SERAPHINA’S POVJasper carries me in his arms quietly until we're right in front of the girls' dorm. He drops me gently on my feet and pulls apart, far enough to look at me with pitiful eyes. I hate it. I don't want to be pitied like some sad, pathetic girl who is helpless and weak, bending to the will of the wind tossing her wherever it sees fit."Are you okay, Sera?" he asks, only now when I'm about to go to my room. He hadn't said anything at all until now. I know his intentions are innocent and he's genuinely worried about me, but I can't help but be annoyed by the gentle tone he uses, the way he looks at me like a brittle egg that will break. Yes, I guess I am fragile right now, but I'm not so weak that such news would ruin me completely."I’m fine, Jasper. Don’t worry about it," I say coldly, though unintentionally. He recoils from my tone, his features turning wounded, but he doesn’t say anything. I regret it. But I'm too hurt to be any other way. I can’t seem to utter an
ARTEMIS’ POVI wake up with a start, suddenly jolting upright, fists clenched tight, ready to defend myself against anyone trying to take me away. But I’m not in front of the banquet hall anymore; I’m in a dimly lit room with stuffy air. Then the pain in my head hits, stabbing like needles from every angle, and I groan, massaging my temples.What happened to me?I try to force my brain to recall the last moments before I passed out, and the memory comes rushing back. I remember seeing Sera in pain, crying, and it hurt me deeply. My wolf felt her agony; we needed to get to her, to console her, but then someone grabbed me, dragged me back, knocked me out with a drug that felt too potent to be legal.Anger flares within me as I remember wanting to kill the person responsible for this. The pain intensifies as I furrow my brows, and I wince.“You shouldn’t strain yourself, Artemis,” a voice says, seeping into my consciousness.I open my eyes, looking towards the voice, and see her sittin
ARTEMIS’ POVUnlike Kamila, I don’t follow his instructions to head back to the dorm. Instead, I decide to find my father because I need answers. He’s the kind of man who makes major decisions for me, whether I like them or not, but forcing an engagement on me seems too extreme, even for him. It cements the feeling that something is seriously wrong.I need to find out what's pushing him to make such drastic decisions, to fix whatever it is, and then find Sera.I get to his office, barging in, ready to demand answers, but it's empty. I must have just missed him. I step forward, scanning the papers on his desk, and I see he's already planning the wedding, preparing a special guest list. Frustrated, I crumple the list in my hand and throw it in the trash.As I dig through his things, trying to discern what he’s been up to, I come across a well-drafted document listing rituals, curses, and spells of resurrection, things that seem like forbidden magic, practices of the once-revered Astr
SERAPHINA’S POVIt's dark and cold out in the deep woods, and I don’t remember why I’m here, alone and out when it’s so dark with an ominous fog. I don’t know why I’m wearing the same dress I had on for the banquet. The scene in front of me seems all too familiar.I walk aimlessly for what feels like a while, without any destination, until a dark figure emerges in front of me, filling me with dread. I know he’s going to kill me with his bare hands, rip me apart, and before I can scream, hands fall on my neck and squeeze hard. My lungs begin to collapse for air, and my vision blurs. I can't call for help; he won't let me. I’m weak, all alone in this dark forest.I feel helpless until something else flickers into my vision—a woman I easily recognize in her iconic white dress. Her features are so vividly clear that I can make out every one of them, despite the darkness. She's crying, thick red liquid pouring from her eyes. “Avenge me,” she pleads.Confused at first, I soon realize t
SERAPHINA’S POVI watch Artemis pace back and forth quietly in our little room. The beautiful face of the boy I love contorts with countless emotions, fluctuating between confusion, anger, frustration, and more in a constant rhythm. He does this for a while, seemingly forgetting that Olivia could walk in at any moment, or that we have school in a few hours. I don't rush him though. It's been two days since I last saw him, too long for me to hurry anything. So, even if this moment takes hours, or forever, I decide to wait for him to form the words.Finally, he stops with a heavy sigh and falls onto Olivia’s bed opposite mine. He rubs his temples with his thumb, looking beyond worried. I can't help but mirror his emotion."Artemis? Is everything okay?" I ask gently.He sighs again, deeper and heavier, then finally looks up at me. "You probably wouldn’t believe me, even if I somehow manage to find the right words to tell you this.""You can try me."He hesitates again, doubtfully, bu
SERAPHINA’S POVThree mornings ago was the last time I saw Artemis. The image of him laughing nervously, casting a final glance with a flimsy promise of seeing me again, is the last memory I have, and since then, he's become invisible. Absent from all his classes and clubs - well, the plausible excuse was his engagement. Despite promising he would do something about it, it seems to have taken over every aspect of his life, including the bits that involved me, leaving me staring at places we used to hang out with a certain longing.School feels different without him; it's colder, quieter, maybe even pointless, or perhaps it’s just me, unable to get my mind off him. Aside from that, I keep having nightmares, each more terrifying than the last. This time, I'm stabbing a person with so much hate until I finally recognize his face as Artemis. The veil lifts from my eyes, and I realize what I’ve done. Each dream becomes creepier and scarier than the one before, so I’ve sworn myself off
SERAPHINA’S POVI run away like a coward, unable to face the meaning behind his words, and what they would mean for me, the changes they would bring to our dynamic, and everything else. I rush past the class I was eager to go to minutes ago, speeding into the library where I know it will be quiet. I speed walk until I reach the forgotten ends of the vast hall, a place nobody really explores due to the well-known notion of everyone hating school. Finding the perfect corner, I crawl into a ball and cry.I don’t even know why I’m crying. Is it because of the confession? No, maybe it’s his words about Artemis really ending up with Kamila. Maybe a part of me has started to see it becoming a reality, more and more, with the less time we get to spend together these days. Maybe this is it, and I’m just holding on pointlessly, like every other girl who's had her heart broken chasing after Artemis. Maybe Kamila really will have what she wants in the end.I'm hyperventilating, my chest hu
SERAPHINA’S POVI look around me again, at the colorful, bright streets, the laughter, the children, and the hardworking individuals casually passing by, and then I look back at her in disbelief. “What? Is it so unbelievable?” she asks with a playful smile and a raised brow, mocking my lowered jaw. “This is Astria?”“Yes. This is what Astria used to look like. We are in a memory,” she explains further. It makes sense… Actually, it doesn’t, but I attribute the logic of me being here to nothing else but magic. Still, it’s unbelievable, and I don’t even ask whose memory we’re in. The peace, the tranquility, the normalcy... none of it looks or seems like what I imagined Astria would look like.She chuckles beside me, having stood by, watching my expression for more than a second, forcing me to look at her again. “Why are you laughing?”“I’m sorry... you seem too surprised that this is the life they lived. I imagine it’s different from the history books you’ve read about. You learned