Both Chase's demeanor and response when I came close were unruffled. The slovenly Fabian stood behind Myra and Oswin while they chatted under the willow tree. My eyes met Chase's, and he smiled. My eyes betrayed the residual unease I was trying to conceal. I mustered up the will to seem happy, but my lips quivered. There was no fooling my face. His gaze was questioning. His deep gold eyes peered at every detail of my skin. "A-are you okay?" he asked, not leaving my sight. I had no idea why my cheeks had turned hot. To cover it, I walked by him and toward Myra. I was about to walk away from the man when I felt his warm palm on my left arm. Our skin still shined. It refused to give up. "Don't ever leave my sight," he said possessively. I came to a halt and stared at it. Because of what he said, the strength of my chest beat doubled. I had to raise my head to view his face. "I know you're trying to protect me, Chase, but there are other people wh

I met Zeri and Faey in the yard outside the Provost Building. Oswin and Myra were contacted by the academy's provost earlier. It also included Isabel, Avi, and a juvenile hybrid named Samantha."There has been a two-hour delay. We need to know what became of them." Impatiently, Faey asked. The rose behind him was almost completely sucked dry. It has created a hobby of carefully removing petals from flowers.Once upon a time, I could read sounds into the Provost Building; now, I can't listen to everyone's heart."Perhaps Renate, the provost, has created a shield around the entire room, Zeri. That suggests they're discussing a sensitive topic and need to take extra safety measures, "I added.Perhaps," acknowledged Zeri, who appeared to have given up on trying to learn what was happening inside the structure.I heaved a sigh and mutter, "I hope sir Ferns is doing well."Together they drew air and whispered, "I hope so."We stood in silen

"Can you keep a secret?""I'm a sucker for secrets!" Myra responded quickly, as if enthralled by what Oswin had to say. Her swollen eyes have yet to return to normal."What is the secret?" I was intrigued. I quickly sensed dread in the secret that the man hadn't even started yet, and I knew it would have a significant impact on what happened next. I looked at Oswin, who seemed to be bothered by something. His eyes couldn't conceal it."I can get us out of here!" he moaned excitedly.Myra moved her gaze closer to the man who appeared to be the most enthralled by whatever Oswin had to say. "Do you have a counterspell?""Swear in this dungeon that the secret will be kept within these four walls.""Promise," I murmured, raising my right hand."Promise! Even if I bet on my lovely face! So, do you have a counterspell for Professor Zoe's high-level spells?""No. But we, Levistes, are true masters of escape abilities such as transfer,

My remembrance of my parents will remain a constant in my mind forever. Truly. Someday, if my journey were to finish in death, I know they would be able to see me in the sky if they tried hard enough.Sure, they'd see me if I were there.With a sorrowful heart, I left my parents. They anticipated this. They thought they were prepared, but their reaction revealed everything. They weren't ready. I've never been.I was, too.As we proceeded towards the backyard, Myra never left my side. She comforted my back as I sobbed uncontrollably. "Stella, I can't promise that everything will be fine. Because it is never acceptable to abandon your loved ones."My tears dried on my cheeks. Myra was correct; nothing would be well because my life and the lives of my family were at stake in this predicament. I had no other option. There was no going back now.Avi had noticed it. Several times.It was likely that the outcome of my attempt to deflect dest

As we left the school and entered the woods behind it, the image of Avi's tearful face remained in my mind. With a sigh of relaxation, my shoulders rolled back. I miss being able to look her and my parents in the eyes.I wish...But it seemed to me that fate had other plans. None of our expectations will be met. It didn't look that way anymore.We traversed the lush grasses beneath a dense forest of ancient trees. The light was impossible to come by. Nothing but the gloomy forest, shaded by towering trees, with its damp shrubs and misty cover. From where I'm positioned, a random collection of wild trees and evergreens have been thrown together to create a pathless meadow.The sounds of the wild we encountered were all the night crickets and birds chirping, the distant screams of wild hounds, and the skulking of unseen creatures.In the lead, we found Isabel and Oswin. Myra, Oswin's assistant, was lurking in the shadows, watching my every move. Ther