Page 43 of Of Shadow and Moon

And then he calls my name.

“Selestina and Nasarea.”

I blink. No. Absolutely not.

“No way,” Nasarea says immediately, stepping forward with a scowl. “You can’t expect me to pair up withher.”

I cross my arms, mirroring her glare. “I second that. This isn’t going to work.”

Professor Karr doesn’t so much as blink. “You don’t get a choice.”

I grit my teeth. “There has to be someone else?—”

“Enough.” His voice cuts through our protests like a blade. “The pairings are final. You will either work together or fail.”

I glare at Nasarea. She glares right back. The idea of being stuck with her in the Dark Forest is bad enough, add in the fact it’s for some unknown trial, and I want to punch something. Preferably her.

Before either of us can argue further, Professor Karr hands us an envelope. It’s plain, sealed with a wax emblem of the academy’s crest. “Your destination is inside. The paper will guide you to your location. And remember, success depends on how well you work together.”

Nasarea snatches the envelope from him, muttering something under her breath that sounds an awful lot like curses and something about me being a cantankerous bitch, but I’m honestly trying to tune her out.

I roll my eyes but hold back any more comments. There’s no point arguing with Karr. He doesn’t care. He’s made that clear.

Nasarea rips open the envelope, pulling out a slip of enchanted parchment. She squints at it, then passes it to me without a word.

“Mizecca River. Find both flags.” I read aloud and glance at her. “Do you even know where that is?”

Nasarea huffs. “Of course I do. The paper will guide us, anyway.”

The enchanted paper shifts slightly in my hand. It feels warm, alive, as if it’s urging us to move. Great. I hand itback to Nasarea and start walking. She follows after a moment, her footsteps heavy with reluctance.

The forest looms ahead. Trees stretch high above us, their twisted branches creating a canopy so thick that barely any sunlight filters through. Shadows dance across the ground, and every now and then, I hear the rustle of something moving just out of sight. The air feels heavy with every breath I take, thick with moisture and the scent of damp earth and decay.

“This place is a nightmare,” Nasarea mutters beside me, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Well, at least we agree on something,” I say dryly, stepping over a twisted root that is trying to trip me.

We walk in silence for a while, the tension as thick as ever. Every snap of a twig or rustle of leaves has my senses on high alert.

Nasarea isn’t any better company. She keeps glancing at me, like she’s waiting for me to screw up.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity of walking, she breaks the silence.

“As much as you say you’re trying to just go to school here with no hidden agenda, you sure are on many people’s radars,” she says, her tone sharp.

I don’t bother looking at her. “Yeah. If I am being completely honest, it’s all I’ve thought about over the past couple days, Nasarea.” I sigh at my admission.

She scoffs. “Oh, I amnotfalling for that.” She scrunches her nose and lips, looking at me with pure disgust in her eyes.

“Do you ever stop talking?” I mutter under my breath.

She hears it, though, and stops in her tracks. “You think you’re better than everyone here? Is that it? Because I have news for you, Selestina, you’re nothing special.”

I turn to face her, my eyes narrowed. “I never said I was special. But I’m not the one throwing a tantrum because I didn’t get to pick my partner. We have to get along for us to get through this. Obviously we can’t do that while talking, so I vote for neither one of us speaking to the other for the rest of our journey.” I smile brightly.

Nasarea’s face flushes with anger, and for a second, I think she’s going to swing at me. But alas, she never does. I half wish she would. At least that would be a distraction from this hellish forest.

Before she can say anything, the enchanted paper flares to life, glowing brighter in her hand. We both turn toward it, the magic tugging us forward, urging us along the path.

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