Page 34

Chapter 33

Selestina

R ain streaks across the window, in a soft and persistent flow, blurring the world beyond into a hazy watercolor of grays and silvers. The steady rhythm of it against the glass matches the restless beat of my thoughts. Wrapping my arms around my waist, I take a long, steadying breath and let my gaze wander to the mountains in the distance. Snow caps have begun to form at their peaks. Clouds cling to the summits, veiling their heights in misty secrecy, but there’s enough of a break for me to see the white creeping downward like frost along the edge of a window.

The sight should calm me, but it doesn’t.

The weight of everything I’m juggling presses down harder with every breath I take. I’m one more fuck up away from a lobotomy.

Keeping up with classes feels impossible enough, but balancing that with Alexander’s expectations and knowing I have to tell him something about Etzli soon, all while maintaining the facade of who I am, is suffocating.

Every step feels like a tightrope over an abyss, one misstep from total ruin. I’m fooling the princes, Nasarea, everyone, but for how much longer? The balance is tipping, and I can see the cracks forming beneath me. It’s not if everything falls apart; it’s when .

I thought Obsidian Academy would be simple. Just another mission. Another challenge to conquer and leave behind. I never expected to get tangled in feelings I’ve spent years locking away. But here I am, forming a tentative friendship with someone I despised just a month ago. And the princes… gods, the princes. I hate them. I hate that they keep popping up everywhere.

I hate it. I don’t let feelings get involved. Not after the last time.

My chest tightens at the memory, unwelcome but insistent to wreak havoc.

Diego.

The boy who taught me what it meant to trust, only to tear that trust apart. The boy I thought loved me, who whispered those very words the night he became my first. My first everything. The boy who, by morning, had already reported me to Alexander. I’d snuck out that night, yes, but with him . We’d gone to a tavern far enough away to feel safe, to forget in the embrace of each other. And yet, he handed me over on a silver platter to our torturer.

Diego, my best friend.

The boy who brought back Persian lilies from Metztli because he knew they were my favorite.

Diego, who held me at night after Alexander’s fire left its cruel marks on my skin, burns healed only on my face, never my body.

Diego, the betrayer.

I shake my head, trying to dislodge the memory, but its roots are deep. It’s a reminder of why I can’t let my guard down. Not again.

Because if I fall, I’ll fall too hard.

Forcing the thoughts away, I tug on my uniform, pulling fishnet tights beneath the skirt and lacing up my black boots with mechanical efficiency. My shoulder bag is heavy as I sling it across me, the weight grounding me as I take one last glance at Nasarea. She’s still asleep, her breaths slow and even.

I don’t know how she does it. She’s never awake when I leave, yet she always manages to show up to class perfectly composed, her hair and makeup flawless. It’s almost irritating.

I shake my head and smother a laugh as I walk out to face whatever today has for me.

Combat is slowly becoming my favorite class, like I hoped it would. We have practiced for so long, I can pretend that I’ve picked up on the training and don’t have to hold back as much. The training field is alive with movement. The ground is packed dirt, uneven in places where countless fights have worn it down. The sun is high making sweat bead along my temple while I hear grunts, sharp exhales, and the impact of fists against flesh.

Professor Karr has a new arrangement where everyday we pair up against a new person. It’s supposed to help us “expect the unexpected.” Stupid, but I get it. If I was teaching someone to fight, and fight good, this is exactly what I would do too.

I barely have a second to breathe before Kaelion lunges at me again .

I twist to the side, just out of reach of his strike, feeling the rush of air as his fist slices past my shoulder. He doesn’t give me time to reset, closing the distance with a brutal efficiency that forces me to stay on my toes.

“You fight like a coward ,” he spits, dark eyes burning with fury.

I grin, sidestepping his next hit. “And yet, I’m still standing.”

His lip curls in disgust. “Not for long, venom.”

I laugh, light and unbothered, because pissing him off may be my new favorite part of training. “Funny, I remember you saying something similar last time, right before you ended up covered in…feathers.”

Kaelion snaps. His punch comes fast, a little too wild, and I barely twist in time to avoid it. His frustration is delicious.

“You will pay for that,” he growls, resetting his stance.

I feign innocence. “For what? Oh, right , the magic bombs. I wonder who would ever do such a thing to a crowned prince .” I grin, bouncing on the balls of my feet. “I mean, to be fair, you were already unbearable before that. Whoever did it just helped you match the inside to the outside.”

His jaw clenches so tightly I almost expect his teeth to crack. “Do you have any idea how long it took to get all of that shit off me?”

“Oh, hours, I’m guessing,” I say sweetly. “Maybe days? Weeks?” I gasp dramatically. “Wait, was it permanent? ”

Kaelion lets out a sharp, furious breath and comes at me with enough force that I have to actually take him seriously for a second. He’s fast. Strong. If he ever managed to land a solid hit, I’d feel it for days.

Not that I’m planning on letting that happen .

A voice cuts in from the sidelines. Smooth, amused, and completely uninterested in the fact that we’re in the middle of beating the hell out of each other.

“Now this is a conversation I need to hear more about.”

Tomas.

I don’t even have to look to know he’s smirking. Probably standing there relaxed and effortlessly smug, like he’s above all this hand-to-hand nonsense. I swear, I never see him do anything in this class.

Kaelion doesn’t spare him a glance. “Stay out of this, bloodsucker.”

Tomas tsks. “That’s hardly an incentive, Kaelion. Now I’m even more curious.” His tone drops into something lower, smoother. “Selestina, princess, why was our dear Kaelion covered in feathers? And, more importantly, why am I just now hearing about it?”

Kaelion’s glare swings to me, but I just shrug. “It wasn’t important.”

“It feels important.” Tomas steps closer, his smirk audible in his voice. “I’ll trade you a secret for it.”

Kaelion mutters something vicious under his breath before taking another swing at me. I duck, catching a glimpse of movement across the field.

Rhyker and Matheus.

They’re sparring, circling each other like predators, but Rhyker isn’t paying attention to Matheus. He says something, too quiet for me to hear, but his gaze flicks over to me.

And then he winks.

Matheus tenses.

His fists clench, his breathing turns sharp, and, just for a second, I see the scales push through his skin. His control is slipping, the shift clawing at the edges .

But then he closes his eyes, breathing deep. Slowing himself down. Pushing it all back.

Interesting. It makes me realize that I’ve actually never seen him in his dragon form. Every other prince stands in the full glory of their Tonalaca, but not Matheus. He is the picture of control. Seeing him slip, even this tiny bit, is oddly intriguing.

“See something you like, darling?” Tomas teases, pulling my attention back to him.

“Other than Kaelion covered in feathers and glitter?” I muse, just as Kaelion lunges again. I pivot smoothly, out of his reach. “Not particularly.”

I fake whisper to Kaelion, “still itchy?”

Kaelion exhales sharply through his nose, frustration radiating off him in waves.

“Why are you even here?” he grits out.

I grin. “To make your life miserable, obviously.”

Kaelion mutters something about strangling me in my sleep, Tomas laughs, and the chaos of combat class continues.