Celeste’s POV

*****

Female Dormitory, 9:12 AM

"Holy shit..." I rasped, hand on my chest like I’d just clawed out of an ocean. "Did that... Did I really just—"

"Now that’s one way to start the morning." Willow’s voice took me by surprise.

I snapped my head to the vanity where she sat with a small smile, brushing her hair unhurriedly. She stared at my reflection in the mirror as I sat up. "Swearing first thing after waking up. I should try that sometime."

There wasn’t the usual playfulness or teasing in her tone when she said that. Rather, she seemed distraught, lowering the brush while trying hard to keep that smile.

I saw through it instantly. "Good morning, Willow."

"Good morning, boo," she glanced back once, taking me fully. "Another nightmare, huh?"

I shook my head. I definitely didn’t want to tell her that I just spoke to the moon goddess after my consciousness travelled to her realm.

Sure she might believe me with all the recent craziness in my life. But reliving that conversation first thing after waking up felt wrong.

So, naturally, I shifted the conversation to her. "What’s up with you? You look like one of your favourite book characters just died," I paused, faking a gasp. "Don’t tell me it’s the book you got me reading last semester."

"You’re insane." She rolled her eyes, causing me to chuckle lightly.

At least this was getting my mind away from my dream.

"I wish that was the case." she sighed, shoulders dropping. "Last night... You noticed I wasn’t here by nine, right? I mean, I met you sleeping like a hibernating bear when I got back."

I raised a brow. "Yeah... What’s up with that by the way?"

"I’m getting there." She picked up the hairbrush again, turning to stare at her reflection. Her hair was short and seemed pretty kept so I didn’t understand why she needed to brush it.

Maybe it was a distraction.

"I was out so late because..." Willow let out a shuddering exhale. "I was with Caelum. Your brother."

I blinked once. Then twice.

It took a few seconds for the words to stick, my eyes widening when they did. "Oh..."

"Really girl?"

"What?" I scratched the back of my neck. "I–I’m just surprised. I mean, I knew my brother hadn’t been the best with starting relationships but... You two doing the deed already?"

Her green eyes bulged with horror. "What in the moon’s name are you talking about?!" She screamed. "I... I wasn’t with him like THAT. Gods, no. I meant we had a talk. Under the old Bloodoak tree."

My mouth parted. "... Oh."

"I’ll shove this hairbrush down your throat."

"I’m sorry, okay?" I giggled, trying hard to hide my blush. "Anyway, what did you two talk about? Don’t tell me he said something to hurt you."

Even now, her crush for my brother waxed strong. I never understood why she was so hung up on him... it couldn’t be because of his status.

She was a freaking Alpha’s daughter and werewolf royalty in her own right. I don’t know about his looks because he always seemed like a washed-up ferret to me.

So—

"We talked about your whole four mates thing at first," Willow revealed with an awkward look. "He’s still finding it hard to process and since I’ve known from the beginning, he wanted to hear my perspective..."

A wry smile stretched her lips. "Long story short, we laughed at a few things and I thought he was warming up to me. So I..." she lowered her head, shame clear in her words. "I kissed him."

She didn’t need to tell me what happened next. With my brother, I could already imagine that he didn’t reciprocate. He was probably left stunned and it made her embarrassed.

Neither of them was technically at fault but I had to comfort my friend. "Oh, Willow." I hopped off the bed, walking to her side and wrapping my arms around her. "It’s not the end of the world. People miss social cues all the time."

She buried her face in her hands. "Who the heck goes for a kiss without a first date at least?"

"Lots of people, silly. You misread the situation and thought he finally noticed all the signals you’ve been giving."

"Ugh... I feel so stupid."

We stayed like that for a minute or so before I pulled my arms away. She straightened her back, eyes glinting with a grateful light.

"I didn’t know how much I needed that," she laughed, wiping imaginary dust from her eyes. "Thanks, girl."

With that, a familiar look flashed in her eyes.

The look she always had when she was about to hit me with the latest gossip.

Sure enough, she whispered. "I don’t know if you heard before coming in last night, but apparently Lysandra was apprehended. Taken from her suite by some of the Dean’s people."

Everything that happened last night flashed through my mind again. I frowned, eyes sliding to my alarm clock.

"It’s past nine already?!" I exclaimed.

Willow tapped my shoulder. "Forget about the time. Classes aren’t till ten today... Aren’t you excited about what I just said?" She grinned smugly. "If you aren’t I’m most certainly am. It’s about time they treated that girl like the menace she is."

Perhaps a part of me would’ve shared her sentiment if I hadn’t heard all Atlas revealed. It was her face he saw on the rooftop... sure.

But it simply didn’t make any sense to me.

"You said the Dean’s people, right?" I waltzed to my bed, picking up my phone from the lampstand.

"Uh... yeah? People have been talking about it all day. Blood Eye will probably make a post or—wait. Where are you going?"

"Just need to check something," I made sure to be vague, getting to the door before she could move. "I’ll be back in a minute, okay?"

Her brows creased. "You’ll be back in... girl, if you’re heading to the Dean’s I don’t think he’ll—"

I didn’t hear the rest of what she had to say as I shut the door behind me.

Pulling out my phone, I searched for Atlas’s number first, sending him a text:

"Hey, are you at the Dean’s office? Has the interrogation with Lysandra started?"

From everything Willow said, there was no mention of the magic battle between Atlas and the woman on the rooftop or of my controlled outburst.

So that means the rest of the academy was unaware.

Thank Selene.

>" Good morning to you too, Celeste."< Atlas sent a response in a few seconds.

Then another: >" Yes. Your mother is still here and we’re all currently in the Dean’s office."<

>" She insisted we don’t wake you up for this. But if you want to come..."<

There was a wink emoji at the end of that.

I smirked to myself, shoving the phone into my pocket.

.

.

The walk to the Dean’s building didn’t take long.

Too long for my thoughts though.

Every step echoed with the words from my dream.

’You were never meant to control the Vein. You were meant to hold it.’

I shoved the memory away before my brain could spiral again. One crisis at a time.

The administrative hallway was quieter than usual. A few staff members glanced at me as I passed, their expressions somewhere between curiosity and nervousness.

Yeah... the whole "magic meltdown" thing at the Combat Lab probably didn’t help my reputation.

I stopped in front of the Dean’s office door and knocked once before pushing it open.

Dean Thorne stood near his desk, posture stiff. My mother leaned against the edge of a nearby table with her arms folded, her presence alone making the entire space feel heavier.

Atlas stood by the window. Silas beside him. Luther near the wall.

And in the centre of the room—

Lysandra.

She sat on a chair like a queen forced to attend a meeting she never agreed to. Arms folded tightly across her chest, one leg bouncing with irritation.

The second her eyes landed on me, she shot up from the chair.

"Oh thank the gods," she snapped, pointing straight at me. "Celeste, tell these people that whatever nonsense they’re accusing me of is complete bullshit."

Her glare moved around the room like she was mentally listing everyone she planned to strangle later.

"I couldn’t get any sleep last night because of some people barging into my room, dragging me here like some criminal—and suddenly I’m the mastermind behind whatever the hell happened last night?"

She scoffed loudly.

"You hate me, sure. But even you have to admit this is ridiculous."

I blinked once, glancing between everyone else. "Did you tell her about the Vein yet?"

Silence.

Atlas shook his head slightly.

"No."

Lysandra frowned immediately. "...The what?" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Okay hold on. What the hell are you all talking about?"

She looked at me again.

"Vein? Is that supposed to mean something to me?"

Her confusion didn’t look fake. Not even a little.

I exhaled slowly.

Yeah... that definitely complicated things.

Across the room, my mother straightened.

Her violet eyes studied Lysandra carefully for a long moment before she finally spoke.

"Well," Odessa said calmly, pushing herself away from the table, "if questioning isn’t working..."

The air in the room shifted.

Lysandra’s brows knitted together. "If what isn’t—"

Odessa stepped forward, ignoring her.

"...then we’ll try something else."

Before anyone could react, her hand lifted.

Violet energy flared briefly across her fingertips.

Lysandra’s eyes widened.

"Wait—what are you—"

My mother’s palm pressed against her forehead.

"Let’s see what your mind has to say."