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“Oh, I’ll notice,” Ashlani added. “And Lanson will notice. You’re going.”

We spent the rest of the afternoon discussing the other fighters, magic, and the history of the vampyres. Voiler knew more than both of us about magic and where it came from, which didn’t surprise me in the slightest.

She warmed up to us after a while, finally starting to lower that wall she kept so tightly around herself. I didn’t blame her. We all had walls.

Even Ashlani, who I certainly didn’t trust at first, was showing me the real female beneath.

I didn’t want to see either of them die.

I prayed to the goddess that I never would.

The sun set as we made our way back to our rooms.

“Hey.” Ashlani pulled us both close, lowering her voice to a whisper. “Have you heard about Ryder? I heard Headmistress talking yesterday about finding his body in the woods. I also heard her say they spotted vampyres nearby, much closer than they have ever seen them here. Maybe the vampyres were what killed him.”

My stomach dropped. Wolf was supposed to hide the body. Until now, the rumors had been that Ryder couldn’t handle the academy anymore, and he snuck out in the middle of the night. It was unbelievable, sure, but there wasn’t a body.

Now, Headmistress could look for someone to blame. Ryder wasn’t punished in the slightest for killing Maekus, but how many faults would Headmistress and the others ignore?

Voiler gasped. “What?”

Ashlani nodded. “Apparently, they found him half-buried and covered in blood.”

I covered my mouth with my hand, trying to mimic Voiler’s shock.

They wouldn’t know.Nobody besides Wolf had any reason to think I killed him.

“Well, he deserved it,” Ashlani added as we approached the bedrooms. “I’m surprised he lasted this long with that attitude of his. Males like him would never make it into The Golden City.”

“Yeah,” I added. “I’d hope not.”

“Hurry and get ready for the ball.” Ashlani paused at her door. “I’ll see you later tonight.”

I nodded, forcing a smile on my face before pushing my own door open. With Wolf gone, I let myself relax, collapsing onto my bed with a groan.

They’re not going to find out it was me.If animals really got to him, his body would be in shreds. Nobody would even notice the stab wounds.

Hells. I looked at the clock on the wall. I had one hour to get ready for the ball tonight.

My nerves grew more and more palpable with every passing minute, even as I tried to brush them away.

Everything was fine. Everything would be fine.

Chapter

Twenty

The dress I selected from the few options given by the academy fit my body perfectly, with long, tight sleeves that covered every inch of my skin from my wrist to my neck. The rest flowed to the floor with a layer of black fabric that melted against my body. It wasn't too tight that it constricted my movements, but it still hugged my curves comfortably.

I looked at myself in the mirror, sliding my hands down my waist.

I could count on one hand the number of times I had worn a dress.

I was never supposed to be pretty. Was never supposed to care about how my black hair curled around my face, almost always getting in my way. I was never supposed to wear nice things, to wear dresses, especially at formal balls.

But this was a new life. I had a new purpose, a new meaning.

Looking in the mirror, I didn't feel as out of place as I expected. I felt... a surprising wave of emotions.