Page 116 of Academy of the Wicked, Year One

"Then see your way out," he hums, blood still trickling from his lip. "Don't hit your head on the way. You won't have a Fae to help heal you from the art of stupidity you seem to continuously excel in."

"Nikolai," Cassius tries to intervene, but Nikolai's raised hand stops him cold.

His eyes flicker with power — raw, ancient energy that sends shivers down my spine. Damien catches it too, his frowndeepening as he realizes just how far he's pushed things with his former friend.

Yet I can see the stubborn set of his jaw, the determination to stand his ground even in the face of what is clearly a terrible mistake.

"You need a pureblood vampire in your dynamic," Damien warns, trying to emphasize his own importance. "No other shifter will suffice."

Nikolai leans in close, forcing Damien to look up at his newly revealed height. The power radiating from him gives us all a haunting glimpse of the anger brewing beneath his carefully maintained control.

"As the fates have brought a hybrid for us to bond with and survive the trials plaguing us on the year of our threatening outcast, the fates will align the right strings for us to meet someone to replace you," he whispers into Damien's ear, the words carrying deadly promise before power leaks off his next set of words."Because at the end of the day, Damien, you ARE replaceable. The Headmaster specifically wanted me to let you know that."

The words land like physical blows.

Learning that the Headmaster had such dismissive words for him only emphasizes how weak they consider him, despite his paranormal heritage.

Damien releases a furious hiss, deliberately shoving against Nikolai as he storms out. The door slams behind him with enough force to shake the chamber's foundations.

In the silence that follows, everything seems to shatter at once — glass, wood, stone, all breaking in a cascade of destruction that makes me flinch. Cassius slowly rises, surveying the damage with his usual stoic expression.

"Should I fix it?" he asks quietly.

"No," Nikolai responds, his voice cold. "Leave it. I need a reminder when I get the bill through carrier owl. Something to recall this sensation of boiling scrutiny for when I enact my vengeance."

Cassius's gaze meets mine, and I can only sigh.

We both know finding a vampire with potential pureblood status to join our unique dynamic is nearly impossible. Damien will easily find another group to accept him, but replacing him?

I can only pray for grace.

The chamber feels emptier now, despite the destruction littering its floor. The golden light emanating from Nikolai pulses with barely contained fury, while Cassius's shadows hum as if needing a moment of mourning what they’ve obviously lost.

And somewhere in the academy, a hybrid sleeps on, unaware of how her presence has already begun reshaping alliances centuries in the making.

20

MORNING GLIMMER AND BURNING LUST

~GWENIVERE~

Consciousness returns slowly, like honey dripping from a spoon.

The scents surrounding me are intoxicating — a perfect blend of forest after rain and wildflowers in full bloom. The combination is so soothing that fighting through the thick layers of sleep feels almost impossible.

I can't remember the last time I slept this deeply, this peacefully. Usually, my nights are haunted by dreams of Elena's deteriorating condition or memories of our parents that blur the line between comfort and torment.

But this sleep had been different — pure and uninterrupted as if wrapped in a cocoon of tranquility.

When I finally manage to open my eyes, gratitude floods through me at the discovery that I'm not naked.

Instead, I'm wearing what appears to be a dress shirt, the sleeves falling past my hands and the hem just barely covering my ass. The material is impossibly soft, probably worth more than everything I own combined.

A fleeting thought about the provocative nature of my attire crosses my mind, but I dismiss it quickly. These men don't see me that way — well, perhaps Cassius does, but he keeps his emotions locked away so tightly it's hard to be certain of anything with him.

My gaze wanders around the room, taking in details that paint a picture of carefully balanced luxury and comfort.

Unlike Damien's chambers, which screamed wealth and superiority from every surface, this space feels...lived in.

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