All Chapters of Book One of the Rosewood Trilogy: The Broken Sanctum: Chapter 91 - Chapter 100

Mal was staring at me again.I noticed it the moment we left the gym.The others were talking—Calyx rambling about something stupid Zeke had said during sparring—but Malachi’s eyes kept drifting my way like he was trying to solve a puzzle.Finally I stopped walking and looked over at him.“What?”Mal didn’t answer right away.Just kept watching me.Then he said, “You’re distracted.”Calyx perked up instantly.“Oh this should be good.”Zeke sighed.“Please tell me this isn’t about a girl.”I smirked.“Too late.”That got everyone’s attention.Calyx leaned forward like he’d just been handed the best entertainment of the week.“Oh gods it is.”Mal’s eyes narrowed slightly.“You invited her to the fight.”Not a question.I shrugged.“Tomorrow night.”Zeke immediately shook his head.“That’s a terrible idea.”“Relax.”“No.”His voice went flat.“Bastian is going to lose his mind.”“That sounds like a him problem.”Calyx snorted.Then his grin turned wicked.“So… have you slept with her yet

At first I was just watching.Atlas moved like a storm in the cage.Fast.Violent.Terrifying in a way that made the crowd roar louder with every strike he landed.His demon had fully come out now.Dark horns curved from his head, and his tail lashed through the air as he fought.I should have been scared.Instead my heart raced for a completely different reason.There was something powerful about seeing him like that.Wild.Unrestrained.Beautiful in a dangerous kind of way.The other two fighters tried to keep up with him.They couldn’t.Atlas slammed one of them to the ground.The second tried to grab him from behind.That ended badly.The crowd screamed.The cage rattled.And then something in my chest twisted.Wrong.Something was wrong.Atlas kept hitting the man on the ground.The man wasn’t fighting anymore.He wasn’t even moving.But Atlas kept hitting him.Harder.Faster.Someone shouted his name.I heard Zeke’s voice somewhere behind me.Then Malachi’s hand grabbed my arm.

I was fine.Surprisingly fine.The girls’ locker room was quiet except for the soft hum of the heating charms in the walls. I stood there for a moment, dripping water onto the tiled floor while Bastian rummaged through one of the storage lockers.He pulled out a folded bundle and handed it to me.“Here.”I took it carefully.A large gym t-shirt.Sweatpants.And a pair of thick socks.“Thank you.”“Change.”He turned away immediately, leaning against the lockers while staring at the opposite wall to give me privacy.I peeled off my soaked clothes quickly, wincing a little at the chill that followed once the hot shower warmth faded.The shirt was huge on me.The sleeves nearly reached my elbows.But it was warm.And dry.When I finished pulling on the socks I cleared my throat.“I’m decent.”Bastian turned around slowly.His green-gold eyes scanned me once, making sure I was actually alright.“You okay?”“I’m fine.”His jaw tightened.“You shouldn’t have gone in there.”I sighed softly.

I was just starting to settle back into our routine when the announced it.An assembly for the whole school. Something they hadn't called for the entire three years I'd been here.The assembly wasn’t normal.You could feel it before you even walked into the hall.The air was heavier. Quieter. Like the entire academy had been wrapped in something tense and waiting.Atlas found me outside my last class.Of course he did.He always did now.“Assembly,” he said, falling into step beside me like it was the most natural thing in the world.“I know.”“You sitting with me?”I glanced up at him.“…yeah.”His mouth tilted slightly, satisfied.The great hall was already filling when we walked in.Students gathered in clusters, voices low, uncertain. Teachers lined the edges of the room instead of mingling like they usually would. I caught Bastian's eyes and I could see the worry in them even from afar.That alone told me something was wrong.Atlas guided me toward his usual group without hesit

Something wasn’t right.And for once—It wasn’t just me thinking it.We were in our usual place.Door shut.Windows cracked just enough for Zeke to do his thing.Malachi leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, looking like he was half asleep—but I knew better. Calyx sat across from him, flipping a blade between his fingers like he needed something to do with the energy.Zeke stood near the window.Listening.Always listening.I sprawled back in my chair, boots kicked up, watching them all.“So,” Calyx said, breaking the silence. “We gonna talk about it or just sit here pretending nothing weird is happening?”Malachi huffed.“Not pretending.”Zeke didn’t turn around.“They’re not random.”That got my attention.“Yeah?” I said.“What are they then?”He finally looked at us.“Patterned.”Calyx frowned.“In what way?”Zeke’s jaw tightened.“Strong ones.”A pause.“They’re taking strong ones.”The room went still.Malachi leaned forward slightly.“You think this is recruitment?”Zeke nodde