Page 16

Alina

I TOLD THE GIRLS THAT I don’t know where Raelan went, that he ran outside after we had an argument and I slipped on the grass chasing after him.

But I’m not sure they believe me. In fact, I’m almost certain they don’t. But I can’t tell them the truth. It’s not my secret to tell.

It’s Raelan’s. And he has some explaining to do.

Assuming he even comes back . . .

“Thank you,” I whisper to Lyra as she straightens up and eases Juniper into her pocket. Her rat was able to slip under Raelan’s door, scurry up the wooden doorframe, and flip the heavy lock. At my feet, Yuki huffs out a disapproving sigh and gives me a sharp side-eye. He’s not a big fan of such antics. Maybe Grandfather should’ve assigned him as my bodyguard.

“Are you going to tell me what’s actually going on?” Lyra asks. She leans against the stone wall, her wild red hair pulled up into a messy bun, two smears of purple face cream swept under her eyes. She was getting ready for bed when I made the impulsive decision to wait for Raelan in his room.

I’m very suddenly reminded of our kiss in the darkened corridor, the heat of his mouth and hands on me, and I clench my fingers into fists.

“Not yet,” I tell Lyra, and she pouts. “But I’ll tell you what I can, when I can. I promise.”

I step forward and pull her into a hug, careful not to squish Juniper between us.

“Fine, fine.” Lyra pulls away and yawns. “Just be careful, all right?” Her crimson-eyed gaze flicks to Raelan’s closed door, and a strange worried look crosses her face. “He seemed... off today. Grumpier than usual.”

So, I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Even before the commotion in the dining hall, Raelan seemed more uptight than he typically is—fidgety, like he wanted to crawl out of his skin. And I realize now that he probably did.

I almost gulp when I remember the way his body contorted, becoming something else. Something powerful and terrifying and... even beautiful.

“It was Tristan,” I tell her, which isn’t completely a lie. “I think he was uncomfortable with him being so close to me.” Shrugging, I glance away, letting my eyes trace the facets in the stained glass window to my left. It lets a bit of silver moonlight in, illuminating the gryphon depicted on the glass.

“I told you he has it bad for you.” Lyra’s worried look morphs into one of her crooked-mouth smiles. “It’s so obvious.”

I shake my head, then reach for the door handle. “Thanks again.” My gaze flicks to Yuki, who’s sitting at my feet, his fluffy white tail wrapped around his paws. “You should go back with Lyra,” I tell him.

His eyes narrow. “You want me to leave you alone with him? I’m not sure about this...”

With a sigh, I crouch down, then stroke a hand over Yuki’s soft fur. “This is Raelan we’re talking about. He’s not going to hurt me. He’d never hurt me.”

My body tingles with the memory of the dragon peering down at me, the flecks of gold in its eyes, the fangs as long as my forearms. It could’ve swallowed me in one bite. But it didn’t. He didn’t.

I’m safe with him. In my heart, I’m sure of it.

I shake myself back to reality and focus on Yuki. “We just have some things to discuss, that’s all.”

Yuki holds my stare for a long moment, then lets out a sigh. “Very well.” He stands and yawns, showing off his sharp teeth, then turns to pad back down the stairs to our room. “But if you need anything—”

“I won’t. But I know you’re there if I do.”

Lyra squeezes my hand and tosses one last smile over her shoulder at me, then heads back down the winding stairs with Yuki a few steps ahead of her. I stand in the moonlit corridor until I hear our door close, and then I turn to Raelan’s room. And I step inside.

The room is dark and cold, and I shiver as I ease through the doorway and push the heavy wooden door closed behind me. Clearly, Raelan has still not been back since I last saw him early this evening .

Since he turned into a dragon and flew away.

My heart pounds just thinking about it.

He’s a shifter. He has to be. But dragon shifters are so rare, they’re almost considered nonexistent these days. I never would’ve guessed Raelan could be one...

And he never told me. But why?

Maybe he doesn’t trust me. I did try to get him replaced with another guard, and that certainly doesn’t build a sense of confidence and loyalty.

The thought makes my stomach turn.

I cross the dark room, being careful not to bump into any furniture as my eyes slowly adjust to the darkness. I grab a few logs of firewood from the stand tucked into the corner, then arrange them in the cold hearth, careful not to let the sleeves of my robe sweep through the ashes. As a frost witch, I’ve always found fire magic difficult, so I opt to start a fire the manual way: with the flint and steel from atop the mantel. It takes me a few tries—I don’t often start my own fires—but when I finally get a spark to catch, a feeling of pride comes over me.

Such a small task, and yet I almost always have someone else to do it for me.

This is one of the reasons I wanted so badly to attend Coven Crest—not only to master my magic, but to get out of the castle and away from my life as a princess, to experience things the way others do, to learn who I am and what I can achieve when I put my mind to it.

And I suppose starting a fire is one of those small achievements .

As the tiny flame grows, creeping up the sides of the wood I so carefully stacked in the hearth, I push to my feet and turn to regard the room.

Raelan has never let me in here before, so it feels intimate being here now, especially without him.

The room is smaller than the dorm I share with Lyra, Maeve, and Poppy, but it’s no less comfortable. There’s a writing desk along the wall, and two armchairs hug a small side table, upon which sits a book and an empty teacup. A dark staircase leads to the loft, where I imagine Raelan’s bed is.

Heat floods my face and neck at the thought of Raelan lying in bed, eyes closed, chest rising and falling softly with each breath. Does he sleep shirtless, long arms and legs draped across the mattress? What does he dream of?

Does he ever dream of me?

I don’t know when exactly I started seeing Raelan differently, let alone wanting to press my mouth to his and feel his hand between my legs. At first, he was just a nuisance, an embarrassing burden I had to bear while trying to pretend I’m just another normal student here. Perhaps it was after our conversation in the garden that day, when Raelan agreed to give me more space. Once I no longer felt suffocated by him, I started being able to see him clearly—like rising above a forest to see how far it extends in each direction.

My gaze flicks to the single window, over which a drape has been drawn. I move toward it, my slippers quiet on the stone floor, and push the drape aside to look out .

The storm has passed, leaving the sky beautifully clear but for a few thin, wispy clouds. The moon—a waxing gibbous, I believe, if I’m remembering my astronomy lessons correctly—is bright and beautiful, glowing cheerfully in the nighttime sky.

I scan the horizon for a shadow, for a dragon soaring in the far distance, but I see nothing. And slowly, worry starts to creep up on me.

Does Grandfather know about this? Was the chain around Raelan’s neck meant to control him, force him into subservience? Did I unknowingly release Raelan from servitude? And if so, will he even come back? Maybe he’s gone for good. Maybe he’s halfway across the continent by now. Maybe I’ll never—

The door clicks behind me, and I whirl around with a startled breath.

A figure stands in the doorway, shoulders limned in silver moonlight slipping in from the hallway.

And Raelan’s dark eyes meet mine from across the room.