TWELVE
1124 Words
ADINNA’S POV
The Headmaster’s office is enormous, like it’s built to make anyone walking in feel small. The windows stretch high and the bookshelves reach higher.
When I enter, Jace, Salem, and Dean are already there. They stand side by side like a well-trained act. Salem has his arm in a sling. Dean’s cheek carries a faint bruise and Jace looks almost saintly with a tiny cut on his lip, his expression calm and wounded.
The Headmaster is seated behind his desk. His gray eyes are sharp and unreadable. “Miss Adinna,” he says. “You stand accused of violent, unprovoked assault. You will speak after the victims give their account.”
Jace steps forward. “Sir, we were in the library studying when Adinna came in shouting. She said we’d been spreading rumors about her. Before we could explain, she lost control. She threw Salem across the room using raw energy. I tried to stop her, but she attacked me too” he gestures toward his cut.
He sounds so polite and convincing.
“That’s a lie,” I say before I can stop myself.
The Headmaster’s eyes narrow. “You will speak when I ask you to, Miss Adinna.”
Salem takes his turn. His voice trembles just enough to sound sincere. “She looked possessed, sir. I only tried to calm her down.”
Dean nods quickly. “It all happened so fast. She shouted something about making us pay. Then she attacked.”
My stomach twists. They rehearsed this. Every word fits together perfectly.
Finally, the Headmaster looks at me. “Your response?”
I take a breath. “They poisoned me sir. Hunter forced me to eat a cookie laced with wolfsbane. Ask Riley. She saw everything.”
The Headmaster leans back slightly. “Wolfsbane? That is a restricted herb. Are you claiming your classmates somehow obtained it and used it on you?”
“Yes. That’s exactly what happened.”
Jace lowers his eyes. “Headmaster, please. We only tried to help her. She was out of control.”
My voice rises. “You liar!”
The Headmaster slams his palm on the desk. “Enough!”
The sound silences the room.
“You have already been warned about your temper,” he says, voice low. “Now you come before me with wild stories and no evidence. I have three students, all of good record, reporting the same thing. Do you deny causing damage to school property?”
“I didn’t mean to.”
“And injuring your classmates?”
“I was defending myself!”
He exhales, disappointment heavy in his tone. “You have much potential, Miss Adinna, but not an ounce of discipline. I cannot allow this behavior to continue.”
“Please,” I say softly. “Riley can tell you. She saw everything. They hurt her.”
“Riley is your friend,” he replies. “Her testimony would be biased.”
My hands curl into fists. “She’s not biased. She’s bleeding.”
Dean scoffs under his breath. “We’d never hurt her.”
The Headmaster raises a hand. “Silence. I have heard enough.”
I can feel the verdict before he even says it.
“Miss Adinna,” he says finally, “you are on final warning. Any further misconduct will result in expulsion. You will serve one month of nightly detention in the alchemy labs with absolutely no magic permitted.”
The words hits me like stones. “A month?”
“Perhaps the quiet will give you perspective.”
Behind him, Jace lowers his head, pretending to hide a smile.
The Headmaster dismisses them. “You three may go. Your cooperation has been noted.”
“Thank you, sir,” they answer together.
When they pass me, Jace brushes my arm. It’s quick, almost casual, but I feel a piece of paper slip into my pocket. I don’t look at him.
The door closes behind us, and I stand in the hallway for a moment, unable to move. The sound of my heartbeat fills the silence.
My feet finally carry me down the long corridor. The sun filters weakly through stained glass, painting red and gold across the floor. I reach into my pocket and pull out the folded note.
The handwriting is sharp and confident.
Detention just got a lot more interesting. See you tonight.
I stop walking.
My hand tightens around the paper until it creases.
He planned everything. Every humiliation. Every accusation.
A month in the alchemy labs without magic. Alone.
The perfect setup.
I shove the note back into my pocket and keep walking. The hallways are empty, but I swear I can still hear laughter somewhere behind me.
When I reach the dorm, I pause before opening the door. My hand trembles slightly on the knob. Riley’s voice calls softly from inside, “Adinna? How did it go?”
“They blamed me,” I say. “All of them.”
Riley’s eyes widen. “What? That’s impossible. You almost died!”
“The Headmaster didn’t believe me.” My voice sounds flat, like it belongs to someone else. “He thinks I attacked them.”
She starts to speak, but I hold up a hand. “It doesn’t matter. He gave me detention for a month. Every night. No magic.”
Riley looks horrified. “He can’t.”
“He can.” I sink onto the edge of my bed. “And Jace made sure he did.”
I pull the note from my pocket and toss it onto the blanket. She picks it up, reads it, and her jaw tightens.
“That bastard,” she whispers.
I stare at the ceiling. “He’s not done with me. I can feel it.”
Riley reaches out, her voice shaking. “Then don’t go tonight. Say you’re sick. Say anything.”
“He’ll come looking for me.”
She doesn’t argue. She knows I’m right.
The silence between us stretches, heavy and tense. Outside, the bell for morning class rings, echoing down the halls.
I force myself to stand. “I’ll be fine,” I lie. “It’s just detention.”
Riley looks like she wants to believe me but doesn’t.
I glance down at the note one last time before shoving it into my pocket again. The words blur for a second as my chest tightens.
See you tonight.
I turn toward the window. The campus is waking up, sunlight spilling over the courtyard. Everything looks peaceful, normal, safe. It’s almost funny.
I know it’s a lie.
Because when the sun sets, I’ll have to face him again.
And this time, I don’t think I’ll be able to fight back.
- Writer
