Page 28

“This is a terrible idea,” Marnie whispered beside me, her face scrunched with actual genuine concern.

I gave her a reassuring smile that I wasn’t entirely sure I believed in myself. “I just need to talk to her. Stay out here, okay?”

Marnie’s eyes widened, and she stepped back reluctantly. “Okay, but if you scream, I’m coming in.”

I shook my head, suppressing a laugh, and with a deep breath, I turned toward Veronica’s dorm door in the Guardians Sector. My heart ricocheted against my chest as I knocked lightly. When no sound came from inside, I hesitated and reached for the handle. To my surprise, the door creaked open.

It wasn’t locked.

I pushed it open, stepping cautiously into the room.

The inside felt heavy, and I immediately spotted Veronica by the small kitchenette.

She was hunched over, carving something into the wooden tabletop with a knife.

The rhythmic scrape of the blade filled the silence, and for a moment, I wasn’t sure if I should say anything at all.

“Bold move of you, coming inside.” Veronica’s voice broke the silence. “ Alone .”

I swallowed, nerves prickling my skin. “I just... wanted to check on you.”

She stopped carving, her hand still gripping the knife. She looked up at me, her eyes dark and tired. “Funny, you’re the last person I expected to check up on me.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond, so I stood awkwardly, watching as she pushed away from the counter and walked toward her bedroom. Her movements were slow and deliberate, as if she was waiting to see if I would follow. I did, reluctantly.

As I stepped inside her room, I couldn’t help but glance around at the decor.

The walls were painted a deep, gothic black with splashes of dark purple and crimson.

Some candles melted down to almost nothing.

There were also posters of punk bands I didn’t recognize and artwork that looked both beautiful and haunting.

I cleared my throat, tearing my eyes away from the walls. “I’m... I’m really sorry about Lucas.”

Veronica didn’t respond at first. She just sat down on the edge of her bed, her fingers brushing over the worn fabric of her comforter.

“And... I also wanted to say that I never had anything to do with it,” I added quietly, not sure how else to say it. “I swear, Veronica. I would never do anything to hurt someone.”

Her icy gaze shifted toward me, but then she surprised me by sighing, her voice coming out softer than I expected. “I know.”

I blinked. “You do?”

“In the vision, it was all about Lucas. I saw him there lying on the floor dead, and then you... you were standing there, and I just—” She sighed. “I needed someone to blame.”

Though I was relieved, this still meant everyone believed I had something to do with his death, coincidentally after Veronica had a vision in front of the whole class.

“I didn’t come to Celestia to cause trouble or hurt anyone. I only knew Lucas for a little while, but I cared about him. Other than Marnie, he was the only person who wanted to be my friend.”

Veronica didn’t say anything, and I took it as a sign that she wanted me to leave. I had pushed my luck already.

I turned to go, but before I could reach the door, the rasp in her voice stopped me.

“My mother abandoned us.”

I turned slowly, uncertain whether I’d heard right or not.

Veronica’s eyes were distant as she stared at the wall.

“She left Lucas and me when we were young. Obviously, she was human. Bitter about it, too. We ended up growing up at Celestia and I...” she trailed off.

“I’ve been angry about it for a long time, and Lucas was all I had left.

That’s why I took it out on you when you first got here. You reminded me too much of her.”

Her words hit me hard. All of the tension between us, all of the hostility... it made sense.

“I get it,” I said softly, stepping back toward her. “My mother left me too... except that I was never able to find out why.” I blew out a slow breath. “I’m sorry for everything that’s happened to you. Truly.”

She had been quiet for a long time, but there was something softer in her eyes now. It was not quite acceptance, but it was not rejection either. I took that as a win.

“Lucas,” she began, her voice breaking slightly, “he liked you. A lot. So, I guess... I can dislike you a little less. For him. But that doesn’t mean I’m entirely fond of you yet.”

I chuckled softly. “That’s okay. I don’t like myself much sometimes, so I think we can both agree on some level there.”

She glanced at me, and it was the first time I had seen her give me somewhat of a laugh mixed with a half-hearted smile.

As my eyes drifted to the paintings on her wall, I saw a drawing of a spider almost hidden behind one of the posters.

“Do you like spiders?” I asked out of curiosity and somewhat—well, mostly—because I was just plain nosy.

Her gaze snapped towards the drawing. She played with her cross necklace before she said, “They’ve always been my favorite.”

I nodded, feeling the tension finally begin to ease and decided it was best to leave certain things unsaid. “Well, thank you,” I whispered. “For everything.” As I turned to leave, I briefly paused to look at her. “Oh! Um, one other thing.”

She raised her brows.

“I know I’m overstepping here but... is it possible to maybe get people off my back, considering they keep blaming me?”

Her eyes narrowed at that, and I figured I was really pushing my luck.

“I mean, I get it,” I continued quickly. “People want someone to blame, and I just happen to be the easiest target but—”

Veronica scoffed, cutting me off. “You think people are still blaming you?”

I frowned. “They are, aren’t they?”

She let out a short laugh, shaking her head. “Not after Hunter got involved.”

I blinked. “What?”

Veronica leaned her back against the bed frame, her expression torn between exasperation and amusement. “You seriously don’t know? Hunter’s been shutting down anyone who even thinks about blaming you for Lucas. And I don’t mean with kind words .”

My stomach flipped. “What do you mean?”

She tilted her head. “You think the whispers just... stopped? That people just decided to let it go?” She let out a dry laugh. “No. Cain made them.”

My mouth suddenly went dry.

She pushed off the bed and began ticking things off her fingers.

“Elias? Got cornered outside the canteen last week and hasn’t spoken a word about you since.

Chris? Nearly got thrown off the roof—allegedly.

And don’t even me started on Leon, because I heard Cain grabbed him by the collar so hard, the guy could barely breathe before he got the message. ”

I swallowed hard. “He—wouldn’t—”

“Wouldn’t he?”

I had no words. No defense. I was utterly speechless.

Veronica sighed and shook her head. “Don’t forget to close the door on your way out.”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out as she turned her back to me and flipped through some of her sketchbooks.

I stood there, staring at her while my pulse thudded in my ears. Hunter had been threatening people for me? Silencing them? I should have been furious. I should have been storming to our dorm, demanding answers. But all I could think about was—why wouldn’t he tell me?

Veronica didn’t say anything else so, I left the dorm, closing the door softly behind me.

Marnie was waiting outside, eyes wide and full of questions, but I waved her off with a slight smile.

There was still so much to figure out, so much left unresolved, but for now, I felt a spark light up in my chest, thinking about what Hunter had done.