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There was a long pause as he exchanged looks with Rayne.

It wasn’t until we had all finished eating when he finally spoke again with an answer.

“Perhaps she can stay with you two during the holiday.” There was a certain sadness in his eyes.

“She knows her place is with me.” Though it sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

Silias shook his head, letting out a deep breath.

“If you hadn't created Vulture, I would never allow this.” Silias looked at Niko.

“Naturally.” Niko nodded.

Silias led us out the door. Just before he closed it behind us, he said, “oh, and happy birthday, Vulture.”

***

The next day, during our shared history class, Celestine and I were called into the principal's office. When we arrived, the receptionist nodded a greeting at us. “Everyone's waiting for you.” He gestured towards the principal's door.

Everyone? We entered the room to see the principal sitting behind her desk, while Niko and Leo sat across from her, two empty seats between them.

“Celestine, Hyacinth,” the principal greeted us as we took our seats.

Celestine and I exchanged looks. She seemed confused, but I could guess what this was about.

The principal took a deep breath. “I’m going to skip the formalities and cut to it. The teachers and I have reasons to believe Hyacinth may be abusing Celestine.”

How troublesome.

“Now, we haven’t informed the police just yet, but we will if it’s necessary.”

There was a long silence. None of us knew what to say and I knew I definitely couldn’t defend myself, it’d only make it worse if I tried.

“Are you serious?” Celestine asked.

“I wouldn’t have called both of your guardians if I wasn’t,” she replied.

Celestine looked at Leo, gripping onto the collar of her shirt.

“You didn't even ask me who did this,” Celestine said, her voice shaking with disbelief.

“I don't believe we need to ask,” the principal said .

“But Hyacinth has never hurt me before.”

“Was he not harassing you when you first arrived at this school?”

“I started that,” her voice was low. “And I was messing with him too.” She was just better at not getting caught, while I didn’t care enough to hide it.

“Celestine,” the principal started, “it’s okay, you can tell me the truth. I’m going to protect you.”

Celestine’s body trembled, but she managed to keep her voice steady. “The only people who have ever protected me are sitting next to me, not across.”

“Honestly, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Leo said, “Cel’s fine.”

“Telling me she’s fine is rather concerning, sir. The teachers and I have all witnessed scars and bruises on her legs and arms and most likely there are others on the rest of her body. Am I wrong, Celestine?”

Celestine’s eyes welled up again. “It wasn’t him.”

Niko shook his head. “Hyacinth wouldn’t hurt her, he wouldn’t do that.”

The principal raised a brow. “Hyacinth has a record for assaulting other students at this school. The only reason he hasn’t been expelled is because you, Mr Kolden, pay us not to, but this may be the final straw.”

Oh, this is the final straw? Even if I did do it, I’ve done much worse, and they just gave me a suspension. Why is this case different?

“I said he didn’t do it,” Celestine repeated.

“Celestine, if he didn’t do it, who did?” the principal asked. “Is this going on at home?”

“No.” Celestine released a small breath, embarrassed about it. “I was attacked on my way home.”

“Just nod your head if Hyacinth has ever hurt you. ”

There was nothing I could say, but I don’t know why she would have asked me to join this conversation. If I actually did do something, what was the likelihood that Celestine would be honest in front of me?

The door knocked and in came the same two school security guards from a couple days ago. After Celestine’s first day of school, the Kokkino clan lingered to scare off any media, but it didn’t make the school look good, so the school hired security. Though, they are primarily just for show.

“Is this really necessary?” Niko asked. “You're going to do it in front of the whole school?”

A small whimper escaped Celestine. “I just told you I was attacked.” She squinted her eyes back at the principal. “Why are you so convinced he did it?”

“I’ve had a lot of students come in here worried about you because of Hyacinth and how he treats you.”

“It’s just a game we play,” she argued.

“Celestine,” the principal started, “I know you’re quite young and frail, that’s why you’re more vulnerable and you may not understand but some victims fall for their abusers–”

“Stop,” Celestine warned, closing her eyes.

But she continued, “and I’m afraid you may be feeling this way for Hyacinth since you’re protecting him.”

“You don’t know anything.”

The security guards came up behind me.

“I know Hyacinth can be very intimidating and that most people in this school have taken an interest in you because of your appearance. I, along with all the teachers, have heard many rumours that you and Hyacinth have slept together, and we can’t help but think that he forced– ”

Celestine jumped out of her seat and wrapped herself around me protectively shielding me. “Don't touch him, don't touch him.” She begged, pulling my head into her chest.

I had never been more shocked in my life, I couldn’t move a single muscle.

“Cel!” Leo stood up from his seat.

I felt tears on top of my head. “Don't take him away from me again.” Her voice cracked as she sobbed. “Please.”

It should have been me protecting her, not the other way around.

“Celestine, this is obviously an unhealthy relationship you have with Hyacinth. Normal people do not get attached to another person like this unless they have been brainwashed. I know you’ve slept around with unworthy men , starting with Octavius Gautier, and I am afraid that history is repeating itself. ”

“Stop it, you don't know anything,” Celestine cried. “Hyacinth’s the only one in this school that actually tries to get to know me,” she spat.

“He’s the one who’s been protecting me from all the people who only want to sleep with me and he’s the only one in this bloody city who genuinely doesn’t want anything from me. ”

Her body trembled against mine and I could feel her heart racing. “How could you assume such awful things about someone and as if he wasn’t in the room with us?” Then, her body crumbled, collapsing onto me as the cataplexy took hold.

I took a deep breath and carefully adjusted her position to be more comfortable, cradling her. “They're not going to kill me,” I reassured her. “I'm not going anywhere.”

“On the contrary, Hyacinth–”

“You've got no proof that he did it,” Niko started, “and Celestine has continuously denied that he had anything to do with what happened to her. So, will you drop it?”

I shifted my gaze between the two. The principal was not pleased to say the least. “If you see this dependency Celestine has with Hyacinth as normal, you are wrong. He is doing something to her, I know he is,” she insisted.

“Everyone saw the two leave the school together, then Celestine missed a few days of school and came back with severe injuries. Where did you two go?”

“She came to my place,” I replied.

The principal raised her brow. “And what happened there?”

“We're not sleeping together,” I groaned, frustrated. “We've never done anything.”

“That's not what it looks like, Hyacinth,” the principal said and Leo and Niko turned to me, also not believing my words.

The air shifted. Everyone in the room stopped breathing, their eyes dazed and fixed on Celestine.

She shifted position, turning to face the principal but staying on me, the back of her head resting on my chest. “Hyacinth’s never hurt me.

” Her voice was so calm and dream-like. “I was assaulted on the streets, and everything’s been sorted. ”

The principal slowly nodded.

“Never threaten me with the police and don’t ever disrespect Hyacinth like that again.”

She nodded once again.

“Get back to your job,” Celestine said. The two security guards turned on their heels and left the room, but the principal sat there, dazed and motionless. Then Celestine shifted her eyes to Leo. “The principal just wanted to follow you up on how I’m doing in school.”

Leo nodded, in the same daze as the principal.

“Leave,” Celestine told him and he did. She looked at me. I had no idea what was going on. “Hyacinth.” She gently cupped my cheeks, regret in her eyes. “I’m so sorry I have to do this.”

“Celestine.” Niko stopped her. “You can trust him.”

She shook her head, “I don’t want him to remember the things that were said about him. ”

“Why?” I asked in a low voice. I wanted to remember how she felt about me, the things she said to defend me. I didn’t care what the principal and everyone else assumed, I didn’t care about anyone but her.

She didn’t answer me. Her eyes glowed a bright red as she leaned close to me and gently placed her lips on my forehead, whispering, “forget being in here.”

No. Not again.

“Cinth,” Jamiel whispered from the desk next to mine. “Oi.”

I turned my focus away from the board and to him.

“What did the principal want with you?”

I furrowed my brows. “What are you on about?”

“Jamiel, Hyacinth,” the teacher snapped at us. “Is there something you'd like to share with the class?”

“No, miss,” Jamiel and I muttered.