Page 15 of The Fractured Veil

Damon, the eldest of us three, had always been the steady one—the anchor in our chaotic existence. His presence was a calming force, a reassuring constant in a world of disarray. It took a cataclysmic event to even ruffle his feathers, and he never allowed his actions to be dictated by fleeting emotions. But lately, even Damon's ironclad control seemed strained, his composure faltering whenever she was near.

It was a testament to Thalia's potent influence—her undeniable charm—that even Damon, the most disciplined of us all, struggled to maintain his composure in her presence.

"It's getting worse," Damon's voice, low and laced with a rare tension, sliced through the silence of the room. Nox and I turned towards him, a silent acknowledgment of the shared dread that hung heavy in the air. His words were merely confirmation of what we had all been sensing.

I scrubbed a hand over my face, frustration evident in my shoulders. Maintaining focus was like trying to grasp smoke—every time I thought I had a hold, it slipped through my fingers, leaving me with nothing but lingering thoughts of her.

Damn it, Zarek,I cursed inwardly. The self-reproach felt bitter on my tongue.

A destructive force was stirring, reaching out from the shadows—and it would demand our unwavering attention. The thought of my captivating Firefly caught in the crossfire sent a shiver of unease through me.

Nox remained silent, his face an impenetrable mask. But the tension emanating from him was undeniable. Even Damon showed signs of strain, his shadows writhed and flickered with a nervous energy. We were all tethered to this invisible thread of dread, the ominous pull of something ancient and lethal awakening.

And we had to be ready. Not just for ourselves, but forher.

Chapter7

Thalia’s POV

Banging on my door jolted me from my studies, the sound echoing through the stifling silence of my room. Dusty textbooks and crumpled papers littered my desk—a testament to the days I'd spent holed up here. My door was my only shield against the whispers and stares that followed me everywhere. Even the teachers seemed to pity me, their voices hushed, their eyes averted as they handed me assignments to complete in the solitude of my dorm.

“GIRL, I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!” Her sharp voice boomed through the door. “I will burn this door down if you don’t open up in five… four… three?—”

I scrambled from my desk, throwing the door open. Relief flooded through me. El stood there, arms crossed, a triumphant smirk on her face.

“You really think I wouldn’t follow through?” she teased, pushing past me into the room, bringing with her a gust of fresh air and the faint scent of vanilla. She marched straight to my bed, scattering a pile of notebooks as she plopped down with an ease that suggested ownership.

I glared at her, my cheeks burning. "Couldn't you at least wait for an invitation?"

El just grinned, stretching out on the bed. A beat of silence hung in the air, thick with unspoken questions.

"Listen," she finally declared, "I know it seems bad, and it kind of is—but no need to worry. I'm here."

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. "Comforting," I muttered, leaning against the doorframe. Yet despite her lightheartedness, there was something about El’s presence that made the suffocating weight on my chest feel a little lighter.

"Hey, no sarcasm!" She shot back, pointing at me with a mock scowl that couldn't hide her playful intent. "I’m serious, Thalia. You’ve been hiding here long enough. It’s time to get back out there—I let you have a few days, but now it’s over."

“I needed time to heal; I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I mumbled, my gaze falling to the cluttered desk. I couldn't meet her eyes, not when they saw right through me. I wasn’t ready to face it all. Every time I pictured myself stepping back into the hallway, I felt the sting of eyes on my back, and heard the snickers echoing in my ears. The memory of that day, of being shoved to the ground, of the laughter and the whispers, still burned like a fresh wound. I could almost taste the dirt in my mouth.

El propped herself up on her elbows, her expression softening as she studied me. “I get it. I really do. But hiding away isn’t going to make it disappear.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. I winced, but kept my back to her, staring blankly at the stack of assignments as if they held the answers I needed. She wasn’t wrong, I knew that. But knowing didn’t make it any easier to confront the knot of fear twisting in my stomach. My hands clenched, nails digging into my palms. A wave of heat flushed through me, and I had to bite back the urge to scream, to tell El to leave, to let me wallow in my misery. But beneath the anger and the fear, a flicker of gratitude warmed me. I was glad she was here.

“And besides,” El continued, her tone turning playful again, “someone’s gotta knock Mira off her pedestal. She’s been acting like you ran off and left the academy.”

I stiffened at that. That bitch thinks I left? The thought of her parading around, that superior smirk plastered across her face, sent a surge of anger coursing through me. I could practically see her—nose held high, lips curled into that infuriatingly perfect smile that made her look like she owned the whole academy. El knew exactly what she was doing, and it was working. The urge to get back out there, to prove her—and everyone else—wrong, was building within me, a fire slowly melting the ice of my fear.

"Let’s get off campus and go to town," El suggested, her excitement bubbling over. "We could use a change of scenery, and I know just the place for a coffee date."

“Fineee,” I groaned, dragging the word out as I finally relented. “Let me shower, and then we can go.”

El grinned, hopping off the bed like she’d just won a prize. “That’s the spirit! I’ll be waiting out here, so don’t even think about backing out.”

I rolled my eyes as I headed toward the bathroom, the cool tile a welcome relief against my bare feet. I couldn't suppress the small smile tugging at my lips. More than El's persistence, more than the distraction she offered, I was grateful for her unwavering belief in me. Even when I doubted myself, she never did.

"Don't take too long!" El called after me.

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