Thornhill Academy. Chapter 81

The clinking of cutlery and the buzz of voices filled the space. Golden lanterns hovered above the long banquet tables, casting pools of soft light across the plates piled high with roasted meats, candied fruits, and glimmering pastries that shimmered faintly with enchantments to keep them warm and fresh. Evander sat close beside me, his arm draped across the back of my chair, thumb tracing idle patterns against my shoulder blade.

“So,” I said, leaning closer so only he could hear, “did you and Kael patch things up?”

His jaw tensed almost imperceptibly before he set his fork down. “No,” he admitted. “We’re still in disagreement about… something.”

I frowned. “Something?”

He gave me a crooked smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “It’s nothing for you to worry about, pet.” His hand found mine under the table, fingers curling around my palm, his thumb pressing into the centre like he could seal the words there and keep them from unravelling. Before I could push further, Tessa and Rynor appeared, glowing with post-dance exhilaration. Rynor’s horns caught the light as he grinned at us, a mischievous tilt to his smile. “Room for a few more?”

“Always,” Evander said, gesturing to the seats beside him.

Rynor’s friends followed, all of them elegant and just slightly unnerving and intimidating. Tessa plopped down beside me with a giddy sigh. “I swear, I’m dancing until dawn. You’re not stopping me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I said with a laugh.

I reached for my glass just as movement caught my eye across the table. Kael.

He slid into the empty seat opposite me with quiet confidence, tucking his flask into his inner pocket. For a moment, he didn’t say anything. Just sat there, elbows on the table, gaze locked on me like the rest of the room had ceased to exist. The air between us tightened.

“You look beautiful tonight,” he said finally, voice low and rough.

The simple words hit harder than they should have. My pulse stuttered.

“Thank you,” I managed, glancing down at my plate, pretending to busy myself with rearranging vegetables that I had no intention of eating. Evander’s hand tightened on mine beneath the table, just slightly. A silent warning. Or maybe a claim. Kael didn’t look away, though. His amber eyes glowed faintly in the lantern light, steady, unwavering, and in that moment, surrounded by friends, music, and laughter, I could feel it again. That pull. That impossible, magnetic pull that had started weeks ago and refused to fade.

I was staring at the food on my plate, gently pushing pieces of roast and bread around, as if rearranging them might make me hungrier.

Evander leaned close, his voice low. “You should eat something, pet.”

I forced a small smile, shaking my head. “I’m not really that hungry.”

He frowned, brows drawing together. “You’ve barely eaten all day. You’ll make yourself sick if you don’t...”

“She said she’s not hungry,” Kael cut in flatly.

The sound of his voice was sharp enough to slice through the entire table. I froze. Evander’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowing like twin flames.

“I’m not talking to you,” Evander bit out, his tone quiet but dangerous.

Kael only leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “Yeah, but you should listen when she talks. You do that, and she wouldn’t have to repeat herself.”

The tension was so thick you could cut it with a butter knife.

Tessa looked between them, her eyes wide like she was watching a particularly volatile magical experiment. “Sooo…” she started, clearly desperate to change the subject, but Rynor beat her to it.

The demon clapped his hands once, grinning far too brightly. “Right! So, does anyone think they might find a mate tonight?”

Silence. Every single one of us stared at him. Evander’s jaw clenched. Kael’s fingers drummed slowly against the table. Tessa’s mouth opened, then closed again, like even she didn’t dare joke about this. And I… I couldn’t move. My chest ached because I already had a mate, and yet something deep inside of me stirred restlessly at Rynor’s words.

Rynor blinked, glancing around at the sudden wall of unamused faces. “Right,” he said slowly, raising both hands in mock surrender. “Definitely not the right question for this table. Duly noted.”

Tessa groaned, muttering under her breath, “Read the room, Ryn.”

He chuckled, leaning back in his seat, still entirely unbothered. “What? The Moonlight Festival is supposed to reveal the bonds. If anyone’s fated, tonight’s the night the moon likes to stir up trouble.”

He winked. Evander took a long sip of his drink without answering. Kael’s eyes met mine again, burning into my soul. Because Rynor wasn’t wrong. Tonight was when the bonds awoke.

The tension from dinner still lingered long after it was done. The lanterns dimmed, and the soft hum of chatter quieted until the courtyard was filled only with the rustle of silk and the faint creak of chairs being pushed back. Headmaster Scorched rose onto the stage in front of the dance floor, his crimson robes gleaming faintly in the lanternlight. His presence commanded attention. His aura is sharp and heavy. The flickering sigils carved into the floor beneath him pulsed with gold, reacting to the rising pull of moonlight filtering through the sky. He raised one hand, and the crowd fell silent.

“Students, faculty, honoured guests,” his deep voice carried easily through the vast room, laced with authority and the faint shimmer of dragonfire. “The hour is upon us once again, the night of the Moonlight Festival, when the veil between magic and destiny grows thin.”

I swallowed hard, the air around me tightening. Evander’s hand brushed mine beneath the table.

Scorched continued, “Each year, under the gaze of the full moon, the Fates bestow their sacred gifts upon the chosen. Bonds will awaken. Paths will entwine. What is written in the stars will be revealed to those brave enough to stand beneath their light.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping the room. “It is a moment of honour. Of revelation. But remember, young ones: the Fates are not kind, nor cruel. They are balance incarnate. Accept their will with humility, and walk your path with courage.”

The crowd shifted with uneasy excitement. I could hear Tessa’s breath hitch beside me.

“The moon will reach her full rise within minutes,” Scorched went on, his voice deepening. “So, I ask all present, students and staff alike, to make your way to the dance floor, to stand beneath her light. Let the magic of the night reveal what is meant to be.”

He stepped down from the dais as glowing silver threads began to coil through the air above us, marking the descent of the moon’s power.

Evander stood and extended his hand toward me, eyes molten and unreadable. “Come on, pet,” he murmured softly. “Let’s see what the Fates have planned for us.”

My heart thudded as I took it, rising with him and stepping into the crowd that slowly gathered on the glowing marble floor, unaware that destiny itself was already watching.