Page 108 of Academy of the Wicked, Year One

"You mated a hybrid,"they finally whisper,"whose very presence could destroy the order of this perfect institution. To prove what? That you enjoy risk?"

My smile returns, all teeth and ancient power.

"You see her value,"I counter."Otherwise, you wouldn't be here, attempting to steal the first woman to successfully infiltrate your academy. One who's fallen into the hands of the trio you've dismissed as worthless for centuries, and bound to a scholar you can't fully control because he belongs to us, not you."

I take one final step forward, bringing us face to face.

The realization that we stand at equal heights confirms my complete transformation —— my true Fae nature fully unveiled. The being who had inspired such primal fear now seems less overwhelming, and more...manageable.

"I saw through your game,"I continue, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper."Watching to see how far she'd progress. It was entertainment at first, wasn't it? Until she got too close to the prize. Too close for you to deny the unique beauty of her existence in a world you've molded to despise anything that defies order. To crush any hint of femininity that might bring mercy and salvation to this hideous realm you're so proud of."

A dark chuckle escapes me, the sound resonating with power that defies mortal classification.

"You had every opportunity to interfere, but everything changed when she received Cassius's mark. That's why you implemented this trial. Not an annual event, but something that occurs every fifty years. You planted those souls from the last trial,made us believe this was routine, hoping we'd perish so you could collect our essences for your twisted experiments with unique beings."

My power pulses with each word, matching the intensity of their own aura.

"But our little Solstice figured you out. I knew the moment she needed power that Damien wouldn't suffice. That's why you tried to manipulate her, using your Malcolm puppet to corrupt her before attempting to reap her soul. But I couldn't allow that. Not when I recognized how precious my unexpected prize truly was. So I took matters into my own hands, even if it meant bonding with her myself."

A sliver of light manages to penetrate their hood, revealing eyes that could lay waste to nations with a mere glance. The sight would have terrified me once, but now it only confirms what I already know.

"No one will accept her as your Queen,"they state, their voice heavy with certainty.

I simply grin, the expression carrying centuries of resigned solitude.

"Then let me die alone, as I was always destined to be."

The price of power has always been solitude, after all.

18

AWAKENING BONDS AND POTENTIAL IMMUNITY

~GWENIVERE~

Consciousness returns like waves lapping at the shore, each pulse bringing fragments of clarity through the haze of exhaustion trying to drag me back under.

Nikolai's voice cuts through first, sharp and clear despite my struggle to remain aware:

"I saw through your game. Watching to see how far she'd progress. It was entertainment at first, wasn't it? Until she got too close to the prize."

The words float to me as if through water, their meaning taking extra moments to process through my foggy mind. I fight against the heaviness of my limbs, the urge to sink back into oblivion.

"Too close for you to deny the unique beauty of her existence in a world you've molded to despise anything that defies order. To crush any hint of femininity that might bring mercy and salvation to this hideous realm you're so proud of."

The conversation continues, pieces of truth falling into place like a puzzle I hadn't known I was solving. The trials, the souls,Malcolm —— all of it orchestrated by this being of immense power that even now makes the air feel thick and strange around me.

"No one will accept her as your Queen."

The words pierce through my semi-conscious state, sharp enough to make my heart stutter.

Queen?

The implications send my thoughts spinning, even as I struggle to maintain this fragile awareness.

Nikolai had helped me knowingly. Knew the consequences at hand and decided to do something far from being wicked by helping me save those souls. He chose to form a bond like Cassius's, understanding exactly what it meant, despite there clearly being consequences and potential repercussions.

The weight of that decision settles heavily in my chest.

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