"I'm fine," I tell them, unconvincing even to myself. "Everything's fine."
Mouse's unimpressed stare says otherwise.
I push off the wall and head for the dining hall, but the weight of the moment follows me: Darian's possessive touch, Malrik's controlled fury, Finn's faltering smile. Something's shifting between all of us. I’m just not sure what it is yet.
Chapter 25
Kaia
The dining hall is half-empty when I arrive, dinner hours nearly over. Perfect—quiet enough to avoid questions but noisy enough to drown out my thoughts. I claim a corner table, Mouse settling underneath while my shadows drift around the legs.
Bob starts arranging my silverware with military precision.
Fantastic.
"Stop that," I mutter, deliberately shifting my fork crooked just to see what he'll do. The shadow twitches, then firmly corrects it. "I'm trying to eat, not prepare for a royal inspection."
"Talking to yourself again? Or are the shadows keeping you company?"
Seren drops into the seat across from me, her lavender hair catching the torchlight. She dumps a stack of books beside her plate, the top one glowing with what I'm certain are illegal runes.
"What happened to you?" she asks, grinning. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Or worse—Professor Idorath's attempt at dancing."
A laugh escapes before I can stop it. "Nothing happened. Just... an intense training session."
"With your sexy new tutor?" She steals one of my rolls, ignoring my protest. "The one with the cheekbones and the brooding?"
"Darian doesn't brood," I say, stabbing my potatoes. "He's actually really helpful. And nice. And—"
"And totally not why you're sitting here looking like you want to disappear into the shadows." She raises an eyebrow. "I mean, more than usual."
My shadows swirl faster, and I swear one of them nods in agreement.
"It's complicated," I say finally.
"Isn't it always?" Seren shrugs, opening her notebook. "But you know what's not complicated? This ridiculous enchantment I found in the restricted section. Want to see something explode?"
I blink. "Should I be worried that's your solution to everything?"
"Hey, if it works..." Her grin widens as she sketches something in the margin. "Besides, it's better than brooding about boys. Some of us have more important things to focus on."
"I'm not brooding about boys," I say flatly.
"Sure you're not." Her expression softens slightly. "Just... be careful, okay? Some kinds of attention aren't as nice as they seem."
Before I can ask what she means, her notebook starts smoking.
"Oh void," she yelps, slamming it shut. "That wasn't supposed to happen for at least three more components!"
Mouse chuffs in amusement as Seren grabs her books and bolts. I follow close behind, trying not to laugh as we dodge angry glares from the kitchen staff.
We burst into the hallway at full speed, Seren clutching her smoldering notebook like a bomb.
"Explain to me again how this was supposed to work?" I ask, trying not to trip over Mouse, who thinks this is a fantastic game.
"It's basic runic transference," she huffs, dodging a startled first-year. "I amplify the power source through a stabilization matrix, then channel it into—"
"Into an unholy firebomb?" I point at our smoking trail.
