Page 48 of Academy of the Wicked, Year Two

How long has it been since he fed properly? The trials and their aftermath have left little time for basic necessities, and we all know Gabriel's particular requirements when it comes to blood consumption.

He needs to drink from one of us. Packets still won’t do…and now he’s not simply bonded to me and Cassius.

I briefly look to Atticus, our new “companion,” whom we still don’t know enough about, where exactly he came from and his past.

Or how he is even connected to Gwenivere.

They clearly have a strong enough relationship based on how they performed in the trials. He acted as if she was some sort of lover, his self-sacrificing tendencies like a puppy desperate to return to its owner.

He turns away, clearly intending to find his room and collapse, but something's wrong. His movements lack their usual grace, steps uncertain as if the floor keeps shifting beneath his feet.

The sight triggers memories of how he looked after Damien's "prank" in the cafeteria —disoriented, vulnerable in ways that made my heart ache.

We all watch in stunned silence as he walks directly into a wall.

Oh shit…

The impact isn't hard —more of a confused bump than a collision— but the way he steps back and glares at the obstruction as if it's personally offended him would be comical under different circumstances.

He turns, probably aiming for another doorway, only to walk straight into a different wall with considerably more force.

The silence in the suite grows heavier as Gabriel stands there, clearly trying to process what just happened. My hand rises instinctively, golden aura gathering as if to guide him, but I force myself to wait.

After everything that's happened, my help might not be welcome.

When he spins around to return to our group, my heart leaps into my throat as he manages to find yet another wall to crash into. At this point, we’re either all hallucinating, or a wall just appeared out of nowhere for him to crash into.

The impact sounds painful this time, solid enough to make even Mortimer wince from his position near the kitchen area.

This impact proves too much for his clearly compromised balance.

As he starts to fall backward, my body moves on instinct—but Atticus is faster. He appears in a blur of vampire speed, catching Gabriel before he can hit the ground.

My fingers clench again, nails drawing blood this time as I watch Atticus cradle Gabriel with such careful precision. The protectiveness in his crimson eyes makes my chest ache with recognition.

He looks at Gabriel the same way I’d want to if I was allowed.

The same way Cassius does when no one is looking...

Like she's everything.

The realization settles heavily in my stomach as I stand here in this transformed body, watching the aftermath of choices we all made.

Choices that led us here, to this moment of reckoning where nothing is quite what it seems — not our forms, not our bonds, not even the very nature of what we've become to each other.

My gaze drifts to the windows again, taking in the way afternoon light paints everything in soft gold.

The massive suite suddenly feels too small, too confined for all the unspoken things hanging in the air between us. The silence is even more deafening, but I don’t want to be the first to break it.

Not when it seems like I’m some sort of enemy in Gwenivere’s story.

Mortimer moves with surprising grace for someone typically so bookish, crouching down beside where Atticus cradles Gabriel. His pale eyes narrow with scholarly focus as he examines our collapsed companion.

"He needs rest," Mortimer states, though something in his tone suggests there's more to come. "Though I'd like to try snapping him out of being Gabriel first."

"Why?" Atticus demands, his arms tightening protectively around Gabriel's unconscious form. The gesture speaks volumes about their connection—one I'm still struggling to understand or accept.

Mortimer adjusts his glasses, a habit I've noticed he uses when preparing to deliver potentially controversial information. I’m only now realizing he’s wearing them again, since they were absent after his return shift back from his dragon moment.

---