Chapter 105: _Endgame
Celeste’s POV
*****
8:30 PM Atlas’ Suite.
"So," I trailed behind Atlas first, right hand on my waist. "We all agree the Dean is some kind of evil mastermind milking this mate bond thing, right?"
I glanced back at Silas, Luther and Azrael, the latter shutting the door behind him.
We’d decided to come here to... Talk after leaving the Dean’s office. First to know where we each stood and also to think of a way forward now that we were all in on the secrets.
"Oh, I won’t know, Celeste." Luther strutted past me, making himself comfortable on one of Atlas’s sofas. "I believe if maybe I had more exposure to each incident that happened—"
"Brother, can we not start this again?" Silas moved, sticking beside me. He wrapped an arm around my waist, throwing me a brief glance when I jolted in surprise. "Celeste had every right to keep these things away from you. Back then at least."
Luther scoffed, glaring at his arm on my waist.
Not just him but Azrael and Atlas stared like they were seconds away from exploding. Atlas turned, pretending to cough as he brought his eyes to his large lava lamp.
But Azrael? He stayed standing in front of the door, arms folded and glasses shielding what might be the coldest or most fiery eyes in the academy.
Depending on whom you ask.
"Easy for you to say," Luther shook his head, a bitter smile tugging his lips. "Celeste, you’ve avoided me. Since the spell broke. And now—"
"How certain are you, Luther?" I broke away from Silas’s hold, flowing toward his brother. Luther’s jaw tightened, his blue eyes flickering with anger and guilt all at once. "How certain am I that the curse is broken? Because you told me?"
I was pouring out my insecurities and fears without restraint. But fuck it.
"Just looking at you feels like I’m jabbing the wound in my heart. The same one I tried burying by mingling with the others." I gestured without care. "So forgive me if I forgot to share proof of an enemy out to get me."
Silence.
All four of them went silent, gazes glued on me. The bond hummed with their emotions.
Luther’s guilt. Azrael’s self-judgement. Atlas’ restrained desires. And Silas’... Calm.
Overwhelmed, I naturally shifted back to Silas, placing my head on his shoulder. "Can we," I sniffled, "just wrap this up? If we’re truly going for this vacation we need to make things clear."
Azrael finally lowered his arms. "I guess this is where I come in..." He paused, leaving his face in my direction before sweeping it past everyone. "Earlier today I was in the Dean’s office. For a fleeting second, I thought he found out and summoned us for it."
He let out a heavy breath before dropping the bomb. "I was keen on finding evidence against him. And I did. On the days of Miss Benedicta’s death, the memorial, her body’s reappearance and even the Blood Trials attack... He got calls. From an encrypted source."
My mouth parted while Atlas spun away from his lamp entirely.
"Encrypted calls?" He repeated. "That’s... Did you get anything else?"
When Azrael shook his head I sighed.
The "evidence" was something but it could mean anything at this rate.
"Did you take pictures?" Silas raised a hand. "I’m guessing you saw them on his laptop. So did you take pictures or...?"
Azrael shook his head again. "It’s not enough. But it’s a start. Professor Amelia came in before it could cross my mind."
"Would it have ever crossed your mind?" Luther threw his head back. "I swear, sometimes you act and talk like you aren’t from this era."
I twisted my lips at that, already feeling the tension.
But Azrael barely took it seriously. "Oh, I’m quite acquainted with things from this era," he pulled out his phone, turning it on and spinning the screen for all to see. It was set on a familiar tab. Blood Eye. "Academy Princess X Hale enterprises CEO," he went on shamelessly, reading a headline. "The mystery—"
"Bloody hell, I get it!" Luther gave up, rubbing his forehead. "So we’ve got mysterious notes each starting with the letter C. And the recent one is ’Control’, right?"
His eyes trailed to me at that last part.
I nodded slowly, my mind reeling. "The first word was ’confess’. Back then we thought it might’ve been directed at Azrael. But then... That same day Blood Eye released that picture of me and him kissing."
When I swerved my head to Atlas, his golden eyes lit up with realisation. "Of course! Each note is somehow directed at something Celeste is going through. Or urging her to do something."
He walked to the middle of the room, swiping a hand over his head. Golden light flared above him, transforming into three words we could all see.
I stared anxiously, pressing closer to Silas.
"Confess," Atlas began, a flick of his wrist making that word disappear. "Celeste kissing Azrael was a confession of sorts. Then the next one." He wiggled his fingers, making the other word glow like a sun. "Choose. Celeste..."
He froze, his throat bobbing with saliva.
My face flushed instantly when I realised what choice meant.
"She ’chose’ Silas," Luther mumbled, placing a leg over the other. His eyes scrutinised us for a breath before he nodded at Atlas. "We’re following. Go on."
Atlas shook his head, swiping that word away too. Then he pulled with his right hand, enlarging the final word.
Control.
"Celeste’s magic surges." Atlas’ expression became grim. "Especially today with the wards and freezing water. That MIGHT be what this person is telling her to control."
"Or the bonds." Azrael chimed. "But then all this begs an important question."
The final word dissipated into tiny light specks above us. I held my breath as we all pinned our eyes on Azrael.
Then, "Is this really all the doing of the Dean? Or someone else? And whoever it is... What is the end game for us?" He angled his head to me, his chin lowering. My breath hitched before he dropped it. "Or Celeste."
Endgame. Saying it like that made me feel like whatever was coming next... would endanger us all.
