Page 103 of Owned

The door slammed shut, and I gritted my teeth as I opened my door and slid out of the driver’s seat.

I fucking hated this place.

“Hurry up,” Bastian called over his shoulder. He was already halfway across the grass.

Fuck.

I strode after him, but I didn’t run. Bastian’s long strides carried him quickly toward the Academy’s main building.

The ancient structure clawed at the sky, its familiar red-brown stonework had always reminded me of dried blood in the glaring afternoon light.

The main doors were an elaborate atrocity of stained glass—too bright and colorful against the grim façade, like flowers on a grave—and they loomed ahead of us as Bastian moved with infuriating ease across the courtyard.

He was too fucking excited about this.

I shoved my hands into my pockets and followed him, ignoring the curious stares from the clusters of uniformedstudents we passed. Each pair of eyes widened in fear, then averted quickly as murmurs rippled around us.

“They have stained glass now?” Bastian called back to me as he gestured toward the main doors. “Pretentious bastards.”

We arrived at the doors and I reached for the burnished handle, but before my fingers could close around it, Bastian stepped forward and kicked the doors open with a resounding crash.

“Coming through!” he shouted and his voice bounced off high ceilings as we stormed inside.

The entrance hall was just as I remembered—grandiose and echoing with self-importance. Students froze mid-stride and their papers fluttered to the polished parquet floor like startled birds. Faculty members looked up from their hushed conversations. Their faces were pale and full of confusion at seeing us.

“Hot crowd,” Bastian snarked.

I kept my gaze fixed ahead, scanning the sea of students and faculty who parted like waves before us.

“Look at them— Lambs ready for slaughter!” Bastian’s laughter rang out, rich and melodic, but laced with something darker—

“Shut. Your. Mouth,” I growled. “We have work to do.”

No one moved to stop us and we strode through the hallway toward the faculty wing.

“Why so serious, Titus?” Bastian teased as he glanced back at me with those pale, piercing eyes that were too much like Lucian’s. “This is what we’ve been waiting for.” He gestured derisively at the portraits of stern-faced headmasters that lined the walls. “It’s time we reminded these fucks whatactualpower looks like. And what happens to oath breakers.”

I clenched my jaw and suppressed the urge to snap at him again.

As much as I loathed this spectacle, I couldn’t deny the thrill that surged through me—he wasn’t wrong. The Academy deserved what was coming to them. I only wish it had happened sooner.

“Get yourself under control,” I warned in a low voice. “This isn’t just about showmanship. Lucian expects results, and I intend to deliver.”

“We are going to deliver,” he snapped. “Or have you forgotten who found out—”

“I haven’t forgotten.”

“Good.”

The polished oak door loomed ahead, heavy and imposing. Bastian, ever the performer, paused for only a moment before he flexed his fingers and leaned forward to knock with a deliberately gentle tap against the dark wood. A mockery of politeness. The sound echoed, and I shoved down the dark memories that rose in my mind.

I didn’t care if the Elder Ireni had really been a betrayer.

All I cared about was seeing him punished.

“You’re wasting time,” I growled.

“Fine, fine,” Bastian muttered.

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