Thornhill Academy. Chapter 77

The next morning came far too fast. I blinked against the sunlight slicing through the curtains just as the door burst open.

“Girllll!”

Tessa’s voice hit before my brain caught up. She stormed in, arms full of boxes, her curls bouncing like she’d downed six coffees before dawn. Evander groaned beside me, dragging the blanket over his head.

I laughed, sitting up. “Morning to you, too, Tess.”

She dumped the boxes onto the bed with dramatic flair. “These, my darling, are the dresses.”

“The what now?” I rubbed my eyes.

“The apology dresses!” she said proudly. “You know, since I nearly got you killed at the Serpent’s Veil? Anyway, retail therapy heals trauma.”

Evander peeked out from under the blanket, hair mussed and golden eyes half-lidded. “Does it also cause early hearing loss?”

“Probably,” Tessa said sweetly. “But it also makes us look hot, so shut up and go make coffee, Drayke.”

He grumbled something about regretting every life decision that led him to this moment, but slipped out of bed, tugging a shirt over his head before obeying.

Tessa shot me a wicked grin the second he left the room. “You two are disgustingly adorable, you know that?”

I rolled my eyes, trying to tame my hair. “We’re functional. Sometimes.”

She laughed and pulled the first box open, revealing a cascade of silver fabric that shimmered like liquid moonlight. “I ordered a few options, but this one, oh, Ally, this one is you. Try it on.”

I slipped into the bathroom, fingers trembling as I unwrapped the dress. It was stunning, soft silk that clung in all the right places, catching the light with every move. When I stepped out, Tessa gasped and clapped her hands like an excited fairy.

“See? Goddess energy! The festival won’t know what hit it.”

I looked at myself in the mirror, almost not recognising the reflection. For the first time since coming here, I looked… sure of something. Not the scared girl who hid her power or the orphan running from the world. This version of me looked like she belonged in it.

Evander came back balancing a tray of coffee and pastries, and his jaw actually dropped.

“Holy hell,” he breathed.

I smirked. “Language, dragon.”

He just shook his head slowly. “You’re going to kill me, pet.”

Tessa beamed like a proud parent. “Mission accomplished.”

We spent most of the morning before classes sprawled across the floor with dresses, fabrics, and accessories scattered everywhere. Evander eventually escaped, muttering about needing to keep his sanity, leaving us to the chaos. By midday, my room looked like a boutique had exploded. At lunch, we found him again under the oak tree near the training fields. He’d brought food, of course and had already laid out a picnic blanket. Tessa immediately took over the conversation, filling the air with stories about past festivals, old flings, and her completely inappropriate theory that the head librarian was secretly a siren. Evander humoured her, but his hand found mine, fingers tracing slow, steady lines over my palm. It was such a small thing, but it felt grounding.

When Tessa left to go to the library, I leaned my head on his shoulder, making sure there were no wandering eyes out here before I did.

“This feels strange,” I murmured. “Like everything’s too quiet. Like I've borrowed someone else's life.”

He pressed a kiss to my temple. “Then we borrow it, pet. Every damn second, until fate takes it back or lets you keep it forever.”

Evening came wrapped in golden light and the scent of rain on stone. Back in my room, I stood by the window, watching the sky darken to violet. After we had dinner, Evander said he needed to go and call his parents, so I had some time alone to reflect. The posters for the Moonlight Festival fluttered across the courtyard—*one week left.* Seven days until the moon reached its peak, when fated bonds would strengthen and magic would flare through the academy like wildfire. The thought made my chest tighten. I pulled out the bracelet from Professor Fenwick’s class from my drawer, the one that changed colour with my emotions. It pulsed gently with blue, gold, then red, unable to decide what I felt. The lights in my room flickered and my magic hummed low under my skin, restless and hungry.

*“More are coming, little one.”*

The voice wasn’t mine. It was deeper and older. My dragon's voice.

*“You will need them all.”*

I stared at my reflection, heart pounding. My eyes glowed faintly, molten gold for a split second before fading.

“Great,” I whispered to myself. “Cryptic dragon warnings. That’s new.”

I turned off the lamp and climbed into bed, curling into Evander’s side when he came in a few minutes later. His warmth seeped into me instantly, his dragon humming in tune with mine.

“What’s wrong?” he murmured.

“Nothing,” I lied, tracing a finger over his chest. “Just… thinking.”

He brushed my hair from my face and kissed the top of my head. “Don't overthink, you'll fall down a rabbit hole.”

I tried not to, but even in dreams, the voice lingered—*Seven days. The moon will burn. Choose well, little one.*

By midweek, the academy had transformed. Silver streamers and star-shaped lanterns hung between the old stone archways, glittering softly in the afternoon light. Enchanted ribbons twined through the trees, pulsing faintly with magic as if the school itself were breathing in anticipation. Every conversation in the halls revolved around dresses, suits, enchantments, and destiny.

Tessa practically vibrated with excitement as she looped her arm through mine. “Come on, Ally. You promised. Market trip. Festival prep. No backing out.”

“I didn’t back out,” I groaned, tugging my satchel higher on my shoulder. “I said after school.”

“It is after school.” She beamed, utterly unfazed by logic. “And besides, Evander said he needs a suit, so it’s a group trip now.”

“Of course he did,” I muttered.

He met us by the gate, freshly showered from training, golden hair glinting in the sun and uniform shirt rolled up at the sleeves. He smiled that lazy, devastating smile that made my stomach do strange, traitorous flips. “Ladies,” he said with mock formality. “Shall we?”

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t fight the smile.