I climb back into bed, pulling the blankets over us both. Poppy immediately curls into my side, her head on my chest, one leg hooked over mine.
“Comfortable?” I ask, running my fingers through her hair. The silver hairpin is still there, the blue gemstone in the center catching the moonlight.
“Mm-hmm,” she hums, already sounding half asleep, her hands curled up under her chin.
I press a kiss to the top of her head. “You should sleep. It’s been a long night.”
“And a good night,” she mumbles. “The best night.”
“Yeah,” I agree softly, smiling to myself. “The best.”
Snow is still falling outside the window, visible in the moonlight, coating the world in white. The castle is quiet except for the distant sound of wind and the occasional groan of old stone. The ball must not be over yet, or I’d surely hear other students returning, their doors slamming in the stairwell.
But I don’t care about anyone else. Because here, in my small dorm room, I’m holding the girl I love. The girl who trusted me with something precious. The girl who makes me want to be better, do better, try harder.
“Aric?” Poppy’s voice is barely a whisper, heavy with approaching sleep.
“Yeah, Brains?”
She wiggles closer, our skin pressed together beneath the blanket. “I’m glad it was you.”
My throat goes tight, and I have to swallow hard before I can respond. “Me too.”
A short time later, her breathing deepens, evening out into the steady rhythm of sleep.
The fire flickers in the hearth, casting dancing shadows on the walls. And as I lie there, watching Poppy sleep in my arms, I think that I’ve never been happier than I am in this moment.
I love her. She loves me. And somehow, despite all the ways we nearly ruined everything, we found our way here. Back to each other.
My eyes grow heavy, and I let them close, still holding Poppy close. The last thing I’m aware of before sleep claims me is the feeling of her breath against my chest, warm and steady, and the knowledge that everything is exactly as it should be.
Chapter 58
Aric
THE ROAR OF THE CROWD is deafening.
I sprint across the field, my feet pounding against the short grass, the arcane sphere clutched in my hands. It pulses with energy, warm against my palms.
“Aric! Left!” Leo’s voice cuts through the chaos.
I glance left and see him open, but Morgan is already closing in, her red braid streaming behind her as she charges toward me. She’s fast—she’s always been a quick, ferocious player—and the determination in her eyes tells me she’s not going to make this easy.
Good. I don’t want easy. Not today.
This is the final game of the semester, and it’s Hexrush versus the Sigil Strikers, the academy’s biggest rivals. We’re tied, three points each, with less than five minutes left on the clock.
I fake left, and Morgan takes the bait, lunging in that direction. I pivot right and throw the sphere to Leo, wholeaps and catches it with ease. He immediately launches himself forward, weaving between two Striker defenders with the kind of agility that makes him one of our best players.
“Cover him!” Morgan shouts to her team, but it’s too late. Leo passes the sphere to Mona, who’s positioned near the goalposts.
She winds up and takes the shot, but one of the Striker defenders materializes in front of her, conjuring a blast of wind that sends the sphere flying high, and another Striker player snatches it out of the air.
Fuck!
“Fall back!” I yell, and Hexrush scrambles into defensive positions.
We can’t let them score. Not when we’re this close to winning.
