LOGINNina The warm summer breeze brushed across my skin as I stood on the patio, clutching my robe tightly around my body. Laughter and splashes echoed up from the pool below, where our friends were already gathered for our big end-of-summer party. I should have been down there too, soaking up the ve
“What... what do you mean?” He braced his hands on the doorframe, leaning in closer with a heavy sigh. “I mean, by the time I caught up to them this morning, I only saw them long enough to get that photo before they were boarding a speedboat and taking off. Hell, I’m still not even totally sure wh
Nina My breath caught in my throat as I pulled open the front door expecting to see excited party guests, only to be immediately met with the sight of Luke’s grim expression. His brow was furrowed in a deep frown, his lips pressed into a tight line—clear signs that something was very wrong. “Luk
Nina I huffed out a breath as I hoisted the oversized cardboard box higher in my arms, carefully navigating my way through the living room. Strings of fairy lights poked out haphazardly from the top, and I could feel the weight of glass jars and other assorted decor inside shifting precariously wi
Then, at the last possible second, the scout seemed to find an extra burst of speed. He surged forward, hurtling between two towering oak trees and vanishing into the cover of the forest beyond. “Dammit!” I slammed my palms against the rough bark of the nearest trunk, powerless to do anything but
Enzo The crunch of leaves and snap of twigs echoed through the trees as Matt and I tore after the Schreiber scout. Our breaths came in ragged gasps, the hot summer air burning our lungs. Overhead, a little red bird chirped and flitted through the green canopy of trees; Daphne. But even she wasn’
NinaI watched Selena walk away after promising to Claim her. The plan was to have the small Claiming ceremony on Saturday night, but I needed to confirm that she was telling the truth first. I decided that I would have to talk to Enzo about it.After my exam, I went to meet Enzo in the hockey arena
Nina The tick of the lecture hall clock echoed with a relentless rhythm. Each second was a heartbeat closer to the close of the exam and to freedom. The winter had been bitterly cold, and the spring semester had been exhausting. But in that moment, in that vast room with its intense silence, I w
Matt’s hand reached out, gripping the railing tighter. The mere mention of Tiffany’s name elicited a deep sadness, a shared grief in all of us. She had left a hole behind that could never be filled. I swallowed hard. “Then there’s Selena,” I continued, my long lost twin’s name feeling heavy on my
NinaWhen we came out on the other side of the portal, we found ourselves standing in the middle of the athletic field where we had last gone through. The campus was alive with activity, and I could see students rushing around as they packed up their vehicles to go home for winter break.The war was







