BLACKTHORN HEIR

Chapter Two: Eighteen

Chapter Two: Eighteen

I woke up to someone singing badly, very badly.

I opened one eye. Emily stood beside my bed, holding a small tray in one hand while singing at the top of her lungs.

“Happy birthday to you—”

“Stop.”

“Happy birthday to you—”

“Emily.”

“Happy birthday, dear Ixy—”

I grabbed my pillow and threw it at her. She ducked, laughing.

“Rude!”

“It’s seven in the morning.”

“Exactly. And you’re eighteen now.”

I stared at her. For a moment, I didn't say anything.

Eighteen.

The number felt strange. Not because I suddenly felt older, but because eighteen sounded like the age when people expected you to know what you were doing.

I definitely didn't.

Emily placed the tray on my desk. “Happy birthday.”

I sat up and looked at the food. “You made breakfast?”

“No.”

I looked at her.

She smiled. “I borrowed it.”

“From the kitchen?”

“Maybe.”

“Emily.”

“What? It's your birthday.”

I laughed. “You're unbelievable.”

“And you're wasting time. Get dressed.”

“Why?”

“Because we have class.”

“It's my birthday.”

“Which doesn't cancel your education.” I groaned and fell backward onto the mattress.

Emily grabbed the blanket. “Get up.”

“No.”

“Ixora.”

“No.”

“I have a surprise for you.” I sat up immediately.

She grinned. “I knew that would work.”

“What surprise?”

“If I tell you, it won't be a surprise.”

“You're annoying.”

“And yet you love me.”

I threw another pillow at her. She laughed and ran out of the room.

I smiled. Maybe being eighteen wouldn't be so bad after all.

By the time I reached the dining hall, I realized Emily had apparently told half the school.

“Ixora!” I turned.

A group of students near the windows waved at me. “Happy birthday!”

“Thank you!”

Another student called from across the room. “Eighteen!”

I laughed awkwardly. “How does everyone know?”

Emily walked beside me with an innocent expression. “I have no idea.”

“You told them.”

“I may have mentioned it.”

“You definitely told them.”

“I might have told a few people.”

“You're impossible.”

“I know.” She said grinning loudly.

We reached our usual table. Caspian was already there, eating like he'd been starving for three days.

He looked up. “Happy birthday.”

“Thank you.”

Ember dropped into the seat beside him. “You're finally eighteen.”

“I was eighteen five minutes ago.”

“Still counts.”

Sylvan arrived with Hecate and Nocturne a moment later.

Sylvan placed his books on the table. “Happy birthday, Ixora.”

“Thanks.”

Hecate smiled. “We have something for you later.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Why does everyone keep saying that?”

Nocturne took a sip of her drink. “Because everyone likes you.”

I smiled. “That sounds suspicious.”

“It should.” Sylvan laughed.

Caspian reached for another piece of toast.

Ember slapped his hand away. "That one's mine.”

“You weren't eating it.”

“I was going to.”

“You've been saying that for ten minutes.”

“Exactly. I was preparing.”

Caspian stared at her. “You were preparing to eat toast?”

“Yes.”

“That makes no sense.”

“Neither do you.”

Sylvan looked between them. “Are you two always like this?”

“Yes,” Hecate answered before either could respond.

Ember pointed at her. “Stay out of this.”

Caspian smirked. “I agree with Hecate.”

Ember looked at him. “You're enjoying this.”

“Very much.”

I watched them for a second. There was something different about the way Caspian looked at Ember.

Small,easy to miss. But it was there. Ember seemed to notice too because she suddenly looked away.

Nocturne leaned toward me. “Interesting.”

I whispered back. “Very.”

Hecate heard us. “Stop gossiping.”

“We're observing.”

“Same thing.”

We all laughed.

For a few minutes, we were simply students having breakfast.

Around us, Blackthorn was alive.

Someone at another table was arguing about a football match.

Two girls were comparing homework answers.

A group of younger students were trying to convince one of the prefects to let them leave early.

A boy near the doors dropped his entire tray.

The dining hall erupted in laughter.

He stood there looking horrified. “I hate all of you.”

That only made everyone laugh harder.

I smiled.

This was Blackthorn. Chaotic, loud, annoying, familiar.

And I loved it.

Our first class was history.

Which felt particularly unfair on my birthday.

I sat between Emily and Nocturne while Sylvan sat behind us.

Caspian and Ember were two seats ahead.

Our teacher walked in carrying a stack of papers.

Everyone immediately became quiet.

“Before we begin,” she said, “I'd like to wish Miss Vale a happy birthday.”

The class turned toward me.

I smiled awkwardly. “Thank you.”

Someone from the back shouted,

“Party!”

The teacher sighed. “After the lesson.”

A few students laughed.

She placed the papers on her desk.

“Now, if everyone is finished celebrating, we have work to do.”

Sylvan leaned forward and whispered,v“She's terrifying.”

I covered my mouth to stop myself from laughing.

Nocturne turned around. “You're going to get us in trouble.”

“Worth it.”

The lesson continued. For once, I actually enjoyed it. Maybe because I wasn't thinking about the strange things I'd noticed around school lately.

Maybe because I was surrounded by people I cared about.

Or maybe because I was simply happy.

I didn't know, and I didn't question it.

At lunch, Emily disappeared. I knew immediately that something was happening.

“Where's Emily?” I asked.

Hecate shrugged. “She told me not to tell you.”

“That means something is happening.” Nocturne nodded. “Definitely.”

Caspian looked up from his food. “Maybe she's planning your murder.”

Ember hit his arm. “Don't say that.”

“I'm joking.”

“You're terrible at jokes.”

“You laughed.”

“I did not.”

“You did.”

“I didn't.”

“You did.”

They started arguing again.

Sylvan looked at me. “Your birthday has somehow become their relationship therapy session.”

Ember's head snapped toward him. “We do not have a relationship.”

Caspian suddenly became very interested in his food.

Hecate smiled. Nocturne looked away, clearly trying not to laugh.

I raised an eyebrow. “Interesting.”

Ember pointed at me. “Don't.”

I laughed. “I'm saying nothing.”

“Good.”

A few minutes later, Emily appeared. “Come with me.”

“Where?”

“Just come.” She grabbed my hand. I looked back at the others.

Sylvan waved. “Good luck.”

“With what?”

He smiled. “You'll find out.”

Emily took me around the side of one of the older buildings.

Ember, Hecate, Nocturne, Caspian and Sylvan were already waiting.

There was a small table covered with food, a cake sat in the middle.

I stopped. “You did all this?”

Emily smiled. “Of course.”

For a moment, I didn't know what to say. I'd expected a normal birthday. Maybe a few messages from my parents. Maybe a phone call. I hadn't expected this.

Ember handed me a small wrapped box. “Open it.”

Inside was a simple silver bracelet.

I looked at her. “This is beautiful.”

“I saw it and thought you'd like it.”

“Thank you.”

Hecate smiled. “There's more.”

Nocturne handed me a little envelope.

I opened it. Inside was a handwritten note from all of the., i read it quietly. My throat tightened.

“You guys are going to make me cry.”

Sylvan smiled. “That's the plan.”

Caspian leaned toward Ember. “You're going to cry too.”

She elbowed him. “Shut up.”

He laughed, I looked around at them.

Emily, Ember, Caspian, Sylvan, Hecate, Nocturne.

For the first time since my parents had left, I didn't feel like I had been left behind. I felt like I belonged somewhere.

I smiled. “Thank you.”

Emily wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

“Happy birthday, Ixy.”

Everyone joined in. And for a while, there was nothing mysterious.Nothing frightening, nothing waiting around the corner.

Just laughter, cake, friends.

And the strange comfort of knowing that, at least for that moment, I wasn't alone.

That night, after everyone had gone to bed, I sat by my window with the silver bracelet still around my wrist.

The moonlight fell across the room.

I looked at the bracelet. There was a tiny symbol engraved on the inside.

I hadn't noticed it earlier, I turned it toward the light. A small, unfamiliar shape.

I frowned.

For some reason, looking at it made my chest tighten.

I couldn't explain why. I ran my thumb over the engraving.

I looked down at the bracelet again.

The little symbol hadn't been there when Ember gave it to me.

I was certain of that.

I turned it over.

The engraving was gone.

My stomach tightened, then I noticed something else.

There was a name scratched into the underside.

D'Arcy.

I stared at it.