Chapter 67: _This Is It
Celeste’s POV
*****
5:30 pm, Bloodoak Academy.
An almost five-hour break before the Hybrid trial meant two things to me.
One, space to prepare myself, organise my emotions and give as much distance as possible to all my mates. Not just Azrael.
All of them.
I’d had about enough after Azrael’s constant back and forth, Luther’s uncertain dramatics, Atlas’s need for protecting me and Silas—
—Okay, perhaps Silas wasn’t all that bad compared to the rest of them. Scratch that, he wasn’t bad at all. I’ve been the one avoiding him.
Anyway, the second thing the long break gave me was time to focus on the most important person in my life.
Yep. Me.
"You still don’t want to tell me what happened between you and Azrael?" Willow asked me for the umpteenth time as we stepped out of our suite.
She locked the door while I leaned against a wall, taking a large bite from a shawarma. We finally got them.
"There’s really nothing to talk about, Willow." I shrugged, taking yet another deep bite.
Her head swung to me, arms folding in front of her chest. "I didn’t say you had to talk to me about it. But you’re denying whatever happened—"
"I’m not denying it." I shook my head, stepping away from the wall. "I’m simply not letting it hold precedence over my life."
By ’it’ I meant him. The bonds. All of them.
I won’t let myself get controlled by any of them.
With a small sigh, Willow nodded. "I’m... Proud. I guess," we began walking down the hallway, chins raised when we saw the few students ahead. "It’s just you have four mates. Two of whom I was shipping hard for you." Her voice lowered.
She paused, barely taking a sip from her cappuccino. "I had hopes that either Azrael or Silas would be the charming rebound you’d need to get over Luther’s madness."
My lips curved into a wry smile. "Thanks, Willow. I’ll just need to use this step back and... Re-evaluate. Make a choice."
Even though I said that, I felt like my mind was already moving me toward one. And so did the bond...
.
.
At the Crimson Expanse gates, students were already trooping back in from wherever they went during the break. Many we walked past threw me looks.
Some whispered. Others didn’t bother hiding their judgment.
Yet I ignored all of it, keeping a straight face. I’ve already gotten this far. I wasn’t about to back out now.
"There is our star player," Lysandra’s voice, behind me, was legitimately the last thing I wished to hear. But I did. And regretted not having headphones. "Are you sure you’re ready, darl? You could always forfeit."
Chuckles from her loyal pack of hyenas made me spin until I faced her.
They stood close to one of the rune-carved stone pillars at the side of the gates, catching the attention of several other students who watched. Amused.
I clicked my tongue. "Oh, no thanks, Lysandra. I’d rather face this head-on instead of quitting for some made-up reason. You know." I smirked. "Unlike some people."
Her stormy eyes flashed with a cruel light, lips thinning. Natasha and the other girls exchanged glances, as if uncertain of what to say.
Willow tugged my arm. "Not worth it, babe."
And oh, I agreed.
Turning away from them, we continued walking.
A few steps forward. Then—
"The trial this year won’t be kind, princess." Lysandra lulled. "I would hate to see you break. Especially with Luther watching."
That name made my footsteps falter. Just for a beat.
However, I didn’t respond, raising my right hand and showing my middle finger. A clear indication of how I felt about the shit that ran out of her mouth.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Professor Amelia’s long-awaited voice finally boomed when Willow and I got in front of the audience section. "Please, settle down, grab your snacks and warm up your vocal cords. The Hybrid trial is about to begin!"
Cheers and claps rolled through the Expanse even though most hadn’t sat yet.
In my chest, four pressure points thrummed. Four bonds. Four hearts beating in tandem with mine. My mates were in different parts of this field.
Waiting and watching.
"This is it, girl." Willow squeezed my hand, smiling warmly. "Make momma proud, alright?"
As she trailed away from me, ascending the audience section—my breathing hitched.
This was it.
The moment I’ve been training for the past six days.
"Hey, sis." A familiar touch on my shoulder made me angle my head to the right. And there stood Caelum with a broad smile, blonde hair tousled. "Are you ready for this?"
A trembling breath spilt out of my lips before I nodded. "Yep."
Was I really ready? If ’ready’ means passing out—then yes.
Eventually, Caelum and I walked close to the High table, followed by two Whiteflame students. Hybrids like us. One male and a female.
The Crimson Expanse silenced as students settled into the audience section, anticipation alive in the air.
Dean Thorne rose from his seat, crimson robes flapping into the evening wind. "We’ve finally gotten to what most might describe as the most challenging trial of all. The Hybrid trial."
A cacophony of applause echoed through the Expanse, making me suck in a heavy breath. My heart pounded like war drums. Sweat stuck to places they weren’t supposed to.
Gods above help me.
"This year’s trial," Thorne continued, his expression serious, "as some of you might have already heard... Will test each hybrid’s identity. Push both their wolf and witch sides to limits they might’ve never scratched before."
I still remember Rebecca’s warning about this year’s Hybrid trial. And it being designed to destabilise both sides of a Hybrid at once.
The problem is... My wolf side was close to non-existent. So what would my fate even be?
"While your sides are pushed to their limits," Thorne’s tone was clipped. "You’ll be tasked with keeping yourself in control and levelheaded enough to face tasks. Obstacles. Each obstacle you pass will earn you points. As well as your ability to function with the restrictions on your side."
Suddenly, a rift tore through the space a few meters in front of us. It flared with a blinding white light, making me squint and take a step back.
I glanced at Caelum and noticed he also had his eyes on me. No words. Expression blank. But he gave a silent nod that made me know I wasn’t doing this alone.
My literal twin was by my side.
"Alright!" Dean Thorne raised his right hand. "Let the hybrid trial..." His fingers wiggled, magic sparking between them. "Commence!"
Those sparks shot into the air, creating a colourful display of crimson and white fireworks that mesmerised me. Only for a couple of seconds.
"Let’s go!" Caelum barked, nudging me.
We ran, leaping into the light.
As we did—I thought about them one last time.
My mates.
If indeed someone had rigged these trials—I might be in danger. And throughout today I’ve barely gotten any good interactions with any of them.
The bonds hummed at that thought. A gentle reminder that they could feel my emotions.
’Let’s finish this.’ I thought to myself as the light swallowed my vision.
