“It’s fine, Rion. I’m fine. It’s all fine.” Can anything really be that fine if you have to say it three times? I don’t think so, and neither does he if the shake of his head is any indication, the veins at his temples protruding with his barely contained frustration.
“Anything to do with The Sanctum is far from fine. Evensheknows it,” he mumbles, nodding his head toward Professor Morton as he slips his cell phone from his pocket.
“Do I need to speak with Professor Drayker?” She cocks a brow at him as I frown in confusion athis frozen state. The tick to his jaw is undeniable, just like the white of his knuckles as he grinds his teeth and glares at the professor in the room.
“That won’t be necessary. She is no longer my guardian. But, if you just let me reach out to Kael, I?—”
“How about you do that while I take her with me,” Morton interjects, cutting the distance between us with her hand stretched in my direction, and I gape in surprise as Rion’s eyes widen comically.
“No, I?—”
Before he can say another word, I feel Morton’s fingers curl around my upper arm just as my dorm room disappears.
Nausea churns in my stomach as my surroundings swiftly shift. Her hand is gone a moment later and I keel forward, hands braced on my knees as I hold back a dry heave.
“What the hell was that?” I mutter once there’s less of a chance that I’m going to puke.
She sighs, and I imagine there’s an eye roll in there too, but I’m not prepared to lift my head just yet. “Transitioning. He was driveling on and it was growing tiresome,” she states, like that’s the whole reason I feel like I’m dying right now.
Taking a deep breath through my nose, I exhaleslowly, repeating the motion a few more times before I dare to stand tall again. The room tilts slightly, but it’s a lot more bearable. My brows knit together when all I see is a narrow corridor with three oak doors spread down the length of it.
“Where are we now?” I ask, bypassing the opportunity to thank her for showing me a little grace and patience.
“The Sanctum, of course. Carry on through there,” she commands, waving her hand toward the farthest door, and I nod, but don’t move.
“Where are you going?” I ask when she takes a backward step, and her cheeks pale.
“Oh, I’m not staying.” The fear in her eyes is evident before she disappears into thin air, leaving me to deal with the insanity that is The Sanctum alone.
Maybe Rion was right. It’s possible that it’s not fine. Perhaps I should have waited for Kael—no, it definitely can’t be that bad. I refuse to believe it.
With that reminder, I roll my shoulders back and stand tall. I refuse to let the assholes on the other side of that door see me as weak. Well, weaker than I’m sure they already think I am.
Standing here is only going to delay the inevitable. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to face theconsequences of my actions, and it’s technically not the first time The Sanctum has decided the outcome. Another slap on the wrist and a trip back to The Vale feels like nothing in the grand scheme of things, especially when it’s now clear I have no alternative. I’ll go willingly.
If they’re nice, I might even apologize for running to begin with.
Reaching the door standing between me and my punishment, I find it sits slightly ajar. I steel my spine as I take a deep breath and nudge it open before I can change my mind.
It goes against every fiber inside of me not to run; the desire is real, just like it has been since the moment I arrived. Now, if this is going to be my new home, I have to start treating it as such, which means there is no more running.
My gut churns as the room comes into view, and I immediately doubt my strength as I come face to face with the five members of The Sanctum. Before I melt under their intense stares, I glance around the small room as I give myself a moment to steady my breathing.
The entire space is whitewashed, floor included, except for a small blackXpainted on the floor facing the long wooden table where they sit. There are no windows and the lack of natural light isnoticeable. It’s as if the air is being sucked from my lungs.
Gulping, I wordlessly move to the mark on the floor, silently assuming it’s meant for me before I turn my attention to the five assholes hellbent on upheaving my life.
They’re sitting in the exact same order as they were the last time I saw them, only that time, I had stood dead center in what looked like a courtroom as opposed to this barren room.
The redhead is on the end; Anya, the viper. I didn’t like her the first time I saw her. Knowing that she’s also Willow’s mother makes me hate her even more. Her nose is tipped up in distaste, her lips pursed with a sourness I don’t have the energy to entertain.
Instead, I move down the line, spying the dark-haired ass who I think is called Toman. I remember him being the most hellbent on doing everything by the book. His fingers are laced together on the table, his gaze set on mine, but his features give nothing away. I can’t decide if that’s a good thing or not, but regardless, I don’t linger on him too long.
Turning my attention to the opposite end of the table, I could shrivel up and die under the daggers of Cordelia. Her stare is icier than her silvery hair as she steeples her deep red nails along the wood.She’s imagining me dead. I can feel it. It sends a shiver down my spine. The last time I saw her, she was collected and reserved, but it seems as though things have changed since then.
I run my tongue over my bottom lip as I move along the line up to where the blond-haired guy sits. Rikard. I didn’t like him last time, either, and that fact hasn’t changed. It’s the slight curl to his upper lip and the way his eyes are devoid of emotion as he peers into mine, judging me without my approval.
Finally, my attention is drawn to the man sitting at the center, Saken. His peppered hair now looks even grayer. How much time has actually passed? He looks tired and inconvenienced by being here, but it wasn’t me who called this meeting. I might be the issue, but I can’t bring myself to accept that it’s entirely my fault.
