37. Take a Breath

Take a Breath

A s I leave the Proving Grounds, the roar of the crowd fades into the background, replaced by the quiet hum of the wind against my skin. My wand is shaking in my hand—trembling, almost as if it's alive and mirroring the chaos inside me. I don't know if it's the adrenaline still pumping through my veins or the weight of what I just did, but I feel… unsteady.

I've won. I've taken everything from Kyla—humiliated her, shattered her wand, and stripped away the image she's worked so hard to create. But as I walk away from the wreckage I've left behind, something inside me feels off. Hollow.

Before I can get too far, I see them—Sebastian and Derek, weaving through the crowd to find me. Sebastian's eyes catch mine first, full of pride, but as he gets closer, I can see the concern etched into his features.

"You okay?" Sebastian asks, his voice soft as he comes to stand next to me, his hand hovering over my arm like he's not sure if he should touch me or not.

Derek steps up on the other side of me, his presence a solid, reassuring force. "Zaria," he says, his voice full of admiration. "You did it. That was—well, that was a hell of a victory."

But I don't feel victorious. I don't feel the triumph I thought I would. Instead, my stomach twists, and I can barely keep a grip on my wand. "I crossed the line," I say, my voice barely more than a whisper. "I didn't just beat her… I broke her wand, Derek."

They both look at me, confused, but I can't stop the words from spilling out. "Stealing a grimoire is bad, yeah, but breaking a witch's wand?" I shake my head, tears stinging my eyes. "That's… it doesn't strip them of their magic, but it limits them. For life. Kyla will be stuck casting basic spells, no real magic. She'll never be able to perform high-level enchantments again. It's... cruel."

Derek puts a hand on my shoulder, his touch firm but gentle. "Zaria, you should feel bad. But not for Kyla. She's been abusing her magic, hurting people, controlling Sebastian—she was willing to use death spells. Death spells, Zaria. What would've happened if she still had that kind of power?"

I look at him, my throat tightening, and I glance at Sebastian. The memory of Kyla's whispered threats, her plans for him and Derek if she won, flashes through my mind, and it nearly knocks the breath out of me.

"She was going to kill you," I whisper, my voice cracking as the tears finally spill over. "She was going to hurt you both, throw you off the roof, say you killed yourselves because of me. I—if I lost—"

"You didn't lose," Sebastian says, stepping in front of me and grabbing my face gently between his hands. "You didn't lose, Zaria."

I shake my head, but I can't stop the flood of tears now. All the anger, the fear, the exhaustion of fighting for so long—fighting Kyla, fighting to protect the people I love—it all comes crashing down at once. "I don't want to feel angry anymore," I choke out, my voice trembling. "I don't want to keep fighting like this."

Sebastian pulls me into his arms, his body warm and solid against mine, while Derek steps behind me, wrapping his arms around us both. Sandwiched between them, I finally let go, burying my face into Sebastian's chest as the sobs wrack through me.

"It's okay," Derek murmurs softly into my hair, his hand rubbing my back in slow circles. "It's over now."

"I'm tired," I whisper, my voice muffled against Sebastian's shirt. "I'm so tired."

"I know," Sebastian says, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "We know."

We stand there for what feels like an eternity, wrapped in each other's arms as the last of my tears dry up. Everyone knows now—about the reckoning, about Kyla, about me. But I don't care anymore. I don't care what people think or what rumors are flying around. All I care about is that it's over, that my boys are safe, and that I don't have to be angry anymore.

"I'm proud of you, Zaria," Derek whispers into my ear, and the weight of those words settles over me like a warm blanket.

Sebastian pulls back slightly, wiping the last of my tears with his thumb, and gives me a small, soft smile. "We both are."

I manage a watery smile of my own, sniffling as I try to pull myself together. "Thanks… but if either of you brings up me crying later, I swear I'll hex you both into lizards."

Sebastian chuckles, shaking his head. "Wouldn't dream of it."

Derek squeezes my shoulder, his voice light. "Yeah, besides, it'd be a shame to ruin our perfectly good faces."

I laugh despite myself, and for the first time in what feels like forever, the tightness in my chest loosens. The anger that's been building up inside me is still there, but it's not overwhelming anymore. It's manageable. And for now, that's enough.

"Let's get out of here," I say, pulling away from them both, wiping my cheeks with the back of my hand. "I need some air. And maybe food. Or a nap. Or all three."

Sebastian and Derek share a look before turning back to me, smirking in unison. "Lead the way," they say together.

As we make our way back to my dorm room, feeling the weight of the day finally lifting off my shoulders, I spot Principal Halford standing at the edge of the courtyard. He raises a hand to stop us as we approach, and I let out a soft groan under my breath. Of course, he'd be the one person I couldn't avoid right now.

"Miss Vexx," he begins, his voice steady, but there's a hint of pride in his tone. "I want to congratulate you on your victory today."

I nod, trying to mask the swirl of emotions that's still going on inside me. "Thank you, sir."

He studies me for a moment before continuing. "I understand that this was a difficult situation, and while it's not something we typically allow for students who haven't yet graduated, you handled yourself well. However," he adds, with a serious expression now, "I will need to contact your parents and explain what's happened."

I sigh but nod. "I figured as much. My dad's going to be thrilled."

Derek chuckles beside me. "Oh, I bet."

Sebastian gives me a supportive smile, but I can tell he's thinking the same thing. My parents aren't exactly going to throw a party when they hear I've been dueling witches.

Principal Halford's voice breaks through my thoughts. "Additionally, I'll be reviewing the grimoire that Kyla handed in. There will be a full assessment of it to determine its origin."

My heart skips a beat. This is what I've been waiting for—proof that Kyla stole from me, that she isn't the witch she pretends to be. But I can't help but feel the tiniest twinge of guilt. After all, I broke her wand.

"Kyla isn't speaking at the moment," the principal continues, his voice lowering as if he's letting me in on a secret. "I assume it has something to do with a particular truth spell cast during the battle."

I blink, confused for a moment. "Wait… what?"

Principal Halford raises an eyebrow. "The truth spell you cast? I believe you misinterpreted it. You see, Miss Kendle cannot speak unless the words she says are truthful."

I feel Sebastian stiffen beside me as he connects the dots. "So she's basically mute now," he says, his tone filled with a mixture of amusement and satisfaction.

"Correct," the principal confirms, his expression carefully neutral. "Until the spell is undone or wears off, she'll be unable to lie or twist the truth in any way."

I can't help but smirk. I hadn't meant for that spell to linger quite this long, but there's something poetic about the idea of Kyla being unable to speak her usual lies. "Well, I guess she's got a lot of truth to reflect on then."

"Indeed," Principal Halford says. "I will keep you updated on the results of the grimoire review. In the meantime, I suggest you take some time to recover. You've been through a lot today."

"Thanks," I say, feeling a bit lighter after hearing that Kyla's truth bomb has backfired so perfectly. As he turns to leave, I glance at Sebastian and Derek. "Well, that was unexpected."

Sebastian chuckles. "Unexpected, but not unwelcome."

Derek crosses his arms, a smirk playing on his lips. "So, she's got to keep her mouth shut unless it's the truth. Guess she's going to be pretty quiet for a while."

"I'll take that as a win," I say, grinning as I turn and lead the way back to the dorm.

Sebastian and Derek fall into step behind me, and for the first time all day, I feel a little more like myself—sassy, confident, and maybe just a tiny bit satisfied with how things turned out. Kyla might not be completely out of the picture yet, but she's certainly taken down a notch. And for now, that's good enough for me.

As we approach my dorm, I'm surprised to see Hazel and Skylar sitting on the floor outside my door, boxes of pizza balanced precariously on their laps. They're chatting away, laughing about something, but the moment they spot me, they pause and grin like a pair of mischievous cats.

"Well, look who finally decided to show up," Hazel calls out, waving a slice of pizza in the air.

I raise an eyebrow, unable to hold back my smirk. "You two missed the show."

Skylar sits up straighter, eyes wide with curiosity. "Wait, did you win?"

Derek scoffs like it's the most obvious thing in the world, crossing his arms. "Of course she won. Did you really think anyone else would stand a chance?"

The girls cheer, Skylar tossing her slice of pizza in the air like it's a party favor. "That's our girl!"

I can't help but laugh as I walk up to them, the weight of the day lifting just a little more. "What is this, a pizza celebration? You guys didn't even wait for me?"

Hazel grins, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Hey, we've been sitting out here for a while. Figured we'd get a head start. Besides, you know we always come prepared."

Sebastian chuckles from behind me, his arms crossed lazily over his chest. "Sounds like you picked up more than just pizza, though."

Hazel shrugs, not even attempting to hide her grin. "Well, let's just say... I wouldn't go sniffing around the drink we brought. It's more... medicinal."

Skylar chimes in, eyes twinkling. "You mean, you wouldn't sniff it unless you really want to know what scotch tastes like on an empty stomach."

I shake my head, laughing as I unlock my door and usher everyone inside. "You guys are terrible, but I love it. Come on, we'll all just... find somewhere to crash." The room is already feeling smaller with everyone piling in, but it's cozy, and after today, cozy is exactly what I need.

Derek takes up a space on the floor by the bed, legs stretched out as he leans back on his elbows, eyeing the pizza boxes with approval. Sebastian drops down next to him with a groan, clearly done with standing for the night. Hazel and Skylar settle in, and I can already tell that tonight is going to be full of bad jokes and even worse ideas.

"Well," I say, grabbing a slice of pizza and plopping myself down next to them on the floor, "we're definitely not standing for anything tonight."

"Good," Skylar adds, giggling. "I didn't plan on doing anything but eating pizza and celebrating your total domination of Kyla."

I take a bite of pizza, finally letting the tension of the day melt away. "Total domination? I mean, sure, if you count taking her wand and leaving her practically mute as total domination."

Derek scoffs again, this time with a playful smirk. "You kicked her ass, Zaria. Let's call it what it is."

"Yeah, we heard all about it," Hazel says, grinning as she sips from a suspiciously dark bottle. "And honestly, I'm mad I missed it. But we're here now, and we've got pizza, and we're celebrating."

Skylar nudges her. "Please, we didn't miss anything. I'm just impressed Zaria didn't turn Kyla into a toad halfway through. Talk about restraint."

I laugh, taking another bite of pizza. "Trust me, the thought crossed my mind."

Derek snorts. "A toad would've been an improvement. Maybe then she wouldn't have that god-awful screech when she talks."

"Don't talk about screeches," Hazel says, rolling her eyes. "I've heard your yelling when you're losing a game, and honestly, it's worse."

Derek leans back, grinning. "That's not yelling, that's tactical vocal encouragement. The volume is necessary."

"Right, because yelling ‘stupid game' at a screen really boosts your skill level," Sebastian says with a smirk, taking a slice of pizza.

"Oh, because you never lose your temper," Derek shoots back. "You've literally broken three controllers in class." Oh right, temper control lessons for the monsters, that's what they're talking about.

"Correction," Sebastian says smoothly. "I've broken two . The third one was defective."

Skylar raises her hand, eyes wide with mock excitement. "Ooo, can I be around for the next destruction derby? I've been meaning to witness the legendary ‘Sebastian Smash' in person."

I chuckle, leaning back on my hands. "Honestly, you'd be disappointed. It's more of a brooding stare and a single, well-placed punch."

Hazel laughs, nearly choking on her drink. "Oh yeah, because that's so much better. Mr. Broody McPunch."

Sebastian rolls his eyes but doesn't deny it. "I like to keep my rage focused. It's more effective."

"Focused? Please," Derek scoffs, reaching for another slice. "If anything, you brood for so long, I'm waiting for you to start giving monologues about the darkness within."

Skylar grins. "Oh my gods, yes. I bet he has a whole speech prepared. ‘I am the night. The shadows cling to me, for I am their master.'"

Sebastian shoots me a look as if to say ‘This is your fault' but I just shrug. "Hey, you did brood for like weeks when you were trying to catch my attention."

"I did not," he protests, but there's a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

"Uh-huh," Hazel says, taking another sip from her bottle. "You definitely looked like someone who was about to write tragic poetry and stare out of rainy windows."

Derek leans toward Sebastian, raising his eyebrows. "Just say the word, I'll buy you a turtleneck, and you can start your next brooding phase in style."

Sebastian shakes his head, though he's clearly trying to suppress a laugh. "You're all insufferable."

"Deal with it. I'm loving this moment to chill by the way." Skylar says with a wink, and Sebastian just sighs dramatically, though it's clear he's enjoying the banter.

Hazel gestures at the pizza. "Speaking of things we love—this is terrible, but I think I'm going to finish it off."

I groan, reaching for the last slice. "Don't even think about it. I battled an evil queen today, I deserve the last piece."

Skylar mock-gasps, grabbing the pizza box protectively. "A queen? Don't give Kyla that much credit."

"Fine, evil cheer captain ," I correct, laughing. "Better?"

"Much better," Skylar says, passing me the last slice with a playful bow. "For our reigning queen of destruction."

I take the slice with a smirk, waving it like a royal scepter. "Damn right. And as your queen, I command you all to stop being so charming so I can eat in peace."

Derek leans back with a smirk. "No promises."

Sebastian stretches out his legs, crossing his arms. "Consider it an impossible task."

Hazel raises her bottle in salute. "To impossible tasks, terrible pizza, and surviving another day of high school chaos."

We all raise our slices and drinks in mock toast, laughing and settling into the comfortable chaos of our group. It's not perfect, but it's ours.