“Fine,” I muttered to no one in particular. “I’ll try the damn thing on.”
The shirt fit surprisingly well, tailored enough to not look boxy but not tight enough to restrict movement. The skirt hit just above my knees, modest but not frumpy. I knotted the tie, then turned to the mirror.
The reflection that stared back at me was not completely terrible. The black and gray palette complemented my pale olive skin and long black hair. The serpent tattoos winding up my left arm were visible below the rolled-up sleeves of the shirt.
I eyed the shoes with distaste. They were the final straw—sensible, low-heeled, and utterly boring. No fucking way.
Instead, I reached for my favorite black boots, the ones that had seen me through countless bane incursions and training sessions. I laced them up with satisfaction, the heavy soles adding an inch to my height.
“There,” I said, straightening up and smoothing down the front of the skirt. “That’s as good as it’s getting.”
‘Human skin is icky,’Noodle hissed.
I snorted. “If you’re not nice to me I’ll knit you a sweater.”
He visibly shivered, hissing again.‘You may try, but you shall fail.’
I grabbed my bag, carefully placed Noodle around my wrist like a living bracelet, and headed for the door. The common room was no longer empty. Three students in purple-accented uniforms looked up as I entered. I thought of Draco’s violet eyes when he used his magic and wondered if all of the uniforms were designation color coded. They paused mid-conversation, eyes widening slightly as they took me in.
“Morning,” I said, smiling brightly but not stopping.
“Good morning,” a tall guy with dark curly hair replied, recovering first. “You must be Jupiter. I’m Marcus, fourth year. This is Dani and Liam.”
I waved and smiled, trying not to fuck this up. “It’s nice to meet you guys. I’m running a bit late but I’m sure we’ll see each other later?”
“All good. Combat hall’s east of the main building,” Marcus called after me. “Through the grove.”
I raised a hand in thanks without turning around. At least the Scorpios seemed decent enough, not openly hostile.
Outside, the morning air was crisp and misty, the grounds shrouded in a light fog that made the buildings look like they were floating. Students in various colored uniforms moved between buildings, some hurrying with purpose, others strolling leisurely. All of them turned to look as I passed, but many of them actually waved at me or nodded.
I kept my head high, ignoring the whispers and stares and attempting to look as nice as possible. After Dominion, this kind of attention was familiar territory. The difference was that here, the looks seemed more curious than malicious. Still annoying, but I could handle curiosity.
The combat hall turned out to be a large stone structure with high arched windows and massive wooden doors. As I approached, I could hear the sounds of training inside—the clash of weapons, the thud of bodies hitting mats, voices calling out commands.
I pushed open one of the doors and stepped into very organized chaos. The hall was divided into sections—sparring rings, weapons training areas, a climbing wall obviously made of illusion magic and what looked like an obstacle course that defied several laws of physics.
I couldn’t help but gape at the sophisticated illusion magic. It was more advanced than I’d expected. Initially, I planned to dive straight into training, but after the travel and emotional fucking whirlwind of recent days, I realized it would be smarter to observe first. I needed to get a feel for things before jumping in headfirst.
The Stardust Shield was deep in an intense sparring session. I hesitated as I watched them, their bodies glistening with sweat under the bright lights. Something in my belly flipped, but Ipushed it down, although to be fair, ignoring the way they looked would have been impossible.
Phoenix towered over the others in the room, his muscles flexing. His dreadlocks were tied in a loose knot, and he swung a staff that glowed with green Taurus magic. He faced off against Rowan, whose pale blue eyes glowed like crystals, as did his sword. Nearby, Lucas and Theo were locked in a rapid hand-to-hand bout. Jamie was the only one wearing a shirt.
Rowan noticed me first, waving a hand. The others paused, turning to greet me. “You made it,” he called out, his deep voice carrying across the hall.
I approached, trying not to stare too long at any one of them. “Just here to observe today,” I said, gesturing to my outfit. “Not really dressed for action.”
Lucas’s eyes dipped, traveling from my boots to my eyes slowly before he grabbed a towel to wipe down. “Come sit. We’re almost finished anyway.”
He led me to tiered benches along the wall, and I settled on one while they resumed sparring. Lucas sat beside me, still catching his breath.
“Impressive setup,” I commented as Phoenix’s staff struck Rowan’s shield, sending magical sparks flying.
“Top-notch,” Lucas replied. “The illusion work here is some of the best. They change the obstacle courses weekly to keep us on our toes. We even have simulations of bane attacks.” He pointed to a shimmering barrier that separated the main area from a chaotic-looking section. “Full immersion training. Makes real incursions less shocking for first timers.”
I thought about the caverns under Dominion where everything went sideways, and wondered if Imperium also had smaller bane locked away somewhere for trainees to practice on.
My attention drifted to Jamie, who was now working through knife maneuvers. His sleeveless shirt exposed a network of scarsthat had long turned silver. Zodiacs heal efficiently, so scarring like that meant he’d been through hell.
