I step onto the stone ledge and look back one last time.
He’s sitting upright now, obscured by shadows, his icy eyes fixed on me with unnerving clarity. The wind sweeps the curtains aside for a moment, revealing his unreadable expression, and my blade still lodged in his side.
I should be worried about that. But somehow, I know he’ll find me if he wants to, knife or not.
I start to turn away, but not before catching his smirk.
“You just marked yourself as mine.”
And I jump.
Chapter 1
Octavia
I barely slept, my thoughts keeping me restless and turning over throughout the night.
Yesterday, I spent the day with my sister, Ophelia.
Finding her safe was a relief, but seeing the state she was in tightened something in my chest so intensely I could hardly breathe.
Because I feel like I failed her.
I should have looked after my sister, and instead I left her on her own.
We went to the infirmary, where I stayed beside her while they stitched the wounds, and I tried—pointlessly—to give some clarity about what had happened at the party two nights earlier.
Clarity I don’t possess myself.
I know what happened to me.
I jumped from that damned balcony, nearly shattered my ankle, then ran through the estate searching for Ophelia, Eleanor, Piper, anyone.
But none of them were there.
I couldn’t risk hanging around in case Markev followed, so I took the first car I could—a bloody Lamborghini Aventador, of all things.
Who leaves the keys inside?
Honestly.
Then I checked.
Of course.
Fucking Markev.
That’s who.
I drove straight to Adelaide’s place outside London, where we were meant to regroup.
When I arrived to find it empty, I didn’t linger. I drove back to the docks, took the first ferry to Elaris Isle, and reached the academy just as dawn began to break.
The Lamborghini came with me. I parked it in the academy lot and shoved the keys somewhere safe in my dorm.
I should probably be more concerned about antagonising him. He is hardly stable to begin with, and stealing his car on top of stabbing him is only going to intensify whatever fixation he already has.
But how would he even reach me?
