Morgan stands beside him, wearing a stunning crimson gown that complements her red hair. Even from here, I can see how beautiful they look together. Two runeball captains, both brimming with confidence, a perfect pair.
She says something, leaning in close, and she’s smiling—clearly interested despite what Aric has told me about them. Her hand comes up to rest on his arm, and Aric laughs at what she says.
My resolve wavers.
Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe I shouldn’t have come. Maybe—
“Poppy!” a familiar voice calls, and I turn to see Professor Silvermoon approaching with a tall, handsome man I recognize as her husband.
She’s wearing a gorgeous gown of midnight blue, and her silver hair is swept up in an elegant arrangement, two twirly strands framing her face.
“Professor Silvermoon,” I manage, trying to smile despite the anxiety churning in my stomach.
She pulls me into a brief hug, the smell of lavender swirling around us. “You look absolutely stunning. That dress is perfect on you.”
“Thank you,” I whisper.
She steps back, studying my face with those perceptive eyes of hers, and then she glances across the room—toward where Aric stands with Morgan—before looking back at me. “The blue moon is the perfect time to be brave. Don’t you think?”
I glance out one of the many windows at the rising moon, and looking at it, I get a little tingle down my spine. Then I meet Professor Silvermoon’s gaze again. “I hope so.”
“I know so.” She flicks a look over my shoulder, her lips pulling into a broad, easy smile. “Cairn. It’s so good to see you.”
We all glance back at the minotaur, who clears his throat and slides his hands into his trouser pockets. “You as well, Selene.”
Lyra loops her arm through his, not at all concerned about her professors seeing her with the academy’s prior groundskeeper, and he seems to soften at her touch, like she stabilizes him. It makes me smile for both of them.
With that, Professor Silvermoon drifts toward the buffet tables with her husband, her gown glittering as she goes, and my focus flits across the room again, to where Aric is still standing with Morgan.
Before I can look away, he turns.
Our eyes meet across the crowded ballroom, and everything else falls away.
Emotion flickers across his face, his hazel eyes widening. His lips part slightly, and even from this distance, I can see the way his chest rises with a sharp intake of breath.
Then, without offering Morgan even a glance, he leaves her side.
And strides straight toward me.
Morgan’s smile falters and fades. Her eyes narrow, but it doesn’t look like anger. It looks like... disappointment. Hurt, maybe. And I feel a pang of sympathy for her, even as relief and hope flood through me.
And for the first time, I realize that she’s not the villain, even if I’ve been treating her that way since I learned of her past relationship with Aric. She’s just another girl who fell for him, just like I did.
How could she not?
The crowd parts for him, students stepping aside as he crosses the ballroom. He doesn’t look away from me, doesn’t hesitate. His eyes stay locked on mine, and I feel like I can’t breathe, can’t move, can’t do anything except stand here, frozen, and wait for him to reach me.
“Go get him,” Alina whispers, giving me a gentle nudge forward.
“You can do this,” Lyra adds.
I give them a nod. Then I take a step forward, followed by another, my long skirt tickling the tops of my shoes. Behind me, I sense my friends drifting away, giving us space, but I barely register their departure.
Because Aric is there. Right in front of me. Close enough that I can smell his familiar scent—cedar and woodsmoke. Inote the tension in his wide shoulders and the way his hands flex at his sides, like he wants to reach for me but doesn’t dare.
“Poppy.” My name is barely a whisper on his lips, but I hear it over the music, over the crowd, over everything. The way he says it makes my eyes blur with sudden tears. “You came.”
“I did,” I say, and my voice shakes. I smooth my hands down my dress. “I-I wasn’t sure you’d come. Or... if you’d want to see me.”
