Chapter 2 Shadows and Secrets

Jeo pressed on, his voice steady despite the rising tension in the room. "Complicated how, Miss Frank?" He observed her closely, noting the subtle shifts in her expression, the way her hands clenched and unclenched. "Professor Finch was a mentor, wasn't he?"

"Yes," she admitted, her voice barely a whisper, her gaze fixed on the intricate carvings on the study's wooden door. "But he also... he knew things about me. Things I didn't want anyone else to know."

Jeo's interest was fully engaged. He leaned in slightly, his eyes never leaving hers. "Such as?" He knew he was treading on delicate ground, but the truth was a dangerous thing, and he had a feeling it was lurking just beneath the surface.

Elizabeth took a shaky breath, her gaze finally meeting his. The shadows in her eyes seemed to deepen, reflecting the secrets she was about to reveal. "I'm not who you think I am, Detective. I'm not just a student at Blackwood." She paused, as if steeling herself for a difficult confession. "I'm a descendant of the Shadow Weavers, a line of mages with a dangerous affinity for dark magic."

The words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken implications. Jeo's eyebrows shot up, his mind racing to process the information. The Shadow Weavers were a myth, a legend whispered in hushed tones within the hallowed halls of the academy. Stories of their power, and their eventual descent into madness and corruption, were used to frighten young students. He had always dismissed them as folklore, a cautionary tale. But now, here it was, standing before him.

"Dark magic?" Jeo asked, his voice laced with a mixture of disbelief and intrigue. "What does that entail?"

Elizabeth seemed to shrink under his gaze. "It's... complicated," she repeated, her voice barely audible. "It's a power that feeds on emotion, on the darker aspects of the soul. It's seductive, and it's dangerous. It can corrupt you from the inside out." She looked away, a flicker of fear crossing her face. "Professor Finch knew about my lineage. He was... fascinated by it. He wanted to help me control it, to understand it."

Jeo's mind was working quickly, piecing together the puzzle. The missing grimoire, the obsidian feather, and now, Elizabeth's secret. It all seemed to be converging, forming a deadly nexus of power and intrigue.

"And the Codex Umbra?" he asked, his voice now more insistent. "Is that related to your family's magic?"

Elizabeth hesitated, then nodded slowly. "It's... it's the source of our power. Or, at least, it was. It contains spells and rituals that could unlock abilities beyond imagination."

"And is that why you're a suspect, Miss Frank?" Jeo asked, his voice softer now, understanding dawning in his eyes. "Because you possess a dangerous secret, and you were the last person to see Professor Finch alive?"

Elizabeth didn't answer, but the answer was clear in her eyes. The weight of her secret, and the shadow of suspicion, was crushing her. Jeo knew, with a certainty that settled deep in his gut, that this was just the beginning.