Ayla's POV
2 AM came slowly, every minute felt like an hour as I watched the clock on my phone, clutching Dean Morrison's key until the metal warmed in my palm.
At 1:58 AM, I heard shouting from down the hall. The guards outside my door ran toward the noise. Fire alarm, Dean Morrison had kept her promise.
The wards ran off. I slipped through my window and ran.
The detention wing was across campus, a squat stone building that radiated suppression magic. My skin prickled as I approached. Inside, emergency lights flashed red. The fire alarm blared, it was the perfect chaos.
I found his cell at the end of a long corridor. Professor Arkon sat against the far wall, still in silver chains, his bruised face lifting when he saw me.
The key turned smoothly. The cell door swung open.
"Ayla," h
