“You don’t eat, and you’re rarely sleeping. You pretend to laugh. Something is wrong, Arwen, and you’re breaking yourself trying to hide it.”
Something cracks inside me, and I bite my lip to keep it together.
“I…” The word barely makes it out. It sounds thin.So embarrassing.
All my usual fire, all that Wrath edge—I can’t find any of it. It’s like someone scooped me out and left the outline behind.
She squeezes my hand gentle, steady and warm. “Whatever it is, you don’t have to carry it alone.”
I shake my head. “You don’t understand, Holly. If I tell you—if anyone finds out—”
“Then we protect it.” She leans in closer. "You think I’m gonna run and tell someone? Why would you think that? You’re our friend, Arwen. I care about you. We all do. You need to tell us what’s going on. "
Tears sting my eyes again, but this time they come from somewhere else. Somewhere softer.
“I’m scared,” I whisper. “If the wrong person hears this… I could get kicked out. Maybe worse.”
“Then we keep it between us,” she says. “We guard it like a damn fortress. But please… let us in. Let me in.”
I stare at her for a long moment. And then… I nod.
“Okay,” I say. “I’ll tell you. But I need everyone. I need to know that if I say this—if I trust you—it won’t come back to destroy me.”
“You have my word,” she says without even blinking. “I’ll go get them. We’ll be right here. With you.”
She gives my hand one more squeeze and rises to her feet.
As she leaves, I stare down at my trembling hands.
The fear is still there. But something else is too.
A flicker of relief.
A thread of hope.
For the first time since I stepped foot into SinVail Academy… I don’t feel like I’m drowning alone.
***
We’reall crammed into my tiny bedroom, the door shut, curtains drawn. The room smells of incense—Holly lit it to "set the mood"—and someone, probably Brix, brought snacks that no one’s touched.
“So,” Brix says, flopping down at the edge of my bed, “what’s up with the late-night cult meeting? Are we performing a seance or just finally voting me off the island?”
I give him a soft smile. I can always count on Brix to raise the mood.
Taking a deep breath, I look at every one of them. My people. My friends. The only ones I might trust with this.
“I know you’ve all realized something’s been up with me,” I say, my voice steady despite how much my insides are vibrating. “And I’m done pretending nothing’s wrong.”
They all go still. No jokes. No interruptions.
“But before I say anything,” I go on, “you need to know… if this gets out, I’m not just in trouble. The school could expel me. Or worse.”
The air shifts. Sly’s expression hardens. Holly folds her arms tight. Tabby raises her brows but doesn’t speak.
“I’m not just… coming into the academy sinless,” I say. “You already know about the Council trial, but what you haven’t heard is that they only gave me one year.”
Concern etches their faces as I continue, “One year to manifest a power. Or the Council will exile me to the wastes. No support. No protection. No resources. Just thrown into the Wastes.”
