“I never questioned your loyalty, did I? Or perhaps I should have?”

  Theo’s eyes flicked back to hers, then dropped away again.

  At last Astra turned from the window. No longer flustered, her features settled back into their familiar nonchalance. She took less than a second to sensed the shimmering tension, and proceeded to cut it away with the same ruthless efficiency she applied to everything else.

  “Are we planning a mission, or am I just here to eavesdrop on a lovers’ quarrel?”

  Athena caught the brief sting in Theo’s eyes and instantly looked away, feeling an unexpected guilt over his dejected expression. She hadn't done anything wrong... had she? He was the one keeping secrets.

  Pushing up from the chair, she quickly slid the tablet off the table and eased it into her bag. “The Gala’s next Saturday. Find a way in.”

  Theo didn’t look up. “Thena… I barely made it through the last fight. Watching your back and someone else’s? I’m not sure I can handle it.”

  He didn’t say the word, but Athena understood what he meant. Inadequate.

  Was she that much of a burden to him?

  “I can handle myself,” she said, sharper than she meant to, and started for the door without looking back.

  His hand closed lightly around her wrist. “It’s not about you,” he said sincerely. “It’s about me. I don’t want to watch someone I care about get hurt. And you most of all.”

  Her eyes flicked to where he held her, then traveled up to search his face. “Then, once you get inside the door, find an excuse for your guest to leave early. Send them home before things get complicated.”

  “That… might work. I wasn’t thinking straight.” He raked a hand through his silver hair. “I’ll figure it out.”

  "I’m leaving. Shopping,” Astra said, her excuse was almost transparent. “You two clearly have things to discuss.”

  "Actually,” Athena said, “I'll join you."

  As they stepped into the hallway, Theo’s conflicted expression clung to Athena.

  Astra stopped short enough that Athena nearly walked into her. “Don’t do that again.”

  Athena exhaled through her nose. “Do what, exactly? You know I respect your mind’s privacy.”

  “I’m not talking about telepathy. Sometimes people just need room to breathe. Theo especially. Don’t be so hard—”

  “On him?”

  "On yourself.” Astra’s eyes met hers unflinchingly. “His reaction just now had nothing to do with your Gift. But you think it did. That was all over your face.”

  Athena instinctively looked away.

  “Not everyone is as unshakable as they seem,” Astra added. “Not him, and certainly not you."

  “That’s an assumption.”

  “You snapped your pen.”

  Athena looked down at her hand, noticing she hadn’t put away her pen. It was still intact, but her grip had left faint marks in her palm. She lifted her gaze just in time to catch the smallest twitch at the corner of Astra’s mouth.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Was that… amusement? Since when was Astra playful?

  Without a word, Astra walked on. Athena followed, still processing that blunt, but honest comment. It had felt… comforting.

  Maybe Theo’s hesitation wasn’t fear.

  Maybe she wasn’t as perceptive as she thought.

  She lengthened her stride to catch up and asked with a reluctant smile, “Astra. We are shopping, correct?”

  “Skipping class now?”

  “Maybe, I’m a regular in detention anyway.”

  “Then you’re paying,” Astra said with an almost smile.

  Athena pulled out a black credit card. “Adrian is. So go wild.”

  “Wild?” Astra’s tone lightened. "Your ride or mine?"

  “I think I’ll pass on the motorcycle,” Athena answered with a chuckle. “I’d rather not end up in the hospital.”

  Astra scoffed. “Hyperbole, and a bit offensive.”

  They disappeared down the corridor, their voices trailing off as they debated about Astra’s alarming choice of vehicle.

  Envy glided through the hallway to the staff room, leaving a translucent ripple imperceptible in the afternoon sun. Inside, Eydis sat in the exact centre of a lopsided chalk pentagram, legs folded, flipping through an open grimoire on her knees.

  Whatever she was doing, it seemed to be one sigil away from brilliance. Or disaster. Possibly both.

  She narrowed her eyes at the markings. “This should absolutely, definitely, probably work. In theory.”

  “With such brilliance creating it, My Queen, success cannot help but arrive.” Envy materialised, taking the form of an elegant serpent that draped across her shoulders. Its obsidian scales winked with violet iridescence.

  “Less flattery, more facts. What’s the update on Theo?”

  Envy let out a theatrical hiss. “Your Majesty, as your most loyal, stylish, and devastatingly beautiful Sin, I must inform you that your terrifying roommate is a member of the student council. I crept, I spied, I nearly faded from existence for the privilege of whispering it into your royal ears.”

  “Save the melodrama, Envy, or I’ll turn you into a retractable whip.”

  "Of course…but first, a teeny tiny favour, Your Majesty. Could you banish that mongrel from your mind? His odour alone is—“

  Eydis pinched the serpent mid-tirade and plopped it inside the pentagram. Standing, she began to chant under her breath.

  The lopsided drawing aligned itself into a perfect circle, pulsing with brilliant white light. Envy yelped, its golden eyes widening in horrified disbelief as its luxurious sheen leached into a ghastly white.

  "Oops." Eydis batted her eyelashes innocently. “Accidentally ordered extra bleach instead of extra healing.”

  Quieter, she said to herself, "Though, this spell does seem familiar—“

  "Your Majesty, albino? ALBINO? Have you been consulting that sanctimonious unicorn or, worse, the Charming-Lite knight? Where's my seductive shimmer?"

  “I would not label Theo sanctimonious. Besides, look at the bright side, Envy, you're a limited-edition collectible now. Think of the price you'll fetch on the black market if you continue to whine.”

  “But… my mystique, my—”

  Eydis lifted a hand. “Before we try again, debrief.”

  "Let's not even try again, Your Majesty! I heard they're…” Envy’s gaze darted ever so slightly away before meeting Eydis's. “They’re… analysing your blood. Something about a match in a database.”

  Hmm.

  She hadn’t been as thorough as she should’ve been, but at least Envy had taken care of the sigil. However, what if these people had some strange way of cataloging blood?

  She should come up with a few alibis, just in case.

  Then again, the authorities here seemed surprisingly relaxed about that colossal eye in the sky. They seemed to be taking their time staring back at it. Complacent? Or incompetent? Maybe she wasn’t in immediate danger, for now.

  Catching Envy's shifty eyes, she smirked. "You're holding out on me, aren't you?"

  “Never!” Envy’s tongue flicked. “I offer only the purest truth. As pure as…” It glanced down at its bleached body. “…as pure as I look, thanks to your... shall we say creative beautification efforts."

  Without a word, Eydis erased a few glyphs and redrew the sigil. She plucked the serpent from her shoulders again and dropped it into the center with a faint “oof.”

  The glyphs lit up. Envy barely had time to protest before it began giggling uncontrollably.

  “Tee-hee—Y-Your Majesty—what did you do?!”

  "Purest truth," Eydis repeated playfully. "You have a way with words, Envy, but perhaps you haven't shared all the information, have you?"

  Envy’s tongue vibrated with each ‘tee-hee.’ "Y-Your tee-hee Majesty! Have you turned me into a tee-tee-tick-hee-lish schoolgirl?!"

  Eydis knelt and restes her chin on her hand. “Stress-relief enchantment. Remarkable efficacy.”

  The Sin writhed helplessly, "Please... Stopp hahahahaha! I'll tee-tee-tell you absolutely everything!"

  She snapped her fingers and ended the spell. "Remember, Envy. Next time you withhold information, laughter might be the mildest form of persuasion I use."

  Envy sagged, breathless. "Okay, before you get mad… I might have trended. Online. Briefly. Or not so briefly. There’s some attention that would make your black market comment somewhat... prophetic.”

  Eydis’s smile faded just slightly. “Go on.”

  “Right now?”

  Eydis reached for chalk.

  Envy swallowed. “Immediately. Immediately! There’s a short, a meme. Or three. Possibly viral. Very viral. One includes—”

  She sighed. “You don’t need to go back that far, Envy.”