#16 Pizza & Beer

Headmaster Nocturne POV

The door clicked shut behind Rowyn, her sobs still echoing faintly in the corridors beyond. The moment they faded, I turned toward the obsidian framed mirror hanging crookedly on the stone wall behind my desk. It was old, older than the school itself, and thrummed with ancient enchantments that even the Accord hadn’t managed to sniff out.

Not yet.

I stepped forward, the hem of my cloak brushing the floor, and pressed two fingers to the cold glass.

“Let the ash speak,” I murmured.

The surface rippled like water struck by wind. A heartbeat later, flame flared across the mirror’s face and curled away to reveal a hooded figure shrouded in shadow. My contact. The ember inside the rebellion.

His voice was rough and clipped. “Nocturne. What happened?”

I kept my voice low, every word measured and calm. “They came for her.”

The contact shifted forward. “The Accord?”

“They showed up in my office,” I said, my jaw tight. “Two agents. Demanding Rowyn Vale be handed over. They knew about her past. Her power. Possibly her bloodline.”

A hiss from the other side. “They’re moving faster than we thought.”

“She didn’t break,” I added. “Held her own. Even challenged them. That girl is... fire.” I hesitated. “But she’s terrified. And she has no idea what she really is.”

“That’s the danger,” the contact said grimly. “The Accord will use that ignorance. Twist her. Or kill her.”

“I won’t let that happen,” I snapped. “Not while she’s under my roof.”

He nodded slowly. “Keep her close. We’re working on extracting the files. If her lineage is what we suspect...”

“Don’t say it over this line,” I interrupted, my eyes flicking to the door. “Too risky.”

The contact nodded again.

“Keep the embers lit,” he said quietly.

“Always,” I replied. And with a sharp swipe of my hand, I severed the connection.

The mirror went dark.

I exhaled slowly, the weight of a thousand responsibilities pressing on my shoulders. The rebellion. The students. The Accord breathing down our necks.

If they even suspect I’m shielding someone like Rowyn... If they sniff out the truth…They won’t just come for her.

They’ll raze the entire fucking university.

I turned away from the mirror and stared out the arched window into the night. Wards shimmered faintly in the distance, keeping the grounds safe, for now.

I couldn’t afford a single misstep.

Because war was coming.

And the last safe place on this continent was hanging by a damn thread.

Rowyn POV

Kyren was still gawking at the vine carved bookshelves and crystal chandelier in my suite like he’d stepped into a goddess’s boudoir, which, to be fair, wasn’t too far off.

Aster had her feet kicked up on my velvet chair, nibbling a piece of chocolate Vaerion had summoned earlier. Thistle, now back from her trip to nymph court, buzzed around lazily, practically vibrating from all the gossip she refused to spill just yet.

Kyren spun in a slow circle. “This room is unreal. You live like a fucking queen.”

I smiled, a little shy, then got a wicked idea. I turned toward the glowing rune on the wall and spoke sweetly. “Vaerion, could you help us out? Pretty please? Maybe… pizza? And like… I dunno, a few beers? I know we’re underage, but come on, just a few? I’ll owe you one. Maybe a lot.”

There was a chime and then, POOF!, an extra large, greasy, cheesy ass pizza materialized on the bed along with a six pack of pale ale.

I squealed. “You absolute legend!”

Kyren stumbled backward. “Holy shit! Did anyone else see that?! Who the hell is Vaerion?”

“My magical sugar daddy apparently,” I giggled, plopping on the bed and cracking a beer.

Right then, my notebook glowed. I picked it up, the pages flipping open with a hiss of magic.

The Accord cannot touch you as long as you remain on these grounds, Rowyn. Pay attention in class. Ask questions. Learn all you can. They will try again. Be ready.

I blinked. My stomach turned, not from the beer, but from the weight of those words.

“Shit,” I whispered.

“What?” Aster asked.

I shook my head and muttered a soft, “Thank you,” to the damn air like an idiot, then shoved the notebook aside and cracked another can. I needed a buzz. A nap. A week long coma maybe.

Aster and Kyren didn’t push. Gods bless them.

Three beers later and I was toast. Like, actual walking giggle bread.

I stumbled into the hallway with Kyren and Aster, our nymphs trailing behind like drunk fireflies, and we were all cackling at some dumb joke about Kyren getting caught skinny dipping by a passing professor. We hugged and they were off to their rooms. When I turned toward my suite again, I froze.

Zephyr and Kalyx stood outside my room with their arms crossed like they were waiting to bodyguard a damn treasure hoard.

“Oh great,” I slurred. “Why the fuck are you two always in my business? And why do you have to be so fucking hot while doing it?”

They looked at each other. Zephyr smirked. Kalyx frowned.

Kalyx tilted his head. “Are you drunk?”

I held up a finger. “I am tipsy. And magical. And maybe a tiny bit drunk.”

Then I tripped over absolutely nothing and went down like a sack of potatoes. Kalyx caught me before I faceplanted and, yup, scooped me up bridal style like some knight in broody armor. I squealed and flung my arms around his neck.

“Don’t drop me, shiny boy.”

That’s when she appeared. Seraphina fucking Volarix turned the corner and screeched like a banshee.

“What the fuck is she doing here, Kalyx!? Why are you carrying her?!”

Kalyx kept walking like she didn’t exist.

“She’s drunk,” he said calmly.

“This is YOUR room?!” Seraphina shrieked, pointing at the door as the plaque glowed softly with my name etched in golden letters.

Zephyr stepped between her and the doorway like a goddamn wall of don't fuck with me. “Fuck off, Sera. Before I let Rowyn punch you again.”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

“I would. Happily.”

Seraphina leaned around him to peek inside. Her jaw dropped at the sight of my enchanted AF suite. The fury in her eyes could’ve turned people to stone.

“I’ll be speaking to the headmaster,” she snapped. “This isn’t fair. She shouldn’t be treated better than me.”

“Then maybe try not being a flaming asshole?” I mumbled sleepily from Kalyx’s arms.

She screamed in frustration and stormed off, her heels clacking like a pissed off stork. Kalyx chuckled and carried me inside, setting me gently on my plush bed.

I blinked up at the two of them and gave them my best tipsy bedroom eyes. “Wanna join me in bed, boys?”

Both of them froze. I watched their eyes darken, their chests rise, and oh yeah, definitely some bulges happening.

Zephyr muttered a curse under his breath.

Kalyx looked like someone just slapped him with holy water. “Not while you’re drunk, Rowyn. You’d kill us in the morning.”

“Maybe,” I purred. Then promptly passed the fuck out.

Kalyx POV

We barely made it ten steps down the hall before I groaned and shoved both hands through my hair like I was about to rip it out.

“Ugh. That girl is gonna fucking kill me.”

Zephyr let out a low, rumbling laugh, more pain than humor. “Same, dude. Same.”

We both stopped outside our suite door, staring at it like it was somehow responsible for the sexual frustration boiling in our pants, then walked inside like kicked dogs with boners. Fantastic.

“She purred, man,” I muttered. “Fucking purred at us like some drunk, dangerous kitten. ‘Wanna join me in bed, boys?’ I'm gonna be hearing that in my goddamn nightmares.”

Zephyr just grunted, tossing himself onto the couch. He didn’t even try to hide the hard on tenting his sweats. “I’d never wanted to say yes so badly and not say yes at the same time in my entire fucking life.”

I headed straight for the bathroom. Didn’t even bother closing the door all the way. I just stripped down, cranked the water to lava temp, and stepped under it like I was trying to burn the memory out of my brain.

Spoiler alert: it didn’t work.

All I saw was her. That sly smile. Those green eyes, glassy with beer and secrets. The way her hair had spilled across the pillow when I laid her down. Her little moan when she said “join me.”

Fuck.

I braced my hands against the tile and hissed through my teeth as I jerked off to the memory of Rowyn Vale with her bedroom eyes and fucked up past. And worse? I didn’t just imagine her touching me. I imagined her touching Zephyr too. Us. Together. Her between us.

What the hell was happening to me?

I came harder than I wanted to admit, cursing into the water like it was my therapist.

I rinsed off fast and shut the water off, stepping out into the steam thick air with my head spinning. I toweled off, half dazed, and threw on sweats before flopping into bed.

The sheets were cold. My chest was hot.

I laid there, staring at the ceiling like it had answers.

Rowyn Vale.

Who the fuck are you, and what the hell have you done to me?