Page 17 of Of Shadow and Moon

I know this from the many times I’ve had missions where I had to watch targets who attended the academy from a distance.

It does surprise me that my roommate, who clearly seems able to afford whatever luxury she desires, would end up sharing a room with someone like me. The thought makes me scrunch my eyebrows.

Mirella snaps her fingers, making me flinch from the interruption of the silence, and suddenly, a stack of books, a folded schedule, and a pile of papers appear on the desk beside my bed. The scent of parchment and ink fills the air, and I stare at the items, momentarily caught off guard by the suddenness of their appearance.

“Everything you need is here,” she says briskly, gesturing to the stack. “Your books, your class schedule, and details on the dining hall and school facilities. Classes start at seven o’clock sharp tomorrow morning. The dining hall gets busy early, so if you plan to eat breakfast, I suggest you arrive with time to spare.”

She nods toward the wardrobe on my side of the room. “Inside, you’ll find five Academy uniforms in your size. They must be worn any day with scheduled classes, without exception.”

She turns to leave, her duty evidently done. Without a single word of goodbye or glance back, she exits, the doorclosing softly behind her, leaving me alone in the dim light of Dormitorio de la Luna, with only my thoughts and the strange, electric energy that seems to fill the air around me.

Chapter 8

Selestina

Idrop my duffle at the foot of one bed, feeling the heavy thud as it lands on the floor. Every muscle in my body protests as I sink down onto the mattress, letting the exhaustion hit me like a wave. I close my eyes, relishing in the silence that wraps around me like a heavy, comforting blanket.

I let out a deep breath, my body sinking deeper into the thin, slightly lumpy mattress. Dried lavender clings to the air, maybe, a mingling musty smell of old wood and age worn fabric. A strange combination, yet oddly grounding. I’m about to let my mind drift when…

The door crashes open, slamming against the wall.

So much for peace.

I open my eyes just in time to see a girl stride in, her movements quick and sharp. She’s taller than I expected, her presence filling the space instantly. Her skin is a rich tan and her hair, long, dark, and wild, curls down her back in thick waves. It reminds me of Rafael, which sends a tinge of sadness to my stomach, but I shove it away as quickly as it came.

There’s a fierceness to her, something electric and crackling, as if she’s barely holding herself back from some silent fury. And her eyes, piercing and blue, like ice under moonlight, fix on me with immediate disdain.

“Who the fuck are you?” she demands, tossing another of her bags onto the opposite bed with such force, I think her bed might actually break. Her voice cuts through the air, full of a venom I wasn’t prepared for.

“Selestina,” I reply, keeping my voice steady, meeting her glare with one of my own. I don’t bother standing; I’m too tired to play this game on her terms. “And you?” I ask, although I already know her name—Nasarea, scrawled in a looping script across her luggage tag.

“None of your business,” she snaps back, her gaze looking over me with obvious disgust. She’s judging me. Sizing me up and finding me lacking. It’s okay because I am doing the same thing, and while I try to mirror her disdain, deep down, I see a strength in her.

Her lip curls as she takes in my travel worn clothes, the dirt mixed with blood staining my boots, and the tangled mess of my hair. “I’m supposed to have my own room,” she hisses, her voice laced with irritation. “Not stuck with some…” Her nose wrinkles, and she waves a dismissive hand in my direction. “…dirty…rat.”

I hold back a smirk, forcing myself to stay calm despite the heat of her glare. “Nice to meet you, too,” I say dryly, rolling my eyes. “Here I was, thinking I’d be besties with my roommate.” I am mostly joking but I can’t help the sting that this wasn’t just a little more easy. Not even half an hour here and I feel like I am already making an enemy.

She plants her fists on her hips, shifting her weight like she’s getting ready to fight, her gaze locked ontome with a challenge. The air between us feels charged, a taut line stretched too tight, waiting to snap.

“Listen,” she says, voice dropping low, as if the warning alone could make me back down. “I don’t know who you think you are, but you’d better watch your mouth.” Gods. She sounds like Alexander’s chihuahua. All bark and no bite.

“Or what?” I push myself up, sitting up on the bed so I can meet her glare head on. I feel a smirk tugging at the corner of my lips, daring her to do something about it. “You gonna fight me?”

Her face flushes with anger and her fists clench tighter at her sides, but there’s hesitation in her expression, a hint of uncertainty. Like I have caught her bluff. She recovers quickly and her sneer snaps back into place like a shield. “Fuck you,” she spits, her voice full of anger.

I can’t help but laugh, a low, mocking sound that echoes in the small room. “Fuck you, too,” I reply, leaning back and crossing my arms, matching her glare with one of my own. She might think she can intimidate me, but I’ve faced far worse than a roommate with a bad attitude.

We settle there, glaring, locked in a silent war. The tension between us is so thick, it’s oddly amusing. I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks, my heart pounding with that familiar, electrifying pulse that only comes with a good fight. But this…this is different. There’s a fire in her gaze that matches mine, like a mirror made of spite and stubbornness.

“Why don’t you take your shit attitude and shove it straight the fuck out of my room?” Nasarea hisses, folding her arms across her chest, her eyes narrowed to icy slits.

I raise a brow, matching her glare with one of my own. “This is my room.” I say as I spread my arms wide,mockingly looking around. “Headmistress Mirella just walked me in here.”

Her eyes flash, and I can almost see the storm building behind them, a tempest of rage and pride about to snap. She is apparently ready to leap at me, hands balled into fists and jaw so tightly clamped I half expect it to crack. Instead, her mouth opens, and I see in that fractional second that she's lost for words. It's too much. I couldn't hold it in anymore.

A giggle bubbles up in my throat, and I try, I really try, to smother it. But it slips out, turning into a full blown laugh that I can’t stop, each one louder than the last. I lean back against the bed, clutching my stomach as laughter wracks through me.

She stares, stunned, her expression twisting from fury to pure bewilderment. “What the fuck is so funny?” Nasarea snaps, her voice tight with barely contained irritation.

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