Biana didn't answer any of the dozens of hails I sent her after Sophie and I parted ways. I spent all night pacing, hailing her at regular intervals, and barging into Keefe's room to ask for relationship advice.
Turns out that was useless because he'd never exchanged crush cuffs or had a relationship that lasted longer than a week. And when I quizzed him about what he would do if he were dating Sophie and she did this to him, he kicked me out of his room and told me to go to sleep.
Which I did not.
I was freaking out. What if she was in trouble? What if she'd been kidnapped? What if her mind had broken like her father's? What if Fitz was holding her hostage? And worst of all... what if she didn't want to be my girlfriend anymore?
My head said to let her take her time to work through this grief, alone, if that's what she wanted. But my heart said to make sure she was okay before listening to my head.
Hopefully, she'd hail me in the morning, or she would be at school in the next few days, and I could talk to her then. Thankfully, Stormy was there for me all night. Though she did fall asleep, she did so while snuggled up next to me, which was exactly what I needed.
Adelow remarked at how good I was getting at hiding the fact that I hadn't slept when I did my makeup the next day. I guess practice really does make perfect. Keefe just smiled at me that morning, not asking any questions, which I was thankful for. I wasn't in the mood and didn't think I'd ever be.
"Cass!" Dex shouted, running down the hall toward us as Sophie and I licked open our lockers.
"What?" I grabbed a few books. The only things that were important to me now were the Vackers. And, what Dame Alina had announced this morning, that the finale of the Celestial Festival would feature a certain alicorn. I wasn't sure if I'd be invited to perform, but there was no way I wasn't going to help Sophie and Silveny practice.
"Biana and Fitz are back at school today."
I dropped the supplies. That was much earlier than I expected. My estimate had put their arrival back at school at a week, maybe longer. But was I ready to talk to Biana? Of course. What else would I have done while staying up the entire night but rehearse for when I saw my grief-stricken girlfriend again?
"Do you know where she is?" I asked Dex. He shook his head. Sophie looked like she was going to be sick. Dex turned to her.
"Isn't it a good thing that they're back?"
"Yeah, it is. It's just going to be weird, because... I don't think we're friends anymore," Sophie said in a small voice.
"Not if I have anything to say about it," I told her matter-of-factly. "They'll come around. Fitz is honestly a mess right now, and Biana... Keefe says she's acting a lot like he did when you and I were taken."
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't realize-" Sophie spluttered
"Stop apologizing. It wasn't your fault. None of this is."
Sophie looked like she wished she could believe me. I could tell she was thinking of what Wylie had said-or, well, Wylie hadn't said much, but she and I had both been able to tell what he was thinking. Sophie reached for her history book, but as she pulled it off the shelf, a small piece of paper fell out of the locker.
I picked it up off the ground, thinking nothing of it, and nearly dropped it back on the ground when I noticed the black seal. It was the sign of the swan, the exact same as the notes from the shady organization Sophie had shown me before. I handed it to Sophie.
"Is that what I think it is?" Dex whispered. I nodded as she opened it, hands shaking. She examined it on both sides, holding up a tiny pink scrap of paper enclosed in the scroll. Then Sophie's eyes hardened, and she crumpled up the note, as if she wanted to throw it. I took it from her just in case and read it.
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Shades of Starlight (Hiatus)
قصص الهواةdon't you dare read this. Cassia Sencen is the younger sister of Keefe Sencen. Her mother has raised Cassia to be just like her her whole life. And though the two may seem identical on the outside, the inside is a different story. Cass manifests as...
