AdelaideI had slept peacefully, knowing today was the day I would get a bit closer to my goal.By now, the feeling of James’ arm around my shoulder was already something I had gotten used to. We walked through the cafeteria toward the special room where Elyx would apparently have his lunch.The area was in the center of the cafeteria, surrounded by glass windows so everyone could see them. Even though I had only interacted with Elyx for a few minutes, I read him well enough to assume it was so he could make a point about being above the rest.Students’ eyes were glued to us as we stepped closer. I ignored the looks, but James glared at those around us.“We don’t have to do this,” he whispered beside me.“Why not?”“I went a few times, and these people aren’t your people,” he said quietly, like he was trying to save me from embarrassment. “This isn’t your thing.”“Says who?” I shot back with a smirk. “Calm your tits, Jimmy. We just met—you don’t even know me.”He responded with a low
Adelaide“Yes,” I glanced up, looking at him properly for the first time. I mean, I tried—but it was almost distracting. His sharp jawline, perfect cheekbones, and those incredible blue eyes that I bet could draw anyone in.The thing that struck me the most was the flustered look on his face, like he had never talked to a woman before. It was…cute.“The witch, right?” he asked hesitantly.My eyes widened at his blunt question.He quickly waved his hands, shaking his head. “N-Not that I’ve got any problem with it! I think witches are amazing. Y-You’re all so powerful, and the magic you do is…incredible. I just mean—”A giggle escaped my lips as he ranted, trying to save himself when he didn’t need to.This had to be a dream. The Alpha Prince, the son of one of the strongest shifters alive, the future king, a stuttering mess?“Do you think he’s funny?” James asked, listening in. All it took for him to pay attention to me again—attention I definitely didn’t needed—was one giggle. Could h
AdelaideIt was the day I was supposed to meet Alaric in the woods. The sun was starting to set, and I stood in front of the mirror in our dorm, getting ready for the night.This was all I had looked forward to. Classes at Starlight were so easy that I already knew I would fly through those four years without breaking a sweat, so that wasn’t any of my concern.My only focus was Alaric and getting closer to my goal for the good of our people.“Hey,” Claire greeted, shuffling out of her bedroom in a cozy onesie. Her blond hair was tied up in a bun, and her eyes looked tired as she plopped down on the couch.“Going somewhere?”I glanced at her through the mirror. “Sneaking out,” I said casually.“To see James?” she guessed, raising a brow.I just smiled, letting her think whatever she wanted. The less Claire knew, the better.We had grown close quickly, and if I wasn’t with James, I was with her. We shared most of the same classes and spent more time together than I had expected. She was
AdelaideIt was a simple yes, no—question. One I hoped she would answer.Esther’s lips curled into a small, smile. “What makes you say so?”“For starters, that ridiculous source of power I feel coming from you,” I said, crossing my arms. “That’s not normal for a shifter.”“Incredible,” her breath hitched in surprise. “You are the High Priestess daughter, and a child of blood indeed,” she said. “Not even your fellow witches could sense it, but you can.”She stood straight, opening the door to her office. “Get in,” she gestured with her hands.I waited for a moment. There was still some time left before I would meet Alaric—so why not?As soon as I entered Esther’s office, she closed the door behind me.“So you are a witch?” I tried again, needing a clear answer. “A dark witch I assume?”I scanned the clean and neat office with my eyes. The place one worked said a lot about a person, and I could tell this was a woman who liked control—hence her reaction when I called her out.“I guess th
AdelaideIt was already dark when I sat on the grass, leaning against the big oak tree in the woods. Cold shivers ran through my body as I thought about the words Esther had used to describe Alaric.The chosen one…the vessel.What did it mean, and why hadn’t Mom told me about it? The worst part was sticking to the plan and doing as I was told without knowing exactly what she was planning.I only knew one thing. It was for the good of the witches—my people.They were my priority, and all I had to do was follow Mom’s instructions. So what was I so worried about?After a while, I started to feel impatient, wondering if I had pushed things too far. Alaric was timid, careful—and maybe I had overestimated him, thinking he would really sneak out to meet a witch he barely knew.Maybe it was time to consider other options, like waiting out that Elite team that Principal Sterling was planning.At least, that’s what I thought—until I heard faint footsteps rustling through the leaves. I shot my h
AdelaideI followed Alaric with my eyes, watching as he walked away, disappearing behind the bush. Not long after, I caught a glimpse of his toned back as he removed his clothes.My cheeks turned red. His back was turned, but it was almost impossible not to notice how strong it looked—the muscles in his broad shoulders, his powerful arms.That guy with the killer smile and killer body could probably really kill someone if he really wanted to. After all, he was the Alpha Prince. I was sure Mom had a purpose for him, one that would make sense eventually.A low growl, followed by the sound of cracking bones, snapped me out of my thoughts. It wasn’t a sound I hadn’t heard before—but it never failed to amaze me.Alaric’s limbs twisted, his breathing deepened, and his body disappeared between the bushes. Then it went silent.My jaw dropped as I stepped forward, anticipating the shift.“Holy shit,” I managed between laughter.A massive black wolf appeared from behind that same bush. The blue
KylanI held Puppy tightly in my arms, feeling her limp body pressed against mine. Her chest rose with each breath, but her glowing eyes were closed. It had been a while now.The back of my fingers brushed her cheek. “Pup,” I whispered, worried. She hummed softly in response, but she didn’t open her eyes.The one responsible, that sick Soothsayer, just sat there and watched me without doing a single thing—like all of this was normal to him.Pissed, I met Aelius’s gaze. “What did you do to her?”Aelius took a breath, looking around the cage. His eyes, which had been white before, had already dimmed to their original color. “Let her be,” he spoke. “She’s fine. She’s dreaming.”“Dreaming?” I spat, narrowing my eyes at him. “You made her like this. She’s not dreaming—what did you do to her?”“She’s in the Veil,” Aelius raised his voice slightly, as if that explanation made things better.The Veil?What the hell was that supposed to mean?“What is that?” I snarled, glaring at him.“Time wi
AdelaideIt was early—too early for anyone to be up, but I didn’t care. I found myself knocking on Esther’s office door, waiting for her to open up.I hadn’t closed a single eye. How could I?All I could think about was that vision, and it played in my head over and over again.The way Alaric turned into that thing…I knew we were dark witches, but had Mom completely lost it? Was she actually attempting to bring back Lord Baelor, the same god of the underworld I had called a myth?The chaos that would cause would be impossible to fix, especially if he would have access to Alaric’s wolf on top of all.Even though she took her time, the door eventually creaked open, revealing Esther. She stood there with a calm smile. “Good morning, Adelaide,” she said. “You’re up bright and early.”I didn’t have time for her crap, not today. Just like last night, I forced myself into the office before taking an uninvited seat at her desk.Esther sighed softly, mumbling something under her breath as she
Violet“I see you’ve come back to your dorms,” Esther said, a fake smile plastered on her lips.“I have,” I answered shortly.“Good,” she squeezed her eyes together. “I won’t report you. You’ve already been through so much.”I felt something twist in my stomach. Seeing this woman smile in my face after all the things I knew about her bothered the crap out of me. Whether it was a real or fake smile, she didn’t have any right to laugh.“Thank you, ma’am. That’s kind of you.”I waited for her to leave, but at the same time, I knew she wouldn’t. She had clearly come here because she wanted something from me. However, it was still unclear what she wanted.She kept staring at me with that uncomfortable grin on her face, like she had practiced it beforehand.After some time, she took a small huff. “Do you really not want Starlight to expel those girls, sweetheart?”There it was again. She was trying to push me—wanted me to think about it and get angry, lose control so I could light up Starli
Violet“If that creepy woman bothers you again,” Trinity’s voice blasted through the empty cafeteria, “you better tell me!”She was clearly talking about Esther. I turned the other way, silently ignoring her words.Although I was back in my dorm, I had managed to escape her for the night, but I had run out of lock. I had Healing Class today, so there was that.“Dylan went downtown with the boys, and for some reason, it bothers me because it was supposed to be our thing,” Trinity complained. “Like, didn’t they already go yesterday?”I didn’t have to look at her face to figure she was most likely pouting. “Maybe it’s time for you to let him breathe a little,” I chuckled.Trinity gasped, holding her heart. “Let Dylan breathe?” she spoke in horror like I had said something awful. “The same way you let Kylan breathe?”Yes, that was definitely sarcastic.“Speaking of Kylan, have you heard anything from him today?”I smiled through the slight ache I felt in my heart, then shook my head. “No
KylanThe market was packed.As usual, people were talking loudly, laughing, and the air had a strong scent of the market food. It was everything I hated.Bright, colorful, loud.We had some time between classes, and Nate had begged us to go downtown again. He said he felt left out, that the three of us hadn’t done anything fun in weeks. So now here we were, Nate, Dylan, and me, walking through the same market where everything had changed.Where we met Aelius…Where Violet found out the truth…It felt strange being back here. Almost like walking into a memory I wasn’t ready to deal with.I couldn’t help but wonder what Violet was doing at this moment, just like I couldn’t help but wonder every damn second if she was doing okay.At least, knowing that Dylan and Trinity still stood by her side after everything she had told them, made me feel a bit better. We weren’t the only ones holding onto the secret anymore. It was out in the open, and seeing Violet look past her fears to tell them
Violet“Yes,” I clarified.“Who escaped?” Dylan asked.“I wish I could tell you, but I don’t know,” I replied.Aelius wouldn’t tell me, and I’m sure he has his reasons for that.“Wow, Violet,” Trinity spoke, in awe. “So you’re a child of blood, a highborn witch… and a princess?”“I wanted to tell you both because you’re important to me,” I said quietly. “I’ve been holding all of this in for so long, and I kept thinking… what if it pushes you away?”“Pushes me away?” Trinity spat, offended.I let out a nervous laugh. “Honestly, I thought your reactions would be worse.”My eyes flickered toward Dylan. “Especially yours… now that I’m not a Hastings anymore.”“Not a Hastings anymore?” Dylan chuckled softly. He leaned forward. “Violet, you will always be a Hastings,” he said. “And you are a Bloodrose. You and I are still family.”My voice cracked a bit. “Yes?”His words were strong, and I could tell he meant every word with his whole heart. He looked almost repulsed, even, that I could eve
VioletIt went silent.I was met with complete silence after I said the words. I looked at their faces, trying to figure out what they were thinking, but neither one of them reacted. They just stared at me with blank expressions.“I’m half witch,” I repeated, only to be met with the same silence.I knew it.This was a bad idea. They were shocked, disgusted, and couldn’t even find the words.Kylan and I glanced at each other, both confused, and then I continued speaking. “My real mom and dad…” I explained. “They weren’t Claire and Greg. Claire and Greg raised me, but they’re not my birth parents. My mom was a witch—a child of blood. That means I am too. And my dad was a prince, the Alpha prince.”Still, no one said a word.I was just about to fumble my hands, but Kylan grabbed my wrist before I could do so. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the two. “Say something,” he quietly demanded.Trinity and Dylan slowly turned their heads to look at each other, then they looked back at me. Dyla
VioletAfter a short day of classes, I found myself back in Kylan’s room. I leaned against his door, watching him with a weak smile as he played with Jumper, the squirrel he had sworn he didn’t want anything from but now pretty much treated like his daughter.My stance might’ve been calm, but my mind wasn’t. It had been around fifteen minutes, and I had barely spoken because I wasn’t sure how to start the conversation. I wasn’t sure how to tell him that I would not only go back to my dorm but would also tell the others about my true identity.Kylan patted Jumper over her back. “What is it?” he finally asked after a long moment of silence. “You’re still here, not handcuffed, so it can’t be your eyes.”I knew he wasn’t a mind reader, but I guess anyone could tell something was clearly going on. Hesitant, I looked down for a second.“I’m going back to my dorms today,” I said. “I don’t want Trinity to feel like I’m ignoring her or something.”Kylan paused for a second, his hand resting on
VioletI slowly pricked my fork into a piece of fruit, watching the two lovebirds in front of me.Dylan and I had met up with Trinity for lunch, and they were all over each other. Kissing, hugging—basically everything except for acknowledging my presence.A sigh left my lips as Dylan pressed his face into her neck. Trinity, giggled as she pushed him away. “Stop it!” she hissed. “Violet is getting sick of us.”“No, I’m not,” I smiled. “It’s okay.”It was so out of character for Dylan, and above all—a bit hard to get used to. He wasn’t the same grumpy, know-it-all I used to know—and while it was supposed to be something positive, I just couldn’t help but compare.I knew I shouldn’t, but deep down I couldn’t help but picture a scenario of Kylan being a little more like that.Open. Gentle. Warm…“You’re just so beautiful, I can’t help myself,” Dylan whispered, cupping her cheek. They deserved each other. In a way, the two reminded me of Claire and Greg. To be honest, that scared me becaus
VioletI stared down at the mat, sweat nearly dripping from my forehead as I did another push-up. One wouldn’t have guessed it, but Commander Jorn ran across the training hall, clapping his hands and yelling like always.Strangely enough, I could almost keep up with everyone today. Almost!If I wasn’t so sore and tired from yesterday, I probably could’ve given it my all. It was too bad my arms felt like jelly—and to make matters worse, my brain couldn’t focus with all his yelling.I know Adelaide would’ve pushed through, but I also knew that I definitely didn’t see the old Elite team do any of these exercises when I was in the Veil. The training days in the past were definitely easier than this.I changed the position of my hands, stumbling a bit—and then a soft fist suddenly connected with my back. It was Commander’s…of course.It was just a little touch, but it was enough to make me drop flat to the mat.“Ow!” I muttered, grabbing my nose as I managed to sit up. It hurt like crazy,
Violet“You tell me,” I answered. “You are the Lyperian.”Nate sighed and looked at a still-tense Dylan with a teasing look. “She’s getting smart now.”He tried to involve him, but other than a low hum, Dylan didn’t have much of a reaction.“Actually, I don’t know,” I responded in all honesty. “We should be receiving a message soon. Could be anytime now, I think.”Those were my hopes. I just wanted to get it over with—and quick.“If all goes well, I might have to address you as Your Highness!”“No—”“Do you want a water, Your Highness?” Nate offered, mocking a bow.“Your Highness?” I repeated, laughing. “I’m not…”My words faltered because technically, he was right. I was a princess, but…of what? The common lands? A place no one had ruled for ages?It’s not like anyone knew, for that matter. I couldn’t exactly shout it from the rooftop.“You know what,” I changed my mind, “maybe I do need that water.”“Great,” Nate placed his hands on my shoulders. He gave them a squeeze, but all I co