Page 89 of Revenge is a Witch

As I leave the Proving Grounds, the roar of the crowd fades into the background, replaced by the quiet hum of the wind against my skin. My wand is shaking in my hand—trembling, almost as if it’s alive and mirroring the chaos inside me. I don’t know if it’s the adrenaline still pumping through my veins or the weight of what I just did, but I feel… unsteady.

I’ve won. I’ve taken everything from Kyla—humiliated her, shattered her wand, and stripped away the image she’s worked so hard to create. But as I walk away from the wreckage I’ve left behind, something inside me feels off. Hollow.

Before I can get too far, I see them—Sebastian and Derek, weaving through the crowd to find me. Sebastian’s eyes catch mine first, full of pride, but as he gets closer, I can see the concern etched into his features.

“You okay?” Sebastian asks, his voice soft as he comes to stand next to me, his hand hovering over my arm like he’s not sure if he should touch me or not.

Derek steps up on the other side of me, his presence a solid, reassuring force. “Zaria,” he says, his voice full of admiration. “You did it. That was—well, that was a hell of a victory.”

But I don’t feel victorious. I don’t feel the triumph I thought I would. Instead, my stomach twists, and I can barely keep a grip on my wand. “I crossed the line,” I say, my voice barely more than a whisper. “I didn’t just beat her… I broke her wand, Derek.”

They both look at me, confused, but I can’t stop the words from spilling out. “Stealing a grimoire is bad, yeah, but breaking a witch’s wand?” I shake my head, tears stinging my eyes. “That’s… it doesn’t strip them of their magic, but it limits them. For life. Kyla will be stuck casting basic spells, no real magic. She’ll never be able to perform high-level enchantments again. It’s... cruel.”

Derek puts a hand on my shoulder, his touch firm but gentle. “Zaria, you should feel bad. But not for Kyla. She’s been abusing her magic, hurting people, controlling Sebastian—she was willing to use death spells.Deathspells, Zaria. What would’ve happened if she still had that kind of power?”

I look at him, my throat tightening, and I glance at Sebastian. The memory of Kyla's whispered threats, her plans for him and Derek if she won, flashes through my mind, and it nearly knocks the breath out of me.

“She was going to kill you,” I whisper, my voice cracking as the tears finally spill over. “She was going to hurt you both, throw you off the roof, say you killed yourselves because of me. I—if I lost—”

“You didn’t lose,” Sebastian says, stepping in front of me and grabbing my face gently between his hands. “You didn’t lose, Zaria.”

I shake my head, but I can’t stop the flood of tears now. All the anger, the fear, the exhaustion of fighting for so long—fightingKyla, fighting to protect the people I love—it all comes crashing down at once. “I don’t want to feel angry anymore,” I choke out, my voice trembling. “I don’t want to keep fighting like this.”

Sebastian pulls me into his arms, his body warm and solid against mine, while Derek steps behind me, wrapping his arms around us both. Sandwiched between them, I finally let go, burying my face into Sebastian’s chest as the sobs wrack through me.

“It’s okay,” Derek murmurs softly into my hair, his hand rubbing my back in slow circles. “It’s over now.”

“I’m tired,” I whisper, my voice muffled against Sebastian’s shirt. “I’m so tired.”

“I know,” Sebastian says, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “We know.”

We stand there for what feels like an eternity, wrapped in each other’s arms as the last of my tears dry up. Everyone knows now—about the reckoning, about Kyla, about me. But I don’t care anymore. I don’t care what people think or what rumors are flying around. All I care about is that it’s over, that my boys are safe, and that I don’t have to be angry anymore.

“I’m proud of you, Zaria,” Derek whispers into my ear, and the weight of those words settles over me like a warm blanket.

Sebastian pulls back slightly, wiping the last of my tears with his thumb, and gives me a small, soft smile. “We both are.”

I manage a watery smile of my own, sniffling as I try to pull myself together. “Thanks… but if either of you brings up me crying later, I swear I’ll hex you both into lizards.”

Sebastian chuckles, shaking his head. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Derek squeezes my shoulder, his voice light. “Yeah, besides, it’d be a shame to ruin our perfectly good faces.”

I laugh despite myself, and for the first time in what feels like forever, the tightness in my chest loosens. The anger that’s beenbuilding up inside me is still there, but it’s not overwhelming anymore. It’s manageable. And for now, that’s enough.

"Let’s get out of here," I say, pulling away from them both, wiping my cheeks with the back of my hand. "I need some air. And maybe food. Or a nap. Or all three."

Sebastian and Derek share a look before turning back to me, smirking in unison. "Lead the way," they say together.

As we make our way back to my dorm room, feeling the weight of the day finally lifting off my shoulders, I spot Principal Halford standing at the edge of the courtyard. He raises a hand to stop us as we approach, and I let out a soft groan under my breath. Of course, he’d be the one person I couldn’t avoid right now.

“Miss Vexx,” he begins, his voice steady, but there’s a hint of pride in his tone. “I want to congratulate you on your victory today.”

I nod, trying to mask the swirl of emotions that’s still going on inside me. “Thank you, sir.”

He studies me for a moment before continuing. “I understand that this was a difficult situation, and while it’s not something we typically allow for students who haven’t yet graduated, you handled yourself well. However,” he adds, with a serious expression now, “I will need to contact your parents and explain what’s happened.”

I sigh but nod. “I figured as much. My dad’s going to be thrilled.”

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