Moonveil Academy: Trapped With The Five Kings

Elara:

I stared at Lorien for several seconds after his question, unsure whether I was more irritated by the fact that he’d asked or by the fact that he’d somehow noticed. Finally, I looked away, folding my arms across my chest. ”I’m not holding anything against you.”

The silence that followed lasted barely a heartbeat.

”You are.”

My eyes snapped back to him. Lorien had taken another step toward me, his gaze fixed steadily on mine.

”You have been ignoring me since the incident at your dorm. You barely speak to me during our sessions. You leave the moment they are over. You don’t even look at me anymore.” His voice remained frustratingly calm. ”That’s not someone who isn’t holding something against me.”

I narrowed my eyes. ”You are thinking too much into it, Headmaster.”

”Am I?”

”Yes.” I took a breath, forcing myself not to let his proximity affect me. ”I have simply been trying not to make the same mistake twice.”

Something shifted in his expression. ”The same mistake?” He repeated.

”Trusting people.” My voice grew colder. ”I trusted you because you were kind to me when I had nothing. Then I watched you stand there and protect the people who had been making my life miserable. So forgive me if I’m not eager to repeat that experience.”

His jaw ticked.

At least I knew I’d finally managed to hit a nerve. Yet when he spoke, his voice remained maddeningly controlled. ”You misunderstood what happened.”

”Did I?”

”Yes.” His eyes hardened slightly. ”The only reason I didn’t reveal Alaric’s involvement that night was because I was trying to protect you.”

A humorless scoff escaped me. ”You don’t need to do that again.”

”Elara-”

”I mean it.” I stepped closer, my anger finally spilling over. ”I don’t need your extravagant protection. I don’t need favors that come with some invisible debt attached to them. And I certainly don’t need someone pretending to be my friend only to remind me later that they were never really on my side.”

His expression changed.?”That’s what you think I was doing?”

”Isn’t it?”

”No.”

”Then what was I supposed to think?” I demanded. ”You lied to me. You stood there and let me believe I was wrong. You watched me question everything while you knew the truth.”

”I never lied to you.”

”You conveniently left out the part that mattered!”

His eyes flashed. ”Because if I had exposed Alaric in front of everyone, do you honestly think that would have made your situation safer?”

”I would have preferred the truth!”

”And I would have preferred you safe from more troubles! If Alaric had ended up in trouble that night it would have only made him cone after you stronger than ever before.”

The words exploded between us and we both went silent. His breathing had changed and so had mine. For a moment, neither of us moved. Then I said the one thing I probably shouldn’t have.

”Maybe you should stop deciding what’s best for me.”

Something broke behind his eyes.

Before I could react, he closed the remaining distance between us and caught my arms, pushing me gently but firmly against the nearest wall.

”Lorien-”

His lips met mine before I could say anything further.

My mind went completely blank, and for one stunned second, I couldn’t even process what was happening. Then his mouth moved against mine, and the shock gave way to something far more confusing.

I should have pushed him away... but I didn’t.

My fingers curled instinctively into the fabric of his shirt, and when he kissed me again, deeper this time, I found myself responding before my mind could catch up.

The warmth of his body was pressed close to mine. His one hand held my name while the other found its way to my waist, while his lips moved against mine in a hunger I never saw coming. My heart hammered painfully against my ribs as I leaned toward him, my hands sliding to his shoulders.

For a few breathless seconds, everything else disappeared - the academy, the Regents, my family, my problems, the seal... everything. There was only him.

I instinctively leaned closer, deepening the kiss, and that’s when he abruptly pulled away.

I blinked in confusion. ”Lorien?”

He stepped backward, and only then did I notice that his face had gone pale.

”No.”

I stared at him.

He shook his head, almost as though he was trying to convince himself. ”No. No, no...”

”Lorien, what-”

”It was a mistake.” His eyes wouldn’t meet mine. ”It won’t happen again.” Then he turned around. And before I could say another word, he walked away.

No. Not walked. He practically ran.

I stood there frozen for several seconds before reality finally caught up with me. ”Lorien!”

I ran after him.

By the time I reached the entrance, rain was pouring from the sky. Thunder cracked overhead, illuminating the dark garden for a split second as Lorien climbed into the waiting car.

”Lorien!”

He didn’t stop. He got into the car and pulled away, leaving me there all alone.

I ran onto the stone path and the rain instantly soaked through my clothes, plastering my hair against my face.

”Lorien!”

The taillights disappeared beyond the gates. He never looked back. And I stood there alone in the rain, staring at the empty road while thunder rolled across the mountains.

I refused to cry.

Even when my eyes burned and tears gathered faster than the rain could wash them away, I refused to let them fall. I couldn’t believe I’d done it again. After everything that had happened, after promising myself that I wouldn’t trust anyone so easily anymore, I had somehow lowered my guard with Lorien again. I had let him get close enough to hurt me all over again.

Anger, humiliation, betrayal, confusion - it all twisted together inside my chest until I could barely breathe.

My head grew heavier with every passing second, and then that familiar warmth began building somewhere deep inside me. It was stronger than anything I’d ever felt before, and it was spreading rapidly through my body until it felt as though something inside me was preparing to explode.

I stumbled backward, clutching my head.

”Not now...”

The warmth surged and my knees gave out. And before I could even understand what was happening, the world disappeared beneath me.