Chapter 12 Sky Terrace #2
My chest locked up. Panic clawed its way up my throat, burning. Everything around me warped, edges pulsed, color draining, my breath snagged in terror. I was slipping, sinking, pride unraveling into raw, and choking fear.
I was going to die, not because I was weak, but because I was too proud, too blinded by stubbornness to save myself. That pride felt toxic now, eating me alive. Too emotional. Too stubborn. And Rory and Lorik saw this in me already. They were expecting it.
And as Rory raised her hand again, I looked straight at Lorik.
Then slowly my hand met the stone.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
I didn’t want to be weak. But I didn’t want to die either. The stone was cold, unforgiving beneath my hand as I admitted defeat, not to Rory, but to my own fear. The match was over.
But Rory lunged again.
She would’ve reached me but Ugo stepped in, intercepting her mid-lunge. He caught Rory sharply by the arm and yanked her back, making her stumble away from me.
He caught her by the arm, yanking her back with enough force to make her stumble. “She tapped,” Ugo said, voice sharp. “It’s done.”
Soehl dropped to her knees beside me, arms already wrapping around my shoulders. “It’s okay. I’ve got you. Just breathe.”
My eyes were still on Lorik.
His fists had finally unclenched, arms rigid at his sides.
But his expression hadn’t changed, those same unreadable eyes locked on mine. And I understood, maybe for the first time, that the hate was real.
It didn’t matter what my family had done.
It didn’t matter that I tried to apologize.
To him, I would always wear my family’s sins.
I turned my head, just in time to glimpse Soehl, her hands hovering over me, her magic pressing against the agony clawing through my body. I was breathless, trembling, every nerve alight.
Somewhere behind me, Shakari’s voice rose in a sharp, reckless shout at Rory. I tried to speak but my throat seized. My vision swam.
And then everything went black.
I woke to darkness.
Soft sheets. The scent of chamomile and smoke. Moonlight spilling in from the window. I wasn’t in the Sky Terrace anymore. I wasn’t bleeding. I wasn’t dying.
I blinked. The ceiling above me was carved wood. This was my room.
“She’s awake.” Shakari’s voice cut through the quiet, relieved like she’d been holding her breath for hours.
I turned my head. She was perched on the edge of my bed, eyes red, her blond hair messier than I’d ever seen it.
Soehl stood beside her, hands glowing faintly at her sides. Her posture was straighter than usual, composed but her eyes were soft.
“You’ve been out for six hours,” Soehl said. “You were so heavily bruised, and your nose was broken.”
“Soehl’s insane. She healed you like it was nothing.” Shakari added.
I tried to sit up. My body responded. No pain. No bruising. Just exhaustion. “Thank you,” I said, still disoriented. “I mean it.”
Soehl gave me the faintest smile. “Anything for my roommate.”
Soehl barely knew me, and she already felt like someone I could count on. Since the first day I met her, I knew she didn’t have anything to hide. That I could count on, just like Shakari. And looking at recent events, there aren’t many people I can trust within these walls.
Shakari shook her head like she was still boiling. “I almost went for Rory myself. The twins had to hold me back.”
Her voice dropped. “They actually picked me up and pulled me away by force.”
A dry laugh escaped me. “You would’ve destroyed her.”
“Exactly my goal,” she snapped.
I reached for her hand. “I was stupid,” I admitted.
“No,” she said, but I kept going.
“I was. I let my guard down because I thought…”
I looked away.
“Because I was too proud to show weakness. I wanted to show everyone I belong in Dragontail. All of them, Marla Yung, Lorik Draventh, Rory Ray.”
Neither of them said anything.
“She was determined to kill me,” I whispered. “And part of me doesn’t blame her.” Shakari made a noise as if to protest, but I shook my head.
“The queen, my mother, killed Lorik’s mother and his sister. Not with her bare hands, but she was the executor. Rory Rey loves him to do this for him. I would’ve wanted revenge too.”
Silence settled over the room.
Only the moonlight moved.
“You are not like those before you, Thea.” Shakari said after a long pause, “You are compassionate and caring.”
The door opened.
Thalen.
His face showed worry. I knew him well enough.
My two friends left without saying a word, without letting me protest. I was still mad at him. “Heard you didn’t tap,” he said as he walked to sit by my side.
“I don’t want a lecture, Thalen.”
“But you need one. You are pushing your limits, and you are going to get killed. I also heard about Marla Yung,” he said.
My mouth opened, then closed. Nothing I could say right now would help me, so I turned to the window, letting the glow of the full moon fill the silence. I was not going to hint that I was even remotely hurt by his betrayal that broke us up last year.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you need to train, Thea.
You need to learn to fight like a Dragontail.
Channel your emotions into combat. The Siren may have chosen you, but you still have to prove yourself in the Dragontail Trials.
Power isn’t enough. I saw them last year, they’re brutal.
Real body fights and magical tests that will tear you apart if you’re not ready.
” Thalen gestured to the training grounds below.
“And with your mom forcing you to do Emberkeep classes, this is only going to get harder.”
I turned my gaze back at him.
“I said I didn’t need a lecture.”
I paused, my words hanging in the air. His face was unreadable, stone and shadow but I could feel it, like a current running between us. He was trying. He still cared. That truth settled heavily in my chest, almost unwelcome.
“But you’re right,” I admitted quietly, the words tasting strange. “What do you suggest?”
Thalen’s gaze flickered past me. “I know you’re still there, Shakari. I can hear you whispering.” His voice rose, sharp. “Come in.”
The door swung open, and Shakari, Soehl, Rowan, and Tran spilled into the room.
“We will train you in combat. For real,” Shakari announced, her eyes alight like this was the moment she’d been waiting her whole life for.
“They’re still first-years,” Thalen said, “but I don’t trust anyone else in Dragontail. And you…” his gaze cut back to me “You cannot be wandering alone at night anymore. No more library walks. I promised your mother I’d keep you safe.”
My eyes snapped to Soehl and Shakari. They both flinched, the way people do when they know they’ve been caught. My gaze sharpened, silent and cutting. I gave a single nod, but the truth was, I had no intention of keeping that promise.
“We’re going to have so much fun,” Tran said, practically bouncing, like I was some new project he couldn’t wait to start. I finally placed which of the twins he was, probably because Rowan was glued to Shakari’s side as usual.