I ended the call and turned my tablet over, leaping off my bed. I tore my door open just in time to see Rune walk in.
“Hey, venom baby. You good?” I asked, trying to keep my voice light despite the way my chaos magic sung under my skin every time I was around her.
Snakey flicked his tongue in her direction, and I swore I saw his little red eyes soften.
“Was that icedrake really your ex?” Hawk asked, perched awkwardly on a pillow at the table in the living room.
“Unfortunately,” Rune muttered. She looked exhausted, eyes shadowed and tension carved into her shoulders.
I hated it.
Eleanor was the first to move, rising so fast her pillow fell back across the floor. She left and returned from the kitchen with a steaming mug of tea and strolled up to Rune. “Come sit with us,” she said softly, guiding her with a hand on her arm.“You don’thaveto talk about it…but you don’t have to carry it alone either.”
Without a word, Rune let herself be led to the table and sat on a pillow on the floor. Her spine was stiff, but her hands trembled as she sat.
Aura stepped out from the steamy bathroom, holding a glass vial between two fingers as she came over. “Found this on the sink,” she said, tone sharp. “Smells like it’s poison. You want it?”
Rune blinked, golden eyes shimmering faintly before she took the vial with a shaky breath. Her voice cracked as she murmured, “Thanks. Seriously.”
“Wait, is it smart to just drink poison when we have no idea where it came from?” Koa asked, but before we could agree, Rune dumped the entire contents into her tea without hesitation.
The room collectively winced as the poison hissed faintly on contact.
“I—wait, what kind of poisonwasthat?” Koa asked, concern etched into every line of his face.
Rune sipped. “Paralytic, maybe. Tastes spicy.”
Aura’s eyes were glued to Rune. “How is it?”
Rune sighed, eyes drifting closed for a moment. “Smooth.”
The room was silent, but the air thrummed with tension.
Why the fuck was there poison in the bathroom?
“You can talk to us, Rune,” Eleanor said gently, sitting beside her now, a hand on her back. “We’re not just classmates. We’re your squad.We are familyfor the next year. Whatever’s going on, we’re in it with you. If you tell us, we can help.”
I was impressed by how Eleanor was able to break through her walls.
Rune inhaled, the tension in her shoulders easing. “You’re right. I just…ugh, I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have had to see all that today.”
“You have nothing to apologize for. You did nothing wrong,” Dimitri stated.
“Who exactlyisyour ex?” Aura asked, pursing her lips curiously.
Rune exhaled a steady breath. “His name is Darian. He’s an icedrake. We dated for a year. He used to be Tobias’ best friend…until he saw what happened. Darian was possessive and controlling.”
Every one of us listened with intensity. Even Snakey coiled tighter on my shoulders.
“A month ago, he showed up at my house screaming at me because I hadn’t answered his calls. I’d removed the tracker he’d secretly put on my phone.” Her hand twitched around the mug. “He tried to force me to stay. He was going to show me why I should stay. He pinned me to my closed front door and shoved his tongue down my throat.”
A growl ripped from Zuko’s throat.
Koa’s fingertips sparked with phoenix fire.
I stood rigid, chaos magic bleeding visibly around me like a second aura.
Even Dimitri sat forward, fists clenched.
