Chapter 25
Thou Shalt Not Forget Who’s Watching
Arwen
“Here, let me carry that for you,” Brix says, brushing past me with a crooked grin as I pile my tray with bacon and eggs. His fingers brush mine when he steadies the tray, and I can’t help the tiny spark it sends through me.
“Brix, I can carry my own breakfast,” I say, trying to sound annoyed, but the heat creeping up my neck betrays me.
“Sure, sure,” he says, shrugging as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. “But I enjoy holding your hand while I do it.”
I freeze mid-step. He’s holding out his hand, and before I can even think, I slide my fingers into his. It’s absurd. I can feel the weight of everyone else’s eyes — including the schemers at my table — enjoying every second of this little charade.
“Arwen,” Tabby whispers from across the cafeteria, barely concealing her smirk, “you’re grinning like an idiot.”
“Shut up,” I mutter, though I can’t help smiling.
Brix winks at me. “Ignore them. Let’s enjoy our breakfast.”
I glance down at my tray. My mind keeps drifting back to the night that I caught him. Atticus had knocked on my door, hesitant in a way I’d never seen before, desperation filling his voice as he repeatedly asked to talk.
Holly and I hadn’t said a word; we just sat there, silent, until he left. Nothing else. No explanation, no apology—just that flicker of raw emotion before he vanished.
Since then, he hasn’t dared approach me in public. His flawless image would never survive it. But I still feel it, his bond thrashing against mine like a storm whenever we’re near. All that unspoken anger, guilt, curiosity… and something darker that I can’t name.
“Hey!” Holly nudges my elbow. “What’s with the dazed look?”
I shake myself and look up just in time to see a couple of younger students from Greed walk up to our table, holding a small, wrapped package.
“For you,” one of them says, sliding it onto my tray.
Brix narrows his eyes, a low rumble escaping his throat. “Who the hell sent that?” He mutters under his breath. Even though we’re pretending, his protective edge is sharp.
I pick up the package and tear the paper away. Inside is a plastic tiara, and instead of a diamond in the center… there’s a little plastic fish. I burst into genuine laughter. Holly clasps a hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh along, while Cleo rolls her eyes but smirks.
I pull out the tiny card tucked inside.
“Arwen, this tiara is a subtle nod to your impeccable taste and unparalleled aquatic affinity. Also, I’m expecting your presence tonight. Don’t disappoint me. — Ryker,”
“Well… I guess the universe just scheduled me for a date with a self-proclaimed tiara expert. Lucky me?”
Tabby leans forward, eyes sparkling. “Plans? Ryker plans? Wait, are we talking friends or… a date?”
I can feel the tension tighten in the air, the ghost of Atticus pressing on me even though he is sitting far away. His bond is a flurry, emotions slashing in every direction. Anger. Guilt. Betrayal. Heartbreak. Curiosity. Resentment. Attraction. But underneath it all, unmistakable pride.
The emotional effects of the bond seem to get worse the more we interact or find ourselves in close proximity.
Brix smirks at me, letting go of my hand but keeping close enough that the proximity is deliberate.
“Well,” he says, voice low, “it looks like someone booked your night. Don’t worry, I’ll still be here when you get back to continue Willshire’s torture.”
I roll my eyes at him, but the warmth spreading in my chest is undeniable. I glance down at the plastic tiara and the little fish gleaming in the cafeteria light, and I can’t stop myself from laughing again.
Even as the teasing and warmth of my friends surrounds me, I know the storm of Atticus’s gaze is still there, invisible but suffocating.
***
I’m brushing out my hair, humming a little to myself, trying not to think too much about Ryker. I’ve got my outfit laid out—the one I spent way too long picking with Holly while we raided her closet. Cozy, cute, just enough sass to keep him on his toes. And no fucking skirt.
And then I hear it: a soft thump from the other side of my room.
I freeze. The window’s closed. My door… still locked.
“Stormcloud.”
I spin around to find my missing bond sitting on my bed. Relaxed, like he belongs here. His blue eyes fixed on me, sharp, piercing, and that wolfish grin spread across his face.
Maylo.
Maylo Villanox is sitting in my room. On my bed.
“How did you—”
“Don’t ask questions about how I get places,” he interrupts, voice low, teasing, dangerous. “It ruins the magic.”
I cross my arms, glaring. “You can’t just pop into people’s rooms. That… has to be against the rules. It’s also creepy. And terrifying.”
He chuckles, the sound echoing. “Terrifying? Good. I like a little reaction.”
I grit my teeth. “So why are you here?”
“Simple,” he says, leaning forward, elbows on his knees. “I want to know more about you. Get to know what’s in that brain. And maybe I’m getting a little tired of watching from the sidelines.”
I blink. “The sidelines? You haven’t even been here.”
“Oh, I’ve been here the entire time. You’re always running around, little stormcloud. Doing so many things I don’t understand. And even shutting me out sometimes. I don’t know how you do that.”
He pulls the drawer out of my nightstand and just starts rummaging through my things, like I’m not even here.
“Meeting with Ryker today, yes?” He asks.
I stiffen. “Excuse me?”
He tilts his head, grin widening.
“I said, I know you’re going out with him. But it’s fine. I’m not going to kill him… yet. Not when he makes you smile my favorite smile. I just… want to understand the way you think. How you move. How you… let people in.”
I feel a shiver crawl down my spine. “That’s… a lot to take in. You don’t even know me.”
“Oh, I know lots of little things, stormcloud. I know you have an awfully large obsession with history books…” He says, fingering my newest book from Professor Gabriel on my night desk.
“Hey, don’t touch that!”
“I know you like to practice your combat skills with your roommates… and the locker rooms you use after.”
“Locker rooms?! Wait. We’re you the one tha-”
“I know the private courtyard you like to sunbathe in, which you have to see the irony in too, little stormcloud.” He continues.
“What is with this stormcloud bullshit?! Are you the one who’s been leaving me the pictures? How have you been getting in here?”
He just grins at me again, remaining silent.
“Your sort of freaking me out.” I say as I back away from the bed.
“Oh, it gets better.” He slides closer, casually, like the distance doesn’t matter. “What are you wearing tonight?”
I freeze, caught between outrage and unease. “That’s none of your business.”
“Of course it’s my business. You’re my bond.” His gaze flicks to my tights, just so, and his voice drops.
“I’m glad you’re wearing them. Your little legs always looked so cold.”
My heart skips. “You left the tights?”
Knock. Knock. Knock.
“You ready, Arwen?” Ryker says from the door.
I turn toward the door. “Shit, just a minute. I need to change.”
When I turn back towards my bed, I find nothing.
Spinning around, confused, my eyes scan the room.
Maylo’s gone. Just… gone. No sound, no trace, nothing except that lingering chill and the weight of his words.
This certifiably insane bond of mine has clearly been stalking me, and I have no time to digest this information.
I rush to get changed and leave the dorm to greet Ryker.
I step out of my dorm, and there he is—leaning against the wall with a smug look that I should hate.
“You ready to go, princess?” he asks, smiling that perfect smile.
“Yes,” I reply, hiding a grin, “but I still hate the nickname.”
“Sorry,” he says, shrugging, “it’s here to stay.”
I roll my eyes, but I can’t stop smiling. He tilts his head, eyes twinkling. “So… you ready to admit this is a date-date yet? Or are we still firmly in friend territory?”
Tapping my chin, I pretend to ponder. “Hmm… that depends. Where are you dragging me?”
He smirks, eyes sparkling with mischief. “It’s a surprise. And don’t worry—no tripping over tree roots this time.”
We wind past the courtyard toward the Greed Tower. My steps slow, and I can’t help the tiny shiver of nerves crawling up my spine. “Never been this far into campus,” I admit, voice casual but my stomach doing flips.
He catches the hesitation, tilting his head like he’s amused. “Relax, princess. I’m not taking you to my dorm… yet. Unless you beg.”
I roll my eyes and jab him in the chest, hiding a grin. “Greedy dog.”
We reach the top floor using a lift that I secretly wish we had in our dorms.
Lazy Arwen.
We continue up the spiral staircase inside the top of the tower, my fingers brushing the cold iron railing. My heart is doing that stupid fluttery thing, the one that makes me feel both nervous and… excited. When we reach the top, the door creaks open, and I step out into the open air.
The academy stretches below us, a glowing sea of lights. I take a deep breath, letting the wind whip through my hair. Ryker is right behind me, close enough that I can feel his warmth, but he doesn’t crowd me.
“You like it?” he asks, his voice soft, almost hesitant.
I let my gaze roam over the view, catching my breath despite myself. “Okay… wow,” I admit, trying to sound casual but failing. Then I look at him, eyebrow quirking. “Seriously… this is… impressive.”
He smirks, shrugging like it's nothing. “I wanted it to be a surprise. Somewhere new but still private, somewhere we can go at night without the threat of a fracture.” I laugh.
“I come up here a lot to think at night sometimes.” He says.
I glance around; the rooftop courtyard is half in shadow, half bathed in moonlight.
“I can see why you’d want to think… or, you know, escape from people staring at you like you’re some shiny artifact.”
He chuckles, low and easy, and his mischievous smile melts my nerves. “Shiny artifact, huh? I’ll take it.”