Broken by One, Desired by All
he asked, nudging my shoulder.
I exhaled sharply, rolling my shoulders. “As I’ll ever be,” I said, though the words tasted like a lie.
Charlie smirked. “Good. Because you’re about to be the center of attention.”
I groaned, but I was smiling.
**********
The hall was already packed when we arrived, the hum of conversation filling the air, the scent of polished wood and old magic thick in the atmosphere. Students clustered in groups, their voices a mix of excitement and nerves, their eyes flicking toward the front where the instructors stood in a loose semicircle.