Semua Bab Marked by fate: Bab 1 - Bab 10

Zahra's POV‘Heads up, team. The group of rogues just walked in.’ Ed’s voice cuts through the link. ‘Zahra, keep your position. Let’s see if they approach you.’‘Roger that,’ I link back, steadying my breathing.We keep dancing. The music shifts tempo, but I follow the rhythm easily, matching the others’ movements. Training really does help with this—knowing how to control every muscle, how to move deliberately. The dance floor is packed now, a pulsing mass of heat and noise. Bodies press in on all sides, and I feel the brush of strangers’ skin as the crowd tightens.A guy moves up behind Talia, sliding his hands to her hips. She glances back, grins, then turns again, pressing herself against him as they move together. Her short dress rides up slightly, and I pray to the goddess he doesn’t start fingering her right here in front of us.There are men all around now, drifting closer in groups. The energy is intense, almost predatory. It prickles along my skin, making me hyperaware of ev

Three months earlierZahra's POV“Focus, Larkin.” Instructor Montrose barks from the edge of the arena, her voice cutting across the sand. “You need to stay vigilant at all times. Try again.”I square up to the swinging target. The weight of the dagger sits warm and familiar in my palm; three more ride easy in the sheaths at my belt. I breathe in, let the breath drop low, and release.Throw. Thud.Throw. Thud.Throw. Thud.The target jerks on its chain, each blade buried clean. Moving targets used to rattle me. Now they feel like drills in a children’s book. Short of live opponents, this is as close as the academy gets.Montrose’s mouth quirks, the closest she gets to a smile. I give her a pointed look back. We both know I did not need the pep talk. Weapons were the steepest climb when I arrived. I had never handled any before. But when everything else came too easily, I poured the extra hours here. I learned to love steel. To respect distance. To make speed do the work my arms could

Zahra's POVI freeze, I catch a familiar scent, and frown. Eli?I cross the room quickly and crack the door. “What are you doing here? You know you’re not allowed down this corridor.”He smirks, lazy and cocky. “Then hurry up and let me in.”Against my better judgment, I step back. He slips inside like he owns the place, and the door clicks shut behind him.“Eli, I don’t want to get in trouble at the end of term,” I say, my voice low. “What if they stop our leave? What if we lose privileges?” He hasn’t cared about consequences for months. Not mine, anyway. If I get caught it’s my problem, my punishment. His record stays clean.He waves a hand like I’m a child worrying over nothing, smirk still plastered across his face. “Relax, babe. People sneak around all the time. No one ever gets caught. Besides”—he steps closer, his voice dropping into that tone that crawls across my skin like cold fingers.“I came to give you something. You’re mine, Zahra. You know that, right?” he says the last

Zahra's POVMy alarm blares across the room and I slap it silent. Pain flares under my ribs when I roll. Zanthe is snoring in the back of my mind. She clearly worked through the night, because yesterday I could barely breathe without seeing stars. It’s way better now, but they still need more time.I throw on a shower cap, since I don’t have time to blow out my hair this morning, then hop into the shower. Hot water wakes my skin. I’m in and out fast, as I did the main wash last night, I towel off, and pad to the mirror. I still don’t own much makeup, so it’s just the basics: a thin line of eyeliner, mascara, a touch of blusher, and a slick of gloss. I study my cheek. Thank the goddess, there’s no trace of the handprint. I don’t even have concealer if there was.I curl my hair into loose, semi‑bouncy waves. I’ve never managed to recreate the perfect spirals Alice pulled off at the castle, but this is passable. I brush the curls through with my fingers and pin back the two front section