CHAPTER 4

ARIA'S POV 

The ancient key felt heavy and cold against my thigh, tucked deep inside the pocket of my jeans. Even hours after detention ended, the image of that sliding stone wall and the freezing chasm beneath the academy haunted my mind.

I survived the rest of the evening by keeping my head down, retreating to my small, Spartan dormitory room. The room was barely big enough for a single bed and a wooden desk, but after the chaos of the day, it felt like a fortress.

The next morning, the hallway chatter was already buzzing with whispers about me. Word of the cafeteria showdown and the detention brawl had spread through Blackthorn Academy like wildfire. I could hear whispers as I walked down the hallway. Everybody seemed to have something to say about me.

As I walked toward the central courtyard, a soft voice called out behind me.

"Hey, Aria, right?"

I turned to see a girl with warm hazel eyes and dark hair tied back in a neat ponytail. She was wearing the pristine academy uniform, but her expression was kind, entirely devoid of the sneering arrogance I had grown accustomed to.

"Yeah, that's me," I said cautiously, shifting my bag strap. "And you are?"

"Elena," she smiled, falling into step beside me.

 "Elena Vale. I saw what you did yesterday in the lecture hall. Honestly? Nobody has ever spoken to Kael Thornheart that way and lived to tell the tale. You’ve got a massive target on your back now, but... it was kind of iconic."

I couldn't help the small smile that tugged at the corner of my lips. "Call it a healthy lack of self-preservation. That stunt almost cost me my life.“ I sighed frustratedly.

“Well, consider me your guide so you don't have to pill such stunts anymore.“

“Really? I would be so grateful. I can't believe I spent my first day at school in detention, that's the worst part of it.“

Elena laughed, guiding me toward the dining hall. As we walked, she filled me in on the unwritten rules of Blackthorn—the packs, the dynasties, and the eternal, toxic blood feud between the Thornheart werewolf family and her own family, the Vales.

"My brother Lucien can be a bit much," Elena admitted as we grabbed our trays. "He likes playing chess with people's lives. But Kael? Kael is pure danger. If he sets his sights on you..."

She didn't finish the sentence, but she didn't need to.

It.was perfectly understood. Just as I opened my mouth to ask another question, a shadow fell on us.

"Well, well. Look who's making friends with the royal bloodlines now."

I looked up. Standing over our table was Ruby Bell, flanked by two towering witches with ice in their eyes. Ruby’s platinum-blonde hair was pulled back tightly, and her lips were curled into a vicious, ugly sneer.

"Go away, Ruby," Elena said, her voice dropping into a cold, protective register. "We're eating."

"Stay out of this, Elena. My business isn't with a Vale today," Ruby snapped, her gaze locking onto me. "It's with the pathetic little scholarship trash who thinks she can waltz into Blackthorn, disrespect Kael, and act like she owns the place."

"If you're going to insult me, at least use new material," I sighed, taking a slow sip of my water. "Recycling lines from yesterday is just embarrassing for you."

Ruby’s face turned an ugly shade of crimson. "You little—!"

Before I could blink, Ruby raised her hand. A violent pulse of red, crackling energy shot from her fingertips. Before I could duck, invisible magical restraints snapped around my wrists and ankles, lifting me straight out of my chair.

Gasps echoed across the dining hall as I was hoisted several feet into the air, suspended by cruel, glowing bands of magic. 

To make matters worse, Ruby flicked her wrist again, summoning a buzzing cloud of enchanted, crimson-striped academy bees from a decorative indoor greenhouse vine, driving them directly toward where I hung helpless in the air. I didn't need anyone to tell me that I was in trouble as I watched the stingers dripped with a paralyzing neurotoxin.

"Let's see how brave you are when your skin swells up to the size of a balloon," Ruby hissed, laughing as the swarm surged closer.

Panics spiked in my chest. I thrashed against the invisible bonds, but they only tightened, cutting off my circulation.

Suddenly, a blur of motion cut through the air.

A sleek, silver-tinted shockwave rippled across the room. Lucien Vale materialized beside me, his eyes flashing a brilliant silver. With a flick of his hand, a razor-sharp blade of dark energy sliced through Ruby's restraints.

I dropped out of the air, but strong arms caught me securely before I hit the stone floor. I looked up to see Lucien smiling down at me, his one-sided dimple flashing.

"Got you," Lucien murmured smoothly. "Though you really do have a talent for attracting trouble, don't you?"

"I could have handled it," I coughed, though my heart was hammering a mile a minute.

"Of course you could have," Lucien chuckled, setting me down on my feet and turning to face a furious Ruby. "Though, Ruby, attacking scholarship students in the main hall? My, my. The disciplinary committee is going to *love* hearing about this."

Ruby paled, stepping back as the murmurs of the surrounding students turned hostile toward her.

"This isn't over," Ruby spat, glaring daggers at me before turning on her heel and storming away.

As Lucien turned back to check on me, a heavy, suffocating pressure dropped over the entire dining hall. The temperature plummeted instantly. The student chatter died down to absolute silence.

At the entrance of the hall stood Kael Thornheart.

His golden eyes were blazing with an incandescent, feral fury. He didn't look at Ruby. He didn't look at Lucien. I couldn't even tell what he was thinking as his eyes were on me. 

Kael strode forward, parting the crowd like Moses parting the sea. He pushed past Lucien, grabbed my arm with a grip that was surprisingly firm yet careful, and pulled me away from the table.

"We need to talk. Now," Kael growled, dragging me out of the hall before I could even protest.