Chapter 60

Julie

The closer the meeting came, the greater the unease in my stomach grew.

This morning, my hand had been shaking so much that my body had apparently fallen back on this strange magic and taken control of me. It had snowed. Soft white flakes had fallen on the floor of the room and dissolved into water seconds later.

Luckily, the other girls had been asleep. Otherwise, I would have had several problems at once.

After getting up, everyone had wondered why the floor had been so wet, but Larissa, to my relief, had blamed it on the open windows.

However, I didn't understand it. Where did this magic come from? It was as if water and wind were combining, but that wasn't possible. And as far as we Quatura had been taught, there was neither a fifth element nor a Quatura with two gifts. In addition, it was the kind of magic that came from within, the kind that lived inside you, like it was the case with the Fire Quatura. And that scared me. I felt like I was at the mercy of something dangerous, trapped in this unstable body.

My thoughts catapulted me back into the seminar room to my last lesson with Professor Tiberius, and I pressed my lips together to remember the feeling of tension.

I was still irritated, not knowing whether to approach the Councils or the Circle. I would be willing to face the consequences of my thoughtless actions.

But he had threatened me. And I had already underestimated him once. And until I could judge him better, I would – like Amber – let the grass grow over the matter and pretend nothing had happened. But I didn't have much time to find out more about that guy. I needed a plan. And I was still toying with the idea of letting Grace in on it, but I didn't trust myself to do that either, because I had this gut feeling that Grace would act rashly.

In short, I was balancing on a thin tightrope.

"What do you think of the devil?" Larissa held up an outfit consisting of a black leather suit, a red velvet robe and a horned headband. "Or would you prefer Medusa?"

Bayla took a photo with Larissa's camera, which she was supposed to be holding.

"Give me the Medusa costume. I can't find anything useful here." Grace reached for the golden dress, which I was sure would fit her like a glove.

Bay and I exchanged a quick glance that said something like What have we gotten ourselves into?

Grace had driven us here, and this place was huge. DressinGlamour was actually a popular festive fashion store, but since the owners knew about this big event, they also sold party costumes and must have made a lot of money because the store was full of students.

"You should also look for something nice," Larissa said with a look that was directed at me and couldn't have been more striking. Luckily, Grace was absorbed in her search for a costume.

Bayla pulled me behind her into another row, further away from the others. She still didn't look very healthy and ever since Larissa had mentioned the pills, a few questions had been buzzing around in my head.

Bayla looked around and finally turned to me. Then she looked at my wrist, just like the professor had done. Luckily, my sleeves were long.

"Why are you so cold, Julie?" she whispered.

My breath hitched.

I didn't feel my own body temperature, but the fact that she did and that it was apparently noticeably cold confirmed that I wasn't making it up about the ice and snow.

"I'm very sensitive to the cold," I lied, and Bay raised both eyebrows skeptically.

"I'm not stupid, Julie." She looked around again. "Is this some kind of Quatura thing?"

"I get cold easily..." I assured her again. She looked at me insistently, but left it at that.

Lying was absolutely not my strength, and she seemed to realize that.

"You know you can talk to me," she said, then looked through the white dresses in the hallway as if they had been an option. "I just sometimes feel like Larissa and I are still a little too…" She hesitated, tugging at the white fabric of a wedding dress. "... unfamiliar for you."

I had always had difficulties making friends, socializing and opening up. I couldn't even do it properly with Grace. When it came to Bayla and Larissa, they had simply dragged me into their inner circle without asking. And strangely enough, it didn't bother me at all. In fact, it felt like I had a life outside of Moenia, outside of the Circle. I had other thoughts. Even if the two of them brought me to the brink of despair by pulling me out of my safe routine.

"I know I can," I said to Bayla. "And when I'm quiet, it's not because of you two."

Bayla smiled and it seemed relieved.

I continued. "You...take pills?"

Fortunately, my voice wasn't so shaky today.

Bayla nodded and moved on to the next row, where there were costumes again.

I followed her.

"And you have seizures?" I asked further.

I didn't want to invade her privacy too much, because yesterday in the diner she had reacted very sensitively to Larissa's comments. And sometimes I didn't know whether my curiosity made others uncomfortable.

"Yes..." Bay said, turning to me slowly.

"Could you describe these seizures to me?" I asked further.

Bayla didn't seem as extroverted as Grace and Larissa, which pushed me out of my comfort zone a little. I needed to talk more, which didn't feel awkward because of Bayla, but because of the fact that I never did.

Bay kept walking, pulling a costume off the rack.

"It's usually my headache that comes first."

We kept walking, and I started rummaging through the rows too, hoping to find something that wasn't too silly, because my main goal was to meet Erik after all.

My heartbeat immediately quickened.

Just the thought of this meeting was enough to get me all worked up.

"Then my arms..."

"What exactly about them?" I continued.

Bayla was silent for three seconds, then she continued. "My veins are standing out."

My eyes widened.

When Bayla realized that I had stopped, she turned to me. Her eyes were full of questions, as was my head.

Why had so little made sense in the last few weeks?

"What is it?" she asked nervously, coming closer.

I remembered the last time I had seen this phenomenon. With Emely . With the Senseque .

But that was impossible. Especially in terms of contract.

"Oh, here you two Lost Birds are. I've been looking for you the whole time." Larissa appeared behind Bay, who was still staring at me. "Just between us, the masks are one corridor over. Come on." Larissa smiled at me and pulled me along with her. I wasn't used to this much physical contact. "Bay, go and try some costumes on," she said as we walked.

Then we were already in the next aisle, and I didn't have a chance to ask Bayla any more questions.

" Jesus , your hand is icy ," Larissa laughed, before positioning me right in front of a shelf full of masks.

I looked at her, caught off guard, but she had already turned her attention to the shelves.

"How about this?" Grinning, she held a Michael Myers mask in front of my face.

I took it out of her hand to put the ugly thing back again straight away.

"Maybe something a little more subtle?" I asked, looking at her with uncertainty.

"Come on. I'm sure he likes Michael." She laughed and continued down the aisle.

I smirked because I'd never met anyone crazy like her before.

"This one?"

Larissa held up a mask made of peacock feathers that looked majestic.

"Too flashy," I sighed.

"This one?"

She held up a pig mask and I laughed.

"Feel free to take this one for yourself if you like it that much."

Larissa hung the mask back with a grin and I wondered if this huge range would ever be sold. It was simply an entire range just for masks. For masks.

I wandered through the row, passing Venetian masks, carnival masks and fun masks, until I suddenly had to stop.

I eyed the white mask in front of me, which was covered in lace and had a subtle yet mysterious appearance with its few silver rhinestones. It was in the shape of a mask worn at those elegant masquerade balls.

I took it in my hand and felt that it was firmer than expected and also seemed to be of good quality.

"I think you should take this one." Larissa suddenly stood behind me and eyed the mask. "Mysterious and sexy, exactly the right thing for Erik," she teased me.

I pointed a finger in front of my mouth to tell her to keep her voice down, but she only commented with a giggle.

"Do you think he's walking around here somewhere?"

I paused. I hadn't even thought about that. Yes, I had gotten used to the fact that he could be anywhere, but right now there was a much higher chance than usual that the next person to enter this store could be Erik.

I looked around discreetly, but there were only girls nearby. And of course, the Bexley sisters were also walking through the store.

"Now don't be such a dove in love and look for a suitable costume instead."

Larissa pointed at the mask in my hands.

I had given up trying to explain to Larissa that Erik was just a good friend.

I stammered. "Um, right... Do you have any suggestions?"

Larissa pretended to think, then waved, "Follow me."

When we finally stood in front of a row of tight black dresses, my jaw dropped.

"You get fifty dollars if you convince Julie to wear one of these."

Grace had appeared in the aisle.

"Challenge accepted," Larissa said rather confidently.

"I can't believe someone's betting on me again," I sighed sarcastically, and Grace came closer.

"You're offering yourself up for something like this," Larissa commented to my left.

"You're going to wear this?" Grace took the mask from my hand. "A mask?" She looked at me. "You really shouldn't hide your pretty face."

"She's definitely wearing the mask," Larissa said fortunately, and Grace handed it back to me wordlessly.

"Whatever you're doing to my cousin, I don't have a good feeling about it, okay?"

My gaze drifted to the clothing rail next to me. And of course, I was spoiled for choice between these insanely figure-hugging dresses that would all have the same effect. Everyone would stare at my body and I would feel insecure.

"I think this would suit you." Larissa pulled a very short black dress with strange spikes on the breasts from the rack and I immediately blushed.

"Larissa!" I stammered and snatched the dress from her hand, only to immediately put it back where it belonged.

"Why don't you send her in lingerie," Grace laughed, and I looked at her in disbelief.

"How about this: You two go and help Bayla and leave me to do it alone."

" Wow , Miss is voicing her needs." Grace raised both brows.

Again, my cheeks heated. I hated it. Did she always have to point out that I preferred to hold back?

"You're right. We shouldn't let Bay out of our sight," Larissa agreed, and then disappeared around the corner.

Grace and I stayed behind.

I didn't know if she was still upset about the little conflict a few days ago, because she'd been avoiding me a lot. Something typical for her. Conflict resolution wasn't her strength and since I was bad at talking, the times she was mad at me were lonely times.

"Julie, is everything okay with you?"

She looked again at the mask in my hands as if it was proof that I was going insane.

I felt naked. As if people could see through my protective shield. As if they could see that something was wrong with me.

"Why do you ask?" I stammered and looked at the clothes again.

I would never wear such figure-hugging dresses. Couldn't I just go with what I was wearing? In light-colored jeans and my gray knit top?

"You look different..." Grace remarked, her eyes scrutinizing me.

I felt exposed to her.

"I feel a bit ill," I lied. Apparently, bad again, because she gave me a meaningful glare.

"Julie, the last thing you are is sick ."

I looked at each dress one by one, taking extra time, so I didn't have to look directly at Grace.

"It's like something is bothering you, and you're trying to suppress it."

I paused. "I don't know what you mean. I'm fine."

"You may be able to pretend to others, but you can't fool me ." Grace looked annoyed. "When you're ready to talk, you know where I am."

Then she disappeared back into another row.

She was still angry with me. And I seemed to be finding it harder and harder to keep secrets.

Blub.

I let go of the clothes and sat down on the velvet-covered bench in the row, relieved that there was Erik to keep pulling me out of this miserable reality.

I decided to be honest.

And how I was. My heart was racing as soon as I thought about the meeting.

A smile spread across my lips.

My heart gave a strange leap and I took a deep breath.

I had felt so guilty that I could only grant him this wish due to an unfortunate coincidence.

My heart took another leap. And another. The heat in my cheeks was different now. Tingly, new .

His words intensified all my feelings. I was excited and didn't really know what was coming tomorrow. I didn't allow my thoughts to go any further, because then my past threatened to come crashing down on me.

I stared into the corridor, lost in thought.

Tomorrow, everything would change. Tomorrow, I would meet the person who made me reach for the stars when everything around me threatened to pull me down into the depths.

Erik would be part of my reality for a moment. And I knew that it was my responsibility to keep it that way. He wasn't allowed any further into my life than this little piece. Even this one step into my reality was already one step too far.

"Are you coming, Julie?" Larissa peeked around the corner.

I shoved my phone back into my pocket and turned to the dresses one last time. And then I had an idea.

Mayor's office

The mayor stared at the video playing on her computer screen, knowing that DUIO agents would track it down and make it disappear in the next few hours.

She almost swallowed. Something she would never do in front of Gloria.

Instead, she fixed her gaze on the girl, whose olive-green blouse ripped as she transformed into an oversized wolf. A few meters in front of the Senseque was her own daughter, her niece, and Gloria's granddaughter. And Diana's daughter.

Someone had leaked the video to Gloria .

"This is an attack on the Circle and the Councils, and I won't tolerate this any longer!" the head of the Council snapped.

Gloria Westcode stood at the window in a gray trouser suit. She had had her white hair cut just below her chin, which made her features look even sharper. With an iron expression, she stared across at the lawyer's office across the street.

"We don't have to start a war , Gloria," the mayor dared to say to the woman from her opposition. "Think of the people of this town." She gnawed on her lower lip. "Think of your family."

The head of the Councils wheeled around to face her.

Her staring made the mayor uncomfortable because, as always, it felt like this woman was penetrating her with her icy blue eyes.

"Am I to take from your words that the Circle is not your first priority?"

Panic spread through her. Her sister would have stood up against this woman and risked her life, as reckless as she had been back then. Back then, before she had lost her life because of that very recklessness.

"The Circle comes first," the mayor reminded herself more than the woman in front of her.

" Good , then don't argue with me, girl," the head of the Councils snorted. "You're still as na?ve as you were back then." She turned away from her and continued pacing the office. "Yet I thought your sisters were the unreasonable ones."

The inner tension did not ease. Instead, the knot in her chest tightened further.

"What are you up to?" the mayor asked as Gloria headed for the door at a rapid pace.

The head of the Councils paused in the frame and turned to face the mayor. Her face was an expressionless battlefield. Control , as Gloria always liked to call it. Because if Amara Blair knew anything, it was that behind Gloria's fa?ade, countless storms raged, ready to sweep everything and everyone around her into their doom.

"Vanderwood University has been run by these animals for far too long ," it came coldly from Gloria's thin lips. "It's time for that to change. Someone has to bring order to this place." The two women's eyes met. "Don't you dare cross the Councils." A warning. "I'll have your mistakes corrected." Still, she held her gaze. "Consider this your last chance. Consider yourself lucky that your daughter will most likely gift us with the child from the prophecy."

Without further ado, Gloria Westcode left the town hall, the reporters leaving her alone, as this noble-looking woman was just one of Blairville's wealthy investors. Little did they know that she was on the verge of controlling this town and would not let up until she owned everything.

The mayor watched as she got into her car and sped out of the center of town. Ravens shot up from the street into the sky, which was becoming increasingly dark.