stone, and he stopped it. Also genetically I’m a ninety-two percent match, also you saw the picture. I have his hair, but I’m not sure about anything. I could refuse the money for the school.”
She scoffed. “Hardly. Someone offers you a scholarship, you take it, you just keep your skateboard close to you and beat him with it if he gets any ideas. Well, you’d better get to school. I’ve got lots of things to write in my journal this morning, don’t I?” She gave me a sharp look filled with betrayal and hurt that made me aware of my position as the worst, most thankless daughter in the world.
I sighed. “I guess so.”
She pulled me into a tight hug before she went to the door where Miss Tertrue still stood, looking vaguely horrified. “You can come in. You said that you had clothes, like a school uniform?”
She blinked twice and then spoke rapidly. “Appropriate garb for a school like Gray College. I have a crew waiting downstairs, if you’ll allow them in.”
“A crew?” My mom gave me another sharp look.
