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I raise a brow and find that same heartless smile taking form on my lips. “Small things can be as venomous as they come.”
“I suppose they can,” he says with a deep voice, letting his eyes slowly move down to my lips.
“You said that the headmaster found out about the hearts?” I ask, my eyes darkening with the idea of Emerai finding out it was us.
“Yes, we have to keep them hidden until the end of the second exam. We cannot tell Arthur yet either.”
My brows pull together with hesitation. It’s been difficult not to hand him his heart and pray that he knows what to do with it already. How am I supposed to keep this a secret longer? “You said we’d give it to him when you returned. He deserves to know and I think he may be able to help?—”
Elias’s expression dulls. “No. You will keep it between us until I say so or else you risk everything falling apart. Whales of Tauh, remember? Or do you need to see the wall again?” he growls against the shell of my ear and pulls away. The cold air rushes in everywhere he just was and leaves me empty. I follow him up and sit beside him, our arms touching, and that small connection keeps my heart fluttering wildly inside my chest.
He doesn’t look at me as he wipes the blood from his mouth with his sleeve. A smear still remains on his jaw, making him look very much like the feral wolf I thought him when we first met.
Elias stands and offers me his hand. “We don’t want to be late for the exam announcement.” He’s calm now, but lust still stirs in his gray eyes. I take his hand and he guides me back through the fourth floor. Dread forms deep in my stomach. I’m not sure how long I can keep my lips sealed.
After cleaning the blood from my face and neck, I quickly make my way to the mess hall. I take a seat next to Raine at the Nova table. The mess hall is boisterous with chatter and nervous energy imbues the air.
Lucina looks up at me as I reach for a roll. A full dinner won’t sit well with my nerves. Her white hair is pulled back into a ponytail, and her bangs brush her brows. “Ready for the announcement?” she asks meekly.
I’ve spoken to Edgar’s friends here and there, but Lucina has been evasive. I quirk a brow but reply, “I don’t think any of us are.”
Her expression sullens and she takes a bite of her meal, chewing for a few moments. She mutters, “Yeah, that’s how I feel too.” Rowan leans over her as he reaches for a scone. His auburn hair is mid-length and wavy, much longer than it was when we first arrived. Vinnie flips lazily through the pages of his tome, studying diligently as always. They’ve become a calming presence for meal times. Well, besides Tamaris and Alani, who never can seem to get along.
“What did you place in the race this morning?” Alani asks Tamaris through a mouthful of food. The bow atop her head today is white, matching her cloak.
Tamaris and Alani share the morning Shadow riding class. I wonder how many tried to escape during that one.
“Fifth.” Tamaris glowers and pulls her long, dark hair back into a ponytail.
Rowan laughs. “I was fucking last.”
“We know,” they all say in unison. Rowan seems a bit offended.
Ash sits off on his own, away from the group. I’m not surprised Edgar isn’t here; he never is.
“Where’s Edgar?” I ask, looking over at the instructor’s table at the head of the room. Elias watches me silently, his gray eyes boring holes into my skin. I swiftly look away and swallow the dread.
I need to warn Edgar.
Lucina opens her mouth to reply but her eyes flick to the doors. I follow her gaze and see Edgar walking in alone. His ebony tactical gear is pristine, not worn like most of ours after daily practice. He plops down next to Lucina and gives me a brief, unsettling look.
Raine lets out a hard breath to let me know he still hates Edgar’s guts.
“Edgar, I need to talk to you,” I whisper. He looks up at me—his green eyes are filled with weary thoughts. His head jerks a bit to the side as if he’s trying to silence the Shadow in his head.
I pause.
The casts would suppress his Shadow… It would make it quiet and less of a threat to his mind, wouldn’t it? Maybe I shouldn’t?—
“What do you want to say?” Edgar asks coldly. I look at him, his pale skin, hollowed cheeks, and tormented eyes. I don’t know if I can live with this decision.
Amser coils in my chest and whispers in my mind, Sully is better if it sleeps. Let them try to make it rest.
I swallow hard and go against my heart, shaking my head and giving Edgar a false smile. “I was just hoping we could make up after our fight?” His fractured gaze takes me in for a few moments before he looks back to his plate of food, ignoring my words. Pain flutters throughout me, but I swallow it down. Guilt takes its place.
“Attention, students,” Headmaster Emerai calls out over the loud room and everyone silences, staring at the headmaster in his golden cloak. His black hair is longer than Finn’s, reaching down to the bottom of his ears, but not quite as long as Arthur’s. “The second exam has been decided and I’m pleased to let you know that it will be the only exam for the remainder of the academic year. We’re anticipating an impressive team to come out of this exam.”
He motions to the professors to his right: Elias, Arthur, Kallos, and Nekane.
