“It’s a great book,” I added quickly, trying to fill the silence between us. “A classic. Tragic, but… romantic, I guess. The Moonveil who falls for the Sunheart, and they both get hanged after the curse drives them mad.”
I gave a small, nervous laugh. “That doesn’t sound romantic when I say it aloud, does it? I thought you didn’t like romance books.”
He didn’t answer. Just looked at me.
A long, unreadable look. The kind that made my breath falter, not because I was scared, but because I could feel everything layered behind it. Grief. Rage. And something sharp and unspoken I couldn’t name.
He was gorgeous. That was just a fact. Not because of symmetry or sharp cheekbones, but because he wore his silence like armor. Jaw clenched, lashes thick over pale, unblinking eyes. Ink stained his fingers. His collar was uneven, like he hadn’t bothered to fix it. He didn’t try to be impressive.
And somehow, that made him more interesting. Impossible not to notice. I froze. As if a few paces might protect me from something I didn’t understand.
Was it the danger of noticing how striking he was?
I’d been raised never to admire the beauty of a Moonveil.
Or was it the danger of remembering what he could do? The danger that I believed I deserved to be punished for what happened to his family.
Either thought was a blade pressed mercilessly to my throat, sharp and cold, leaving me breathless.
So, I said the first thing that came to mind, trying to shove the moment away.
“I didn’t know Moonveils were so scholastic. I always thought most ended up in Dragontail,” I said, partly to cover my nerves, but also because I wanted to understand what set Lorik apart. The need to understand him had become tangled with my need to understand everything else unspoken around me.
I couldn’t believe I had said that. It sounded so stupid out loud.
He didn’t flinch. “You just ever stop talking, do you, Princess?”
I hesitated, then forced myself to hold his gaze. “Well… and you never smile.” He raised a brow, unimpressed.
Another long silence.
“I am sorry. I mean it. I am sorry about your family, but I promise I am not my family.” I said gently.
His expression didn’t change. Not even a flicker.
“It appears you did your research. But apologies won’t bring back my mother… or my sister,” Lorik said quietly, his eyes fixed on mine. “And in royal families, blood always bears the weight of its ancestors’ sins.”
I refused to look away.
He reached for the book, then his jacket, and walked towards the library entrance.
He hesitated at the door. “Be careful what you dig up,” he said, voice low, unreadable. “Some truths don’t stay buried.”
Then he turned and disappeared into the dark.
Chapter 11: Coercion
Isat next to Shakari and the twins among first-year students from all legions in the Emberkeep atrium for our coercion-blocking class. The space smelled faintly of damp stone and old parchment, the air cool enough to raise goosebumps along my arms. Shadows from the high glass ceiling bled across the floor, shifting with every flicker of candlelight.
Professor Chen stepped into the center as if she owned it. Mid-forties, sharp-boned, her dark brown hair scraped into a severe knot, her robes elegant and white as bone. She didn’t just speak, her presence pressed into the space, quieting the room before a word left her mouth.
“Coercion blocking,” she said, her voice low and precise, “is not optional. Not for Emberkeep. Not for Dragontail. Not for anyone who wishes to keep their mind intact.”
Her gaze swept the class like a scalpel. “Especially not Dragontail when you go far beyond the Veil. There are strong wildweavers with mind-bending abilities.” She tapped her temple, a faint shimmer of shadow curling from her fingertips.“You may not be able to block all mind-bending all the time but perhaps long enough to be rescued.”
A shiver rippled through the rows of benches, the unease spreading as the lesson pressed on.
“And unfortunately, there may be mind-benders you will never be able to block because their magic is simply too strong,” Chen continued. “But here, I will teach you how to build and strengthen that wall and how to try.” She paused. “Can someone give me examples of the types of mind-bending you could block?”