Chapter 83: The Invitation
{CAROLINE}
We were too weak. Too fragile. Too insignificant to form our own Covens.
"And why," I asked slowly, "would I attend a gathering full of bloodsucking vampires?"
Morgana chuckled. "Considering you already belong to Lord Vladimir, it’s only natural you attend at his side."
"Like I care and I don’t belong to him or anyone else."
"Oh?" Her smile sharpened. "Then perhaps we should extend the invitation to your friend instead."
My heart dropped.
"You know," she continued lightly, "the unshifted wolf. No arcane. No claws. Iris, was it?"
My thoughts went dark. "Leave her out of this," I hissed.
She shrugged. "Your choice. Attend the party... or we invite her. I’m sure everyone would enjoy her blood."
My nails dug into my palms.
I took a slow breath, forcing calm into my voice. "Fine. I’ll attend. But you will leave Iris alone."
Morgana’s eyes gleamed with triumph. "Of course."
She leaned closer, her beauty turning sharp, predatory. "Seven o’clock. Don’t be late. And don’t worry—you won’t be the only human there."
She laughed softly, dark and delighted. "It will be... unforgettable."
Then she walked away.
I stood there long after she disappeared, my thoughts spiraling.
I knew it was a trap.
But I had no choice.
I could handle myself. Even without arcane, I’d learned to fight. To endure. To survive.
Iris couldn’t.
And it was my fault she was here at all.
If only I’d kept my head down that day. If only I hadn’t challenged Morgana. If only my pride hadn’t dragged us into this nightmare.
Now Iris was paying the price for my defiance—for pride that had dressed itself as nobility and called it virtue.
And I could not drag her into this any longer.
====
{IRIS}
I had chosen the most secluded corner of the garden, where the ivy strangled the marble columns and the moonlight barely dared to trespass.
The air there was colder, heavier, as if the earth itself wished to remind me of my place.
I stood within a broken ring of stone, hands trembling faintly at my sides, whispering the incantations I had memorized until my tongue ached and my throat burned.
Nothing.
Not a spark.
Not a whisper of heat.
Not even the faint hum of arcane power.
The garden was silent, save for the rustling leaves and the distant toll of the clock tower. Evening would crept upon me without mercy.
Friday would bled into Saturday, and Saturday threatened to slip away just as uselessly.
By Monday—two days from now—Professor Thornwick’s patience would run out.
Produce even a spark by then, he had said, his voice clipped and merciless, or you will be formally dismissed.
Dismissed.
Expelled.
The word clawed at my chest.
I drew a shuddering breath and clenched my fists. "No... I have to focus," I muttered, forcing the words through gritted teeth.
I tried again.
I followed the exact steps outlined in the grimoire I had stolen—no, borrowed—from the restricted archives.
The diagrams were etched into my mind. The theory was sound. I could recite it backward if needed.
But theory did not summon magic.
I could not risk brewing alchemy in the laboratory—not without being discovered, and I had already drawn enough unwanted attention.
So I had retreated here, clinging to the foolish hope that training alone might awaken something dormant within me.
Hours passed.
My limbs grew numb. My focus fractured. When my knees finally gave out, I collapsed onto the cold stone, the chill seeping through my skirts and into my bones.
A bitter laugh escaped me.
So this was it. This was the extent of my worth.
The curfew bell rang in the distance, sharp and unforgiving.
I had no choice.
With leaden limbs, I rose and turned my gaze upward. The encased crystal garden glittered faintly nearby, its glass panels reflecting the dying starlight. Beyond it, the heavens stretched vast and indifferent.
It was growing darker. Soon the corridors would be crawling with prefects and wardens.
I turned to leave—
—and froze.
Valerius stood a few paces away, leaning lazily against a stone arch, red eyes gleaming with unmistakable amusement.
My blood ran cold.
Shit.
How had he found me?
I carried no scent—none that should attract anyone’s attention. That was the only reason I had dared to train here in peace. The others could never locate me without it.
But then again...
This was a public space.
Any students could find this place and linger here.
"You—" I shifted instinctively, my fingers brushing against the obsidian dagger strapped high against my thigh. I had never fought back against the others—their cruelty had been petty, survivable. Escalating would only worsen things.
But vampires were different.
If he wanted my life, I would not surrender it quietly.
"Relax." Valerius chuckled softly, raising both hands in mock surrender. "I’m merely here to invite you to the annual freshmen welcoming party. This Saturday night."
The words reached me slowly, as if my mind refused to process them.
"...Why?" I asked at last.
He laughed outright. "Ahahaha, look at that stupid expression of yours."
I scowled. No. Seriously. "Why?"
Anyone with sense could see the trap coiled within his invitation. "Why would I—a werewolf—attend a vampire-infested gathering?"
Valerius only laughed harder.
I felt no humor in it.
"True," he conceded lightly. "But... Caroline will be there."
My heart stopped.
For one unbearable second, the world tilted.
"She won’t want to go alone," he continued smoothly. "Surely you wouldn’t abandon your friend to such company."
Caroline.
Why would she be there?
She’s Lord Val’s human blood bank. I reminded myself bitterly. It was customary. Expected.
But still—
"Why should I believe you?" I asked. I was shaking inside, fear clawing at my chest, but I had no patience for it. Anger rose to take its place, fueled by exhaustion and the weight of problems I could no longer outrun.
Valerius’s smile widened, sharp as glass. "Why not ask her yourself?"
I felt unease. "What are you planning?"
He shrugged, already retreating into the shadows. "Nothing much. Go or not, I don’t really care. But one thing is certain..." His voice lingered long after his form vanished. "That friend of yours is definitely going."
Silence swallowed the garden once more.
