Names floated past me, bits of laughter, nervous energy, hope stitched into every word they spoke, and I nodded along, doing my best to stay present even as that cold sensation from the shadow mark lingered just beneath the surface.
“You made these?” one woman asked, holding up a pastry like it might vanish if she blinked.
“I did,” I said, keeping my tone light. “With a little help.”
Twobble puffed up immediately. “A lot of help.”
Keegan’s shoulder brushed mine, and I leaned into that for just a second before stepping aside to let them gather around the table.
Stella watched them with a soft smile, her gaze warm in a way that made the room feel fuller, safer, even as everything inside me said that safety was thinning by the minute.
“You’re doing well,” she murmured, low enough that only I could hear.
“I don’t feel like I am,” I admitted.
“That’s how you know you are,” she replied, already turning to refill a teacup like she hadn’t just said something that stuck with me more than I wanted it to.
I glanced at Keegan, and he was watching me again, not pressing, not questioning, just there, waiting for me to decide what came next. But I saw something else stirring behind his gaze, and I knew I needed to ask him about Rendel today. He couldn't just hide the surprise and hurt for the rest of his life.
“I need a moment,” I said quietly.
Keegan nodded once. “I’ll keep things steady here.”
Twobble pointed at me with a pastry. “Don’t go too far.”
“You’ll survive,” I said, though a small part of me wished I could believe that for all of us.
I slipped away from the buffet table, weaving through clusters of conversation and flickers of magic, past Bella as she demonstrated something small and clever with a strand of light, past Nova whose eyes tracked me for a brief moment before she gave the smallest nod, as if she already knew where I was going.
The farther I moved from the center of the room, the quieter it became, the buzz of voices fading just enough to let my thoughts catch up with me.
The shadow mark pulsed again.
Colder this time.
I stopped near the edge of the hall, my breath catching as that sensation sharpened. I straightened my shoulders and walked out of the banquet hall towards the front door.
“Maeve.”
I looked up at the sound of Karvey’s voice, and he stood just near the massive doors. He had his wings tucked in tight, his expression set in a way that made something uneasy twist in my stomach. He rarely came to the Academy grounds, so this was extremely worrisome.
“I was looking for you,” he said.
“I had a feeling something shifted.” I touched the shadow mark briefly.
His gaze flicked briefly toward the hall behind me, then back again. “There’s been another report.”
My heart sank. “From Shadowick?”
“The compound.” He nodded once. “From Horny’s contact.”
Even worse.
I pressed my lips together. “What now?”
Karvey stepped closer, lowering his voice even further. “The Priestess is no longer waiting.”
The cold from the shadow mark spread, slow and deliberate, and I had to fight the instinct to reach for it again.
