TANGLED IN MOONLIGHT

The Archives

Nora’s POV

The library at Ashford Elite Academy was nothing like the library at my old school.

It was enormous.

Two entire floors were filled with books, research materials, old documents, and rows of shelves that seemed to stretch endlessly into the distance. Tall windows covered the eastern wall, allowing sunlight to fall across the polished wooden floors.

It was beautiful.

It was also strangely quiet.

Too quiet.

I walked between the shelves with Ava beside me, holding the piece of paper where I had written the name.

Eleanor Bennett.

I had written it several times during class.

Each time, the name had felt more familiar.

Not because I knew her.

I didn’t.

But because something about it had been following me since Mrs. Harper had mentioned her.

Ava kept looking at me.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing.”

I stopped walking.

She sighed.

“You really need to stop saying that.”

“You’re the one who keeps asking questions.”

“And you’re the one who keeps acting suspicious.”

Ava looked around the library.

“We should leave.”

“No.”

“Nora.”

“I just want to find out what happened to her.”

“Why?”

I looked at her.

“Because she had my surname.”

“Lots of people have your surname.”

“She was a scholarship student.”

Ava said nothing.

I continued.

“She disappeared from this school.”

Still nothing.

I narrowed my eyes.

“You know something.”

“I don’t.”

“Then why do you look like you want to run every time I mention her?”

Ava’s face tightened.

For a moment, she looked angry.

Then the anger disappeared.

“Because this school has a lot of stories.”

“Stories don’t make people look terrified.”

She looked away.

I took a step closer.

“Ava.”

She finally met my eyes.

“I don’t know anything about Eleanor Bennett.”

“Then help me find out.”

Her expression became uncomfortable.

“Nora, the archives are restricted.”

“Then why are we standing in front of them?”

She glanced toward the door.

“Because you wouldn’t listen to me.”

“Correct.”

Ava sighed.

The archives were located at the far end of the second floor.

Unlike the rest of the library, the entrance was protected by a heavy wooden door.

There was no sign.

No explanation.

Just a small electronic panel beside the handle.

I walked toward it.

Ava immediately caught my arm.

“Wait.”

I looked at her hand.

She released me.

“Sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing every time you touch me?”

“Because you look like you’re about to bite my head off.”

“I don’t.”

“You do.”

I ignored her and examined the door.

“How do we get inside?”

“We don’t.”

I turned toward her.

“Then why did you bring me here?”

“I didn’t bring you here.”

“You followed me.”

“That is different.”

“How?”

“It just is.”

Before I could argue, footsteps echoed from the other end of the library.

Ava’s expression changed.

She looked toward the sound.

“Someone’s coming.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then why are you whispering?”

“Because we’re standing in front of a restricted archive.”

I rolled my eyes.

The footsteps grew closer.

A figure appeared between the shelves.

I recognized him immediately.

Xavier Ashford.

He walked toward us with the same calm confidence he seemed to carry everywhere.

But there was something different about his expression.

He looked annoyed.

No.

Not annoyed.

Concerned.

His eyes moved from me to the door.

Then back to me.

“What are you doing here?”

I folded my arms.

“Studying.”

His gaze moved toward the restricted archives.

“Here?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Do you ask everyone this many questions?”

“Only people who are about to make a mistake.”

I stared at him.

“How do you know I’m about to make a mistake?”

“Because you’re standing in front of a door you’re not allowed to open.”

I looked at the door.

Then back at him.

“Are you the headmaster?”

“No.”

“Then why do you care?”

His jaw tightened.

There it was again.

That strange reaction.

I had begun to notice it whenever I challenged him.

Like he wanted to say something.

But couldn’t.

Ava stepped between us.

“Maybe we should go.”

I looked at her.

“Why are you suddenly agreeing with him?”

“I’m not agreeing with him.”

“You are.”

“I’m agreeing with the fact that we might get into trouble.”

Xavier’s eyes remained fixed on me.

“Go back to your dormitory.”

I laughed.

It came out sharper than I intended.

“Do you enjoy telling people what to do?”

“No.”

“Could have fooled me.”

He stepped closer.

My body immediately reacted.

The familiar pressure began building in my chest.

I hated it.

I hated the way my heart changed whenever he was near me.

I took a step backward.

His expression changed.

He noticed.

Of course he noticed.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“You keep doing that.”

“Doing what?”

“Looking at me like you know something.”

His face became completely still.

“I don’t know you.”

“Then stop looking at me like you do.”

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

The library seemed to disappear around us.

His eyes were dark.

Mine remained fixed on his.

I didn’t understand why I couldn’t look away.

There was something in his gaze.

Something that made me feel as though I had seen him before.

Not at school.

Somewhere else.

Somewhere I couldn’t remember.

Then a sharp pain suddenly struck my chest.

I gasped.

Xavier moved toward me instantly.

“Nora.”

His hand reached for my arm.

I pulled away.

“Don’t touch me.”

The words came out quickly.

His hand stopped in midair.

Something flashed across his face.

Hurt.

It was gone almost immediately.

But I saw it.

The pain in my chest intensified.

Xavier’s eyes darkened.

Then a loud sound came from behind the archive door.

A thud.

All three of us froze.

Ava’s face went pale.

“What was that?”

I turned toward the door.

Another sound followed.

This time, it sounded like something scraping against the other side.

Xavier stepped in front of me.

My eyes widened.

“What are you doing?”

“Stay behind me.”

“I don’t take orders from you.”

“Nora.”

The warning in his voice made me stop.

The door handle moved.

Slowly.

The electronic panel beside it flickered.

Ava grabbed my arm.

“That’s not supposed to happen.”

“What?”

“The door is locked.”

The handle moved again.

Xavier’s entire body became tense.

He looked at the door as if he knew exactly what was on the other side.

“What is it?” I whispered.

He didn’t answer.

The lights above us flickered.

Once.

Twice.

Then the entire library went dark.

Ava gasped.

I heard something move.

Not behind the door.

Beside me.

I turned.

I could barely see Xavier in the darkness.

Then something grabbed my wrist.

I screamed.

Xavier reacted instantly.

He pulled me toward him.

His arm wrapped around my waist.

For one second, my body pressed against his.

The strange connection between us exploded.

Heat rushed through my veins.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

Xavier froze.

His breathing changed.

I could feel it against my hair.

Then something growled from behind the archive door.

A deep, terrifying sound.

Xavier’s grip tightened around me.

“Don’t move,” he whispered.

I looked up at him.

His eyes were no longer completely human.

They reflected the faint emergency light from the corridor.

For a moment, I thought I saw something impossible.

A flash of gold.

Then the lights returned.

Xavier immediately released me.

I stepped away from him.

My heart was still racing.

“What was that?”

He didn’t answer.

The archive door was still closed.

The handle had stopped moving.

Ava was staring at Xavier.

Her face had gone completely white.

“You saw it,” she whispered.

Xavier’s eyes snapped toward her.

Ava immediately looked away.

I stared between them.

“Saw what?”

“Nothing,” Xavier said.

I laughed bitterly.

“Of course.”

He stepped toward me.

“Nora.”

“No.”

He stopped.

I pointed toward the door.

“Something was behind there.”

“I know.”

“Then tell me what it was.”

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

His expression hardened.

“Because you won’t believe me.”

“Try me.”

He looked at me for a long moment.

Then his phone rang.

He glanced at the screen.

His father’s name appeared.

Xavier answered.

“What?”

There was a pause.

His expression changed.

I watched the color disappear from his face.

“Where?”

Another pause.

His eyes moved toward me.

My stomach tightened.

“What happened?” I asked.

Xavier didn’t answer me.

He was still listening to the phone.

Then he said quietly,

“Keep her there.”

His eyes remained fixed on mine.

“Do not let Nora leave the academy.”

The call ended.

I stared at him.

“What did your father say?”

Xavier slipped the phone into his pocket.

“You need to come with me.”

“Where?”

“Somewhere safe.”

I laughed.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

“Nora.”

“No.”

He took a step closer.

I immediately stepped back.

“I am not going anywhere with you.”

His eyes darkened.

For the first time since I had met him, I saw something dangerously close to panic in his expression.

“Nora, listen to me.”

“No.”

“You don’t understand.”

“Then explain it.”

He said nothing.

I stared at him.

The silence answered for him.

Whatever was happening, Xavier knew more than he was telling me.

And I was done being the only person in the room who knew nothing.

I turned toward the library exit.

Ava suddenly grabbed my arm.

“Nora, wait.”

I looked at her.

She was trembling.

“Please.”

The word stopped me.

I had never seen her look so frightened.

“Please don’t leave.”

“Why?”

Ava’s lips parted.

Before she could answer, a howl echoed outside the library.

It was loud enough to shake the windows.

Every light in the library flickered.

Xavier looked toward the glass.

His face became completely cold.

I followed his gaze.

A dark figure stood at the edge of the academy grounds.

Too far away to see clearly.

But I could see its eyes.

They were glowing.

Gold.

The figure tilted its head.

Then it looked directly at me.

My breath caught.

The pain in my chest returned.

This time, it was unbearable.

I collapsed to my knees.

Xavier reached for me.

And from somewhere beyond the academy walls, the creature began to growl.