“The contract.”
Declan looks up now. “Contract?”
I pause. “Yes… the contract on top.”
Without invitation, Paxton reaches across me and snatches the contract from the top of my pile. “Hey!” But he ignores me and reads over it quickly, letting out a silent laugh before handing it over to Rory, who reads it between himself and Declan. They both let out hearty guffaws.
“Number six: you are not to kill any students or teachers,” Rory snickers.
“What about number ten? No performing of any satanic or sacrificial spells or rituals.” Declan’s eyes lift to find mine, his eyebrows quirking as he hands it back. “Do you plan on doing any of those, Serena? You haven’t exactly told us what your powers are… Or who your patron deity is.”
She lifts me from the ground, so gently. Her soothing words fill me as she brushes the hair from my face; sweat and dirt drag along my skin. She’s so beautiful… enchanting. I would follow her to the moon if she asked me to.
But instead, she makes me into something even I don’t quite understand.
Lore hops onto my hand, her claws digging painfully into the tender flesh. “Now is not the time to dwell on these things, Mistress.”
Inhaling deeply, I nod. Even if she can’t hear my thoughts, her ability to read and understand my emotions is a good second. And I don’t know whether I like that, or I hate it. The darkness still lingers in my mind as I take the contract from Declan, reading over it with new eyes. “I don’t plan on doing any of these things. Unless provoked… or necessary.”
I lift my eyes to meet Declan’s. “And I don’t plan on telling you whom I serve, either. It is not something that we share… It has a way of being used against you.”
The air tenses, and the guys nod, one by one—except Declan, whose face seems to have a frown permanently etched onto it. “I’m going to assume you have some sort of connection to the earth—like Dane. Knowing what you are capable of means we can select the right classes. It’s not something we would use against you.”
His words are lined with truth, but I shake my head.
Our kitchen fills with silence as they wait for Declan to insist, but he doesn’t. He simply nods before picking up the class sheets and his blank schedule. “Our days are split into four: two classes in the morning, then lunch, and then two classes in the afternoon.”
The rest of the team picks up their class lists, and I do the same. My eyes are immediately drawn to the Combat and Alchemy classes.
“We have three core classes and then three elective classes which we are assigned based on preference, ability, and number of applicants. But as we’re here, I think we’ll get the ones we want, and if not, we’ll discuss it with the Headmaster.” Declan shrugs at my pointed look, his lips pulling into a smile.
“Someone thinks they’re special…” I mutter to the apparent amusement of the rest of the table who immediately starts shaking with laughter.
Rory slaps his friend on the back. “Yeah, Declan. Why do you have to act so entitled?”
Declan rolls his eyes, but not without a smirk, then levels his gaze on me. “I suppose we haven’t properly been introduced, Serena Stollmeyer. My name is Declan Stormhold.”
The entire table falls silent, and I wait for him to elaborate. The surname does ring a bell, but nothing sparks. Eventually, I prompt, “And…?”
Dane’s body shakes beside me as Rory lets out a bark of laughter. Paxton’s growing grin has me more confused than ever. “What? I don’t get it.”
“Mistress,” Lore sighs into my mind, “you really should pay attention more often. Declan is a Stormhold, which means he is royalty.”
I gasp, my eyes flicking between her and Declan as she continues, “It also means the headmaster is his father and his grandfather is the King. The Academy of Light was founded by his ancestors.”
I stare at Declan and the way his lips pull into a smirk. “That… explains so much. No wonder you don’t like being told no.”
Rory snickers, the sound dying at the sharp look Declan sends him.
“And it explains the blonde trio this morning. How they thought showing me around was beneath you.” I shift my attention back to Declan, my head tilting to the side as I watch him carefully. “Why were you the one showing me around, anyway? I thought older students did that. You’re just as new to this school as I am, which means you weren’t actually guiding me anywhere.” I slap the table and point at him. “You really were keeping an eye on me!”
The deadpan look he shoots my way confirms my suspicions, and I can’t help my eyes as they trail down his neck and to his broad chest. He’s not the worst jailor to look at…
No matter. Clearing my throat, I focus on the paper in my hand and the classes we have to choose from. “So, what are we picking?”
The table remains silent for a beat before the others laugh, and a smile pulls on my face, their easy-going nature reassuring.
“Since it’s our first year, we have to do history, combat, and magical applications. But our electives really depend on our strengths.” Declan hums as he ticks off his three electives, the others following suit.
I stare at the list, not quite sure which subjects to choose. It’s not like it will really matter what I choose, I guess. Guilt knots in my stomach as I peek from the corner of my eyes to stare at Paxton and Dane.
As if sensing my gaze, Dane looks up, his brown eyes warm as he smiles. A fluttering sensation fills my chest at the comforting aura he gives off. Closing my eyes, I breathe in deeply, loving the way he seems to be able to soothe the anxiety swirling inside me.
“I swear, if you have some crazy soothing ability,
