Chapter 62
(Lily’s POV)
The principal’s office was cold as usual.
I sat, stiff and silent, as Principal Thamior stood by the tall window, arms folded behind his back. He was pretending to admire the school grounds but Vaelith could smell the fear rolling off him in heavy waves.
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I felt a sting of guilt for a brief second because I had almost killed him that night at Zelda’s party, but the feeling withered away when I remembered that he never cared about me.
When the bullying first started, I went to him as the principal- hoping, begging for help but he waved my pain like I was nothing. Like I deserved the torment.
So now, I sat still and waited.
He turned finally with a tight expression, his voice coming out sharp.
“You’ve made a mockery of this school,” he said coldly, striding to his desk. “Beating Celeste in front of your classmates like that… You’re a disgrace.”
My lips parted in disbelief. “It was a duel in Shift Control class.” I muttered, stunned. “She volunteered-“.
“And you humiliated her!” he barked, slamming his palm against the desk. “You think I’ve forgotten what you did at the party? You almost killed me!”
His voice shook with both anger and fear. He took a step closer, eyes burning. “You’re not one of us, Lily. You’re a demon! A mistake. The devil’s child in a school meant for decent children.”
His words hit harder than any punch I’d taken in that duel. I said nothing but just stared at him.
How did he know already that I beat Celeste? Someone must have mindlinked him.
“You have nothing to say?” he snarled. “Of course, you’re just like your kind; quiet and sinister until you strike. Well, listen to me carefully… If I hear your name again- if you argue, if you so much as breathe in the wrong direction, I will expel you. Final exams or not, you won’t graduate. You will be a drop–out… a failure.”
He leaned in, eyes narrowing. “The King isn’t protecting you anymore. He was the reason you were here in the first place but now, even he has turned his back on you.”
Something inside me snapped.
Ravena growled, Vaelith hissed. My pulse quickened.
My hands trembled on my lap… and then my claws slowly slid out. My eyes burned red as my vision darkened.
The principal stumbled back, his courage melting into sheer terror. His lips moved but no words came out. He was shaking..
I could have ended him…
But I didn’t.
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Chapter 62
I stood up, turned away, and slammed the door behind me.
My footsteps stopped in its tracks when I saw Zion. He was standing just outside, hands in his pockets with an unreadable face.
He’d heard everything, and made to push me out of the way to confront the principal but I held him back “please, just take me away from here.” I choked, my voice trembling.
His eyes softened, and then he nodded.
We snuck out the side gate, cutting through the woods behind the school. Zion didn’t say anything. Neither did I, I was too hurt to speak.
When we reached the clearing, he dropped his bag and disappeared behind a tree. The familiar sound of shifting filled the air, and seconds later, Ragnar stood tall and glorious, his thick fur glistening in the sun.
He padded toward me and nudged his head against my hand.
I smiled faintly and brushed my fingers through his fur. He purred under my touch.
Then, he crouched low.
I climbed on.
The wind roared past us as we sped through the trees. The scent of wildflowers and leaves filled my nose. The cold breeze kissed my cheeks. For the first time in hours, I could breathe.
We arrived at the cliff. Ragnar shifted back, and Zion wore his clothes before joining me at the edge.
We sat in silence for a while, our legs dangling.
I asked quietly “Did you open the door for Celeste that night when she came knocking?”
He shook his head “No, I didn’t open..”
I sighed in relief. Then he asked me slowly, meeting my eyes. “Do you love Lucien?”
“No.” I said immediately, “I’ve never loved anyone but you.”
His eyes widened a little, then softened. He leaned in and kissed me passionately. It was filled with everything we didn’t have words for, and I melted into him.
Then he pulled back, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “Lily… about what you said before. You were really stabbed?”
I nodded. “Yes, I was at the palace. But then I remembered something else.”
He leaned closer “what?”
“That day you followed Aunt Lamia and I to the house, I slept and had a dream. More like a memory… I was also stabbed on our sixteenth birthday. I had gone to the restroom, and someone was behind me and pricked my neck with something. I’d blacked out but the last thing I saw was a pair of shoes.”
“What kind?” he asked, suddenly alert.
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Chapter 62
“Brown… leather. The size reminded me of my dad’s.”
Zion reached into his bag, pulled out a sketchpad and pencil. “Describe them,” he said softly.
I nodded and gave him every detail I remembered.
He sketched quickly, eyes focused. When he turned the pad around, my breath caught.
“That’s it,” I whispered.
He stared at the drawing for a long time.
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Then, in a quiet voice, he said, “This looks familiar… I don’t know where I’ve seen this shoe before, but I have.”
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