Page 51 of Shattered & Returned

Sindy sat pale and tense on the bench in the hall. As we hurried away, my thoughts spiraled around one terrifying possibility: Nero Ravencrux.

He’d appeared after the murder, robe clinging to damp skin, offering no alibi. He’d openly admitted his obsession with me, threatened those close to me. Angelina had interacted with me, then died. His tower. His penthouse. That effortless charm that could lure anyone to their doom.

Sebastian’s warnings echoed in my mind. He knew things about Nero, things he’d share without sugarcoating. Ravencrux had ordered me to stay away, which only made Sebastian more appealing as a source.

The suspicion took root like poison ivy, spreading through my thoughts. I needed answers, and if Nero wanted me to avoid Sebastian, that’s exactly where I’d go.

“All clear?” Sindy whispered.

“For now,” I replied, casting one last glance at the black door behind us. “Let’s get out of here.”

Chapter

Nineteen

Bloom

Trespassing

Sebastian had been conspicuously absent between classes. Sindy, who claimed to be a loner yet knew everything about the academy, informed me third-years like Sebastian barely attended lectures. The faculty apparently let him roam free.

With a purpose in mind, I took the U-shaped path past the Fae Copse, skirted the Elysian training grounds, and wove through shopfronts until Kingsley Tower rose before me.

Though similarly gothic to Ravencrux’s domain, Kingsley Tower seemed larger, its stones weathered ash rather than obsidian. It didn’t just rise but loomed, its very silhouette a declaration of unassailable privilege.

Now came the real challenge: entry. Every tower pulsed with wards that demanded an invitation. Lingering in the shadowed courtyard, I weighed my limited options.

I was moments from shouting Sebastian’s name when movement flickered at the edge of my vision. A group of women in high-collared Kingsleygowns—deep blue with gold-threaded cuffs—approached the tower,their laughter bouncing off the stone walls. Behind them, three male students in tailored suitshurried toward the open sangria-colored door, an invitation gleaming in the twilight.

An idea sparked. Reckless, but at Forsaken Academy, hesitation got you nothing but dead.

I timed my steps like a thief, slipping between the groups with my chin tucked low. My breathing steadied into the rhythm of belonging as I matched their pace. The first group crossed the threshold; I followed half a breath behind, close enough to smell their cologne.

The wards struck like a whip of molten glass. Magic needled through every pore, setting my nerves ablaze. I bit down hard on a gasp. Pain was an old acquaintance by now.

Just when I thought it would fling me into the courtyard, the pressure broke. Only a phantom itch remained between my shoulder blades.

I ducked immediately to the side of the hall, pressing my back against the cold stone wall, trying to become invisible as the students streamed past.

Then I looked up and forgot how to breathe.

Kingsley Tower’s interior was a revelation, a rebellion against its austere exterior. The ceiling stretched impossibly high, supported by columns the color of ocean. Enchanted lights danced across gold-veined marble floors, each step scattering constellations underfoot. Where Ravencrux Tower thrived in darkness, this place bathed in lavishness, its residents movingwith the languid confidence of those who’d never been denied anything.

I’d breached the tower, but finding Sebastian in this gilded labyrinth would be another challenge. The risk of trespassing in elite territory prickled down my spine, but my desperate need for answers outweighed caution.

Students clustered around an upscale bar, their laughter ringing sharply. Others lounged across sapphire velvet chaises, sipping drinks that shimmered. Pressing myself against the wall to blend into the shadows, I considered which face might harbor the least hostility for me to approach when a familiar figure turned.

Devon, the boy who volunteered answers in class like they were currency, froze mid-step, his gaze snagging on theasymmetrical mauve folds of my Ravencrux gown.

Shit.

“You! Ravencrux trash.” His pronouncement sliced through the murmur of conversation.

The hall stilled. Glasses halted mid-sip. Dozens of eyes swiveled toward me, raking over thecharcoal embroidery curling along my bodice,a blatant violation of Kingsley’s blue-and-gold dominion.

Devon advanced, his loafers clicking against the star-speckled floor.

“How the hell did you get in?” His lip curled.

---