LOGINI nodded, standing and swaying slightly on my feet, then slipped out.The hallway was mercifully empty. I kept my hand on the wall again as I made my way toward the exit, the music from the banquet growing fainter with every step until I pushed out through the side door and the night air hit me all
Liora’s POVMrs. Oakes didn’t slow down until we were halfway across the building, moving at a pace that had me struggling to keep up with her given the state I was in. The hallway lights felt too bright after the dim candlelight of the banquet, and the tiles on the floor suddenly felt like a maze.
“All of it,” she said.“I have to be prepared for tomorrow,” I said. “I can’t—”“All. Of. It.”The command in Bianca’s tone made me stiffen. I felt her wolf’s newfound power wash over me, forcing my fingers to tighten around the cup. Before I could regain control of myself, I was lifting the cup bac
Liora’s POVThat night, Bianca oh-so-graciously hosted a banquet to celebrate the first day of the tournament. Mia, Zane, and I found seats near the middle of the room, toward the end of one of the longer tables, far enough from the head of the room that I could almost pretend Bianca wasn’t holding
Liora’s POVMy first opponent went down in under two minutes.He was a big guy, a quarterback on the football team, all muscle and size. But he was slow and clumsy, and relied too much on his strength to win—not enough combat technique to hold his own despite his larger stature.He came at me swingi
“Told you,” she said.“Show-off,” I replied as I clapped her on the back. Zane produced a single rose from behind his back, which Mia accepted with a squeal and tucked behind her ear. I shot him a look that he pretended not to notice as he draped an arm around her shoulders.We stuck around to watch
. “My date ditched me.”Date? She had a real date? Wonder when that happened.“It was probably just a prank when he asked last minute,” she added quickly, fiddling with the edge of her cup. “Still… it felt nice.”“Well,” I shrugged, stretching out my legs beneath the table, “his loss.”Mia looked li
Callum didn’t respond. Just pressed his lips together like he was holding in something that tasted bitter.I leaned back, eyes drifting to the mirror across from us.My hair curled perfectly today, soft waves pinned with gold clips like little crowns running down my part. My outfit hugged every curv
“Callum!” Bianca’s voice sliced through the air, rising above the music and soft conversation below. “Where did you go?!”And just like that, the spell broke.The tension in my shoulders returned. The weight. The roles.Who was I kidding?Liora was done with me. Done with the silence, the empty glan
And then, in the middle of my last class of the week, a note arrived—folded neatly, passed from hand to hand from the front until it landed on my desk with a kind of delicate finality.The principal would like to see you immediately after class.My heart didn’t race, not at first. I wasn’t that naiv







