Page 51

I couldn’t sit still.

As I paced the length of the boys’ dorm, playing with the stone necklace Hunter had given me, my nerves knotted my stomach. Marnie was sitting on the arm of the sofa, watching me with worried eyes and every second that ticked by felt heavier than the last.

“What if something happens to him?” I asked aloud.

“Grace, you need to breathe,” Marnie said gently. “We don’t even know what’s going on yet.”

I stopped and pivoted to face her. “It’s my fault. None of this would’ve happened if I hadn’t gone looking for him or gone into Matias’s room.”

“Stop,” she said firmly, blocking my path before I could pace again. “It’s not your fault, and you know that the boys wouldn’t let you blame yourself.”

The door suddenly swung open, and Brandon and Silas walked in. Relief flooded my chest at the sight of them.

“What happened?” I demanded, rushing toward them. “Where’s Hunter? Is he okay?”

Silas’s face was grim as he shrugged off his jacket. “Still with the Council,” he said. “They’re questioning everyone. They’ll probably hold him longer because, well, you know.”

“Because he nearly killed Matias?” I said quietly, shamefully.

Brandon sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “They’re not thrilled about the fight. But they’re also not stupid. They know Matias started it. Luckily Silas and I only got two days off of any training and having to clean the entire canteen after lunch.”

I felt like the floor might give out beneath me. “I shouldn’t have let it get that far. If I’d just—”

Before I could spiral further, the door flew open again, and Veronica stormed in, her voice echoing through the dorm.

“You asshole! What the hell were you thinking?” she yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at Silas. “Getting in trouble with the Council? Do you have any idea how serious this is?”

Silas groaned, rubbing his temples. “Not now, Ver.”

“Oh, yes, now,” she shot back, crossing her arms as she glared at him. “I swear, you and your stupidity will drag all of us down with you.”

Silas sighed heavily and followed her as she stormed back out, leaving the rest of us in stunned silence.

“What was that about?” I asked, looking at Brandon.

He shook his head, looking just as bewildered. “They’ve been weird lately. Anyway, Grace…” He hesitated, glancing toward the door. “The Council wanted to speak with you, too.”

My stomach dropped. “What?”

“Eden’s waiting for you in the main building,” he said.

I glanced at Marnie, my pulse racing. “What do I do?”

“You tell them the truth,” Marnie said, squeezing my hand. “You didn’t do anything wrong. They just want to get the story straight.”

Brandon gave me a reassuring nod. “It’ll be fine. Just... don’t overthink it.”

But that was impossible not to do!

Trying to steady my breathing as panic clawed at the edges of my mind, I thought about the Council. They wanted to speak with me. Hunter and I were just as guilty for many things that didn’t even deal with Matias.

As I moved toward the door, my legs felt like they were made of lead.

“Grace,” Marnie called softly, stepping forward to fix the collar of my jacket. Her smile was warm, but her eyes betrayed her concern. “You’ll be fine. I promise.”

I nodded, clinging to her words, before pushing the door open and stepping out into the corridor.

When I arrived, the main building was quiet, my footsteps echoing off the polished floors. Eden stood near the entrance; her expression calm but unreadable.

“Don’t worry,” she said as I approached. “They just want to hear your account of what happened.”

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat as she led me through several hallways. We stopped in front of a large set of double doors, and Eden pushed them open, revealing a grand hall that resembled a courtroom inside the academy.

The Angelic Council sat at a long table at the far end, their presence overwhelming. Joe stood off to the side with Nadael, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.

“Grace Martin,” one of the Council members said, his voice deep and resonant. “Please, come forward.”

My legs felt like jelly as I walked toward them, my heart hammering in my chest. They asked me to recount everything that had happened, and I did my best to explain, my voice trembling at first but growing steadier as I went on.

When I finished, the room was silent for a moment before the doors opened again, and Hunter and Matias were brought in.

Matias immediately started defending himself, his voice sharp and defensive. “I didn’t do anything! She’s lying—”

“Quiet!” Another Council member said, silencing him with a wave of their hand.

Hunter didn’t say anything. His gaze flickered to mine briefly, and I felt a rush of emotions I couldn’t begin to untangle.

The Council deliberated for what felt like an eternity before their verdict was given.

“For Hunter Cain,” Cael this time announced. “You will be suspended from training for this week. Fighting outside of sanctioned sessions cannot be tolerated.”

Hunter’s expression didn’t change, but I saw the flicker of tension in his jaw—the barely perceptible clench that told me just how hard he was holding back.

But Cael wasn’t finished. “In addition,” he said, eyes sharp with authority, “you are to wear binding chains for two weeks. They are not to restrict your movement but to suppress your power. As a reminder that strength without control is no strength at all.”

A ripple of silence moved through the room.

My stomach dropped as two Celestials stepped forward, silver chains glowing faintly with runes in their hands.

They weren’t linked by a chain. Instead, they hovered slightly as they fastened around Hunter’s wrists—one on each arm—locking in place with a soft, almost ceremonial click.

Hunter glanced down at them once. Then straight ahead again.

He didn’t resist.

Didn’t even speak.

But I could see it—the flicker of something behind his eyes. Pain? Rage? Or maybe just the humiliation of it all. Because these weren’t just restraints.

They were a message.

And I hated that.

“Now, for Matias Williams,” another Council member continued, their tone colder, “Effective immediately, you are hereby stripped of your Ascendant title and your position at Celestia. In accordance with the Seraphim Law, under section nine, your memories along with those of any relative’s privy to your role here, will be erased as dictated by protocol. ”

Matias’s face paled. “What? No! You can’t do that—” He looked over at me, his eyes pleading for me to intervene. “Tell them, Grace! Tell them you were lying!”

But the Council was unmoved.

When Matias realized no matter what he said wouldn’t sway the Council, his expression grew rageful. “This is all your fault!”

I flinched.

“You’re a nobody, Grace, you hear me?”

I caught a glimpse of Hunter’s hands clenching into fists. He was containing his anger, but for how much longer, I didn’t know.

“You’re nothing!”

I kept my head held high before one of the Council members stepped forward, their hands glowing faintly as they reached out to touch Matias’s forehead.

Matias was prepared to put up a fight, but it was no use as he was grabbed by two Celestials who had taken the boys away in the first place.

He thrashed in their arms, my stomach churning, and a few moments later, I watched in horror as they took Matias’s powers and memories. His body slumped to the floor, unconscious.

“Grace Martin,” Cael said, turning to me with a disgusted look. “You may go.”

I nodded, barely able to move as I stumbled out of the room. The last thing I saw before the doors closed was Hunter’s face; his eyes clung to mine, unwavering, and I knew that this was his way of telling me we would suffer that same fate if the Council found out about us.