SERAPHINA’S POVI admit to myself that I may have significantly overestimated my spying skills when I decided to follow the enemy into their hiding spot. What's worse, I went in alone without letting anyone know of my whereabouts.Being chained in the corner of a dark room has made that pretty clear to me now. I regret my actions, and the way my cheeks sting painfully serves as a harsh reminder. However, dwelling in regret all night won't do me any good.Morgan has my phone, which means he could easily contact Juliet or Alice if he wanted to. I can't let that happen. Frantically, I search for a way out, straining my eyes in the near-darkness for anything I could use to pick the lock. The room is too dark to see clearly, the only source of light being the moonlight filtering in through a large window on the side. I struggle with my chains for another minute before surrendering to my helplessness, giving up altogether. “Dammit.” I swear under my breath.The worst part of my curren
SERAPHINA’S POVUnfazed by the ominous look in Morgan's eyes, Artemis boldly takes another step closer to the fucker."The game's over, Morgan. You five can't take me. Once I leave, I'm reporting all of this to the school board. Expect an expulsion letter in your dorm—and one sent to your family, too," he announces. The authority in his voice sends shivers down my spine.Morgan laughs, openly mocking both Artemis and me. He clearly doesn't grasp the gravity of his situation. "You actually believe it'll go down like that? That's hilarious. Now let me tell you how this is really going to work," he smirks, signaling to someone behind him with a flick of his fingers.Artemis and I watch him silently, trying to gauge his next move. Just then, a fifth guy walks in, holding someone I immediately recognize as they force her to look up at us. Frozen in horror, I can't take my eyes off her fear-stricken face. "Juliet!" I scream, lunging toward her without a second thought. Artemis pulls me
SERAPHINA’S POVMorgan screams in pure, unfiltered agony, a cry so loud it nearly deafens me. In his frantic pain, he throws me to the side, and I brace myself for a rough landing. Rolling away, I regain my composure amid the chaos and look toward Artemis."Now!" I yell, my voice slicing through the chaos.Artemis understands immediately. With a growl that resembles a feral beast more than a man, he lunges at Morgan. In less than a heartbeat, his fingers transform into sharp claws, and he slashes at Morgan repeatedly. Gruesomely. He aims for the face first, and Morgan's horrified scream echoes through the air.Seizing the moment, I rush to my feet and dart toward Juliet, who's huddled to the side. "We have to go, now!" I yell, urgency lacing my words.I help Juliet to her feet, wrapping her arm around me for support. With her weight leaning on my shoulder, we stagger toward the door. I manage to pull it open with one free arm and guide us through, walking a safe distance from the
SERAPHINA’S POVTime blurs. He's there on the floor, motionless, and I'm here in a stunned state of dread. His chest—barely rising. My hands want to pound, want to shock him back to life. Wake up. Please, wake up.Fear crawls through me. The temptation to shake him, to scream, gnaws at my sanity. But what if it makes it worse? What if the invisible thread holding him here snaps? What if it’s already to late? How do I begin to get him out of here? Do I leave his body and run to get Jasper? What if I’m not fast enough?My fingers twitch above his heart, desperate to feel a stronger beat, to see his eyes snap open. Instead, they're met with the cruel reality of his persistent silence. Don't you dare leave me, you bastard.Do something. DO SOMETHING! My thoughts shout, but my body is frozen—the blood is everywhere. Everywhere I look at. I don’t realize it at first, but I’m trembling.Thankfully, the others arrive.Juliet did find help. Minutes after, she rushes back in with Jasper,
KAMILA’S POVI let out a sigh of exhaustion as I step into the room, shutting the door quietly behind me. The weight of this whole Morgan situation bears down on me, reminding me that I've got to find a way to keep things from spiraling further out of control. I pause for a moment, leaning against the door to catch my breath and gather my thoughts."What was that about?" His voice cuts through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present. I turn to see him sitting beside Artemis, who's still unconscious. With a comic book in hand, he shoots me that insufferably brooding look he seems to have trademarked. "Has he woken up yet?" I counter, sidestepping his question as I approach Artemis to assess his condition closely.His color appears to be returning, a good sign that the treatment is working. A sigh of relief escapes my lips, and for the fifth time since hearing about the incident, I run my hands through my hair."That's not what I asked," Ace retorts, deliberately closing his bo
SERAPHINA’S POVDespite agreeing with Kamilla's logic about keeping my distance now that I've regained some semblance of freedom, I can't shake the heavy feeling that suddenly envelops my chest.I manage to trudge my way back to my dorm—not the one I shared with Artemis in the boys' dormitory, though. The thought of facing the countless objects that would only etch his face deeper into my memory is unbearable right now. Instead of wallowing in the past, I should be focusing on moving forward, trusting that he will be just fine.Lost in thoughts that are still a jumbled mess, I don't even realize when I've arrived at my room. Pushing the door open, I step inside. I expect to be greeted by dust that has settled on the walls and sheets, the byproducts of days of neglect. However, as I walk in, a sweaty Olivia pulls away from the wall, duster in hand, and looks in my direction with eyes full of curiosity."Olivia?" I freeze in place, not expecting to see her back so soon. A whirlwind o
SERAPHINA’S POVI wait for a response from her for a second before risking a look at her face. Her expression is stoic, lips pursed into a straight line, making me nervous. “Say something,” I almost beg.Finally, she blinks as if waking up from some trance and shakes her head. “So... you think you're connected to the Astria Tribe?” she asks calculatingly, like admitting my claims out loud is even more alarming.“Yes, exactly”' I exclaim, a little too loudly. A surge of excitement courses through me. Finally, someone understands me, without judgment, without thinking I've lost it. I let out a small chuckle until I see her brow arch slowly.“Right... Are you sure you didn't knock your head during the altercation with Morgan? Or could this be stress-induced paranoia?”My excitement drops, replaced by a sinking feeling of disappointment. “See? I knew it. I knew you wouldn't believe me,” I mutter, standing up from my bed and pacing the room, unable to sit still.“Come on, Sera, you ha
SERAPHINA’S POVRight into my first day back at school—following the series of events that included being the target of a psychopath, hallucinations, and befriending Artemis just before he's stabbed with a dagger—something feels distinctly absent. It's as if a sense of warmth, which used to fill the otherwise lifeless hallways of Raven Wood Academy, has evaporated, leaving the opening hours of my day depressingly bleak.I can't pinpoint the cause, but this void haunts me even as I exit my third class, mere minutes after the bell. Dragging my feet to my locker, I switch out textbooks, my shoulders drooping more than usual. I'm so absorbed in my thoughts that I don't even notice someone approaching. When I close my locker and step forward, I mistakenly collide with them, sending their stack of books tumbling to the floor."I'm so sorry," I apologize, still not raising my eyes to see their face. As I bend down to help pick up the fallen books, our hands touch, both reaching for the s