“Why?”
“Because it’s not fair.”
A tremor shakes her entire body and a rainstorm scent bursts through the room as Mavyn’s nails puncture through Varian’s skin. He doesn’t flinch at it but liquid builds on Mavyn’s waterline.
“Music is mine,” she barely breathes. “And he hates me because of it. Thinks I’m too worthless for it.”
Confusion vibrates through Varian as he asks, “Who?”
“Blood demon.” And I think I might just kill who I’ve always seen as a brother. “Not even the sun devil took my song away.”
I’m going to kill him.
I glance at Varian with questions. The first being why he also wants to murder Thorne.
“Is that why you destroyed Thorne’s rooms?”
The room goes exceptionally quiet as we all wait for her to answer. I already know she didn’t do it – couldn’t have done it – but for some reason the rest of them think she did.
“I did not,” she states.
You wouldn’t be able to notice it unless you were right next to him as I am, but Varian expels a soft sigh. If I didn’t know any better I would have thought he was relieved by her answer.
“Then where did you end the night? Where were you between the events of the Willow of Lore ceremony two nights ago and your dorm room this morning?”
That flash in her eyes happens again. “Burning.” My true devil claws at my soul. “In the sun death realm.” I think my eyes go black for a second as my true devil takes control before it’s reminded that he can’t come out. Mavyn’s voice in our head telling me I need to keep it in check for her.
Varian’s aura deepens with a destruction that could cripple this entire school. His voice darkens into something that isn’t entirely his. His magic growing to a new level I’ve never seen.
“Did you burn Thorne’s rooms?”
A final question, a blunt question. Nothing but truth pulling, this time giving Mavyn no choice but to answer.
“No.”
And the second the word leaves her lips Varian rips his hand away from her. He turns away and disperses his magic so we’re no longer all suffocating.
“She was telling the truth,” he states to those still in the room. Thorne, his and my father, and the Dean. “She didn’t do it.”
I step towards Mavyn ready to grab her because she doesn’t look any different. Varian let her go and yet her eyes are still glossed over and lifeless. Her right hand is still holding her collar down and her left is in its same position when she had been grabbing Varian’s wrist.
“Then we need to question the staff and groundskeepers again. We might also need to ask one of the stone witches from Corr to come extract the sights from the gargoyles around the university.”
“Of course, Mr. Arcturus, I’ll have a letter sent to Moiraio Academy.”
“Mavyn?” I whisper, ignoring the conversation happening behind me. I can’t hear her breath anymore. “Mavyn, can you look at me?”
Her skin has gotten paler and the circles under her eyes have gotten darker. Her color is draining away and my aura begins thrumming tightly around me.
“Mavyn?” I try again. “Firecracker?”
My eyes dip down to the claiming mark on her chest and there’s a tremor through the ground. The conversation behind me dies but nothing can take my focus away from my fated. I can’t even try running invisible fingers over her mental shields because I don’t want her thinking I’m trying to read her thoughts.
It feels like when she first disappeared and all that remained were ashes.
Helpless.
Worthless.