Marianne shoved her class materials into her storage, glaring mutinously around. “Three essays due by the end of the next week?” Marianne grumbled, looking ready to stage a coup of the Academy.

“It is school, Mari,” Alistair reminded the princess as he leaned back in his chair. Their last lesson of the day had been Fundamentals.

“They know how many assignments we take as fourth years. They require it!” Marianne huffed angrily as she glared at her notebooks like they were personally responsible for the workload.

“We still have the other projects too,” Liliana added in, mostly just to add fuel to Marianne’s fire. It was rather entertaining when she got into a snit. If she got mad enough, there was usually blood, and that guaranteed an enjoyable evening for Liliana.

“Don’t remind me, Lili, or I’ll break your bones to use for my practical in Healing,” Marianne turned a threatening glare onto her friend.

“Don’t snipe at me, I have to invent a new potion by the end of the month for Alchemy club, on top of getting a new skill or spell for Telekinesis, Spatial, and Gravity,” Liliana retorted. Marianne glowered at her but sighed, partially satisfied that Liliana did not have it any easier than her.

Liliana had taken to enrolling in different elemental classes each year as her amount of affinities grew, and her need to understand them. The only one she’d kept all four years had been Telekinesis, no small part owed to Natalia, the professor who was still Liliana’s idol. Year two she’d taken Light and Dark. Year three, Chaos and Psyche. This year it was Spatial and Gravity. Thankfully, the elective classes were set up differently from their core classes and taking a set three all four years was not expected or required.

There were advanced classes for those who stuck to certain elements through the years. The non-advanced classes were still divided by year group because the Academy encouraged branching out. It was rare for most students to stick to a single element, or only three, and not even consider experimenting.

The Academy encouraged skill and spell gains over leveling, so any classes that nurtured the chance for students to acquire and master more skills were seen as a good thing.

Marianne had switched through several elements as well: Blood, Life, Water, Ice, Death, Wind, Sound, Music. The only one she consistently stuck to was Healing, which was more general than a dedicated element class and focused on the varied ways to heal, from magical to mundane.

Liliana, as with the rest of their group, had all taken turns playing testing dummies for Marianne to master what she learned in the class. They certainly did not have a hard time getting injured in the first place.

Anya slid into their group. Plopping down on Liliana’s desk with the ease of familiarity. “Think we can swing a dungeon run this weekend?” she asked.

Their professor had already left, but their class was slow to leave, breaking into groups to chat. With how long assignments could last, it could be weeks between seeing friends and peers and it was common to see students gathering to chat before slowly making their way out of the classroom.

“With all these essays? They expect them to be at least two feet long! Not to mention what else they’re going to be assigning. I won’t have time for a dungeon between homework and assignments for at least a month!” Marianne snarled, waving a spare piece of parchment around wildly.

“Marianne will be sleeping in the library again,” Emyr remarked dryly, ducking his head to avoid a piece of balled parchment sent at his head.

“Dungeon?” Corbin’s voice was the only warning she got before his arms draped over the back of Liliana’s chair and shoulders before he laid half his weight on her like some kind of ugly feathered cloak.

Liliana hissed at him halfheartedly and he only leaned further on her. She could feel him smirking, even if she couldn’t see his face. Alistair’s face went stormy from where he sat, his chair thudding down loudly. Corbin flinched but refused to move, and Liliana had to give him credits for bravery.

“I’m starting to think you have a death wish,” Liliana muttered.

Corbin leaned his head down enough for her to hear him whisper, “that’s why I’m hiding behind the strongest person in the room.” His breath tickled her ear and Liliana swatted weakly at his face, forcing him to pull back slightly to avoid getting smacked in the face.

“Limpet,” Liliana teased.

“Monster,” Corbin shot back and Liliana rolled her eyes but left him where he was. It wasn’t like she actually minded the contact.

“A dungeon could be fun. It’s been what, at least a month since we all went together?” Koth’talan slid into the conversation and group with liquid ease, leaning against Liliana’s desk as Anya scooted over to give him space.

“You joining in, Jasper?” Emyr asked to quiet boy who shadowed Koth’talan.

“Must I?” Jasper asked, voice bordering on a whine.

“It’s fine, Jasper. You can be sensible and join me in researching our essays,” Marianne jumped in, eager for a vict- study partner. Jasper looked between the frazzled princess with hungry eyes and the rest of the group. His face twisted in an expression that looked rather like constipation as he considered his equally harrowing options.

“You act like we’d ever let you die in a dungeon,” Liliana sighed as Jasper’s eyes focused on her.

“You threw me into a group of Copper Bears!” Jasper exclaimed, voice rising above the low, hesitant whisper it normally took.

“But did you die?” Liliana asked patiently.

“Not for lack of trying,” Jasper muttered mutinously.

“It was a good plan,” Liliana shrugged without a speck of remorse. Jasper glared at her and looked back at Marianne.

“I’ll be studying, far from any dungeons,” Jasper decided, and Marianne cheered.

“I could join you for the dungeon?” a sweet voice chimed in as Diana entered the group, slipping onto Alistair and Emyr’s shared desk to sit.

“That would work. You’ve been working on healing, right?” Liliana asked eagerly.

“I can heal,” Corbin grumbled, yelping when Liliana reached up to pinch his hand.

“You’re a bard, not a healer.” Liliana pointed out.

“Bards are just wannabe healers,” Alistair added in, voice just this side of cruel, with a pointed glare at Corbin that wasn’t entirely earned. Liliana shoved a gust of wind at her brother in reprimand, and he turned a betrayed look to her as his papers went flying.

“Bards are useful, especially with my class, you know this.” Liliana defended and Alistair huffed, rolling his eyes, muttering something under his breath that sounded vulgar enough to make a sailor blush but dropped his silent glares. Corbin’s arms tightened around her in a grateful hug.

“My knight in shining armor,” Corbin teased, and Liliana rethought her defense of the bard. Maybe she should let Alistair skewer him. It would save her countless headaches.

“About to be your worst nightmare if you don’t get off,” Liliana threatened, but as usual, it had little effect on the bird beastman. The lack of serious harm or maiming on her part likely had something to do with it. Her threats had very little bite to them when she wasn’t actually going to start taking off limbs. It was becoming more tempting by the minute. Marianne could regrow anything she chopped off, anyway. He’d survive, she’d get rid of some stress, and Marianne would get in more practice, a win-win situation.

“I can heal. With Corbin, we can cover for Marianne, and I can cover for Jasper too,” Diana said, redirecting the conversation back to the dungeon they were apparently becoming serious about entering.

“Bonds or no bonds?” Corbin asked, voice taking on a more serious note.

It was a question they often had when it came to doing dungeons. If they really wanted to test themselves, they’d use Liliana and Corbin’s bonds to help them get deeper. It made it more dangerous, as they’d end up facing off against creatures far out of their normal capabilities. But the rewards they got in items, experience and skills always made it worth it.

“Without Marianne? We can’t risk it, no bonds.” Alistair shook his head, the rest chiming in with agreements.

Liliana shrugged, fine with the decision. She and Corbin would still bring their bonds in their soul stones, just in case the dungeon tried something unexpected, but they wouldn’t use them to get deeper than they could go on their own. It was their form of safety net, since now that they were fourth years, they didn’t need an older student or professor to accompany them into dungeons. The Academy trusted them to be smart in the dungeons and to not die unless something went catastrophically wrong.

“Is everyone free in roughly two weeks’ time? It should give us enough time if anyone grabs an assignment, or is voluntold to take one,” Alistair asked the group. A round of agreements rang out. They’d likely be checking over their schedules before a set date was chosen and the dungeon was reserved.

Liliana checked the time and sighed, bouncing her shoulders to get Corbin to get off of her. As usual, when she made it clear she really did want him off her, he backed up without any kind of complaint. He understood her well enough now to know she enjoyed back-and-forth banter and talking to people who could handle her threats with a laugh. It was what she didn’t say that really mattered, what she said with her body language. And Corbin had always been rather good at reading that.

For not the first time, Liliana wondered if it had something to do with his beastman heritage, as Anya was also almost inhumanly good at reading body language. Most beasts spoke primarily through body language, not verbally, unless using their specific method of inborn telepathic abilities once they got to a high enough rank.

Even then, when it came to communicating with other beasts, they usually relied on body language and scent. Beastmen were arguably more man than beast, but they still had behaviors, instincts that seemed more bestial than human. They were more beast than man, but it was important to remember they were still beast.

“I have a meeting to get to. I’ll drop by the study room afterwards,” Liliana explained as she stood, twisting and stretching as her bones cracked and popped. Emyr slipped out from his seat, moving around bodies to join her side as she extricated herself from the group that was starting to stand and leave with her departure.

“I’ll walk you,” Emyr told her when Liliana glanced at him curiously. Liliana shrugged and waved her goodbye to the rest.

They all knew what her ‘meeting’ was and would be waiting for her when she came back for any information she could divulge. She and Emyr made their way out of the classroom, walking through the corridors of the fourth year building, nodding or waving at students they recognized and liked enough to acknowledge.

“Does she know?” Emyr asked, voice pitched low so it wouldn’t carry.

“In a way,” Liliana answered cryptically.

She looked around for a moment at the few students she could see before she walked to an unassuming wall and tapped a pattern on the stones, ducking into the opening it created, Emyr following close behind her.

The stones closed, and they were left alone in a dimly lit small room, barely bigger than a broom closet. In fact, it might have been at one point in its history. Now Liliana thought it was more often used as a make-out spot.

“Cast something for privacy,” Liliana hissed, and Emyr did without comment. The walls of the room were quickly coated in thick blackness.

“The headmistress is a Rank 1 beast,” Liliana confessed when Emyr nodded to let her know they were hidden from eavesdroppers. Emyr stared at her, mouth slightly open in what was as close to slack jawed shock as he could ever get.

“What?” Emyr breathed out when he gathered enough of his wits to respond.

“I’ve known since first year, Polaris sensed her. His mom, Minori, is a Rank 1 too so he can sense them better than other beasts his rank. She hasn’t confirmed it to me, but it’s obvious and she knows I know. Rank 1 beasts can sense that I’m god touched, I don’t know how. And they know the gods only touch humans like that when they have some plan for them. So she’s aware I have some quest or goal set by a god, but not where I’m from or anything specific,” Liliana explained, the words tumbling out of her in a rush, slightly tangled but hopefully understandable.

Gods, it felt so good to have someone to share secrets like this with. She was almost giddy with the release of yet another secret she’d kept hidden. With each secret she gave Emyr, she could almost feel herself getting lighter. She was half convinced if she walked right now, she’d float off.

“Mors help us,” Emyr groaned, head thunking back against the shadow covered stone as he closed his eyes. Liliana watched with amusement as he struggled to process the new information. When he lifted his head, his steel eyes were sparkling and Liliana tilted her head, bemused.

“Lili, you’re the most interesting thing I’ve ever seen. It’s fucking terrifying, but exciting too. Gods? A monstrous evil? Rank 1 beasts? What is your luck?” Emyr asked, voice awed and exasperated in equal parts. His eyes were glittering with amusement and excitement though, and Liliana couldn’t help but feel like he enjoyed how utterly bizarre and wild her life was.

Liliana could feel a relieved grin straining her lips. She’d been carrying all of this alone for so long. To have someone to talk to about it, who found it not just horrifying, but interesting and thrilling, made her ridiculously happy. For the first time, she could look at it all and not feel an overwhelming sense of dread and resignation. She could laugh at the insanity of it and perhaps be cautiously excited about some of it.

“You’re not… scared?” Liliana asked tentatively, and Emyr shook his head, eyes still sparkling.

“No. Lili, I’m not underplaying how serious this all is, how dangerous it is. But you have to admit it’s a little cool.” Emyr pointed out, and Liliana sighed in relief. At least here, in a hidden room, surrounded by shadows and no secrets between them, Emyr seemed able to speak his mind freely, where he’d normally sit in silence around others.

“You’re going to change the world, Lili. Not just whatever it is you have to fight. And I want to be there with you every step of the way,” Emyr told her, gripping her hand so their oath marks could touch, sending a magical warmth up through her arm.

Liliana stared at him and could feel tears pricking at her eyes, shoulders slumping as she gave into the urge and leaned forward, pressing her forehead against Emyr’s shoulder as she breathed in subtle sulfur and sweet darkness.

Liliana’s future, an elusive, insubstantial figment she rarely spent much time thinking about, felt like it was solidifying with each word Emyr spoke. Emyr believed in her. It was something Liliana hadn’t even known she needed.

He believed she’d take down whatever it was that scared gods, that she’d be something great, not just because of what Vita had forced her to become, or what she had to do. But because of what she’d do beyond that. For the first time, Liliana truly believed she’d have a future past her twenty-second birthday. With Emyr at her side, she secretly thought there was little that would be impossible for them to accomplish.

“I’ve gotta meet the headmistress,” Liliana muttered into the cloth of Emyr’s uniform, and he snorted.

“Then get off me, you sentimental wench,” Emyr ordered, and Liliana pulled back with a frown at him.

“Insulting me? What kind of oath sworn are you?” Liliana chided, and Emyr rolled his eyes, poking at her forehead.

“The kind that doesn’t take your sentimental shit,” Emyr informed her, and Liliana huffed, biting back a giggle as Emyr dismissed the shadows and they escaped their hidden alcove.

A few heads turned towards them when they left and Liliana knew that, once again, there would be rumors that Emyr was cheating on Alistair with her. It was far from the first time such rumors had filled the school, and there was a pervasive one that was convinced they were some kind of triad, which made Liliana nauseous every time she heard it. But people would always talk and speculate, and the way she and her friends traded easy physical affection only added fuel to the fire.

She’d heard all manner of rumors about her relationship status when it came to her friends. Half the school was utterly convinced she and Marianne had been dating since first year, and all of Marianne’s partners were covers. There was another portion convinced she and Emyr were dating, and the relationship with Alistair was a cover.

She didn’t keep track anymore, and Emyr liked to amuse himself by finding the perpetrators of the rumors and making their lives hell. There had been more dropouts in the Academy since Emyr had enrolled than in the past fifty years. Combined. According to Emyr anyway, and he reported he’d heard it directly from the staff room. He was quite proud of that, and every year new items were added to the restricted items list after he used them in ‘pranks’.

Cursed necklaces that tried to strangle their holders should’ve always been banned anyway, in Liliana’s opinion. As well as earrings that tried to burrow through the wearer’s skull. So really, that was all on the Academy. She wasn’t sure where Emyr even found half the cursed items he liked to use. She wouldn’t be surprised if he made them, he was getting rather proficient in his Enchanting club. And he’d always had a predilection for cruelty, so creating cursed items would be right up his alley.

“No killing,” Liliana muttered as they left the building to move towards the main school building that held the administrative rooms, and the headmistress’ office. Emyr was glancing around with deceptive nonchalance at those who looked at them with calculating, curious eyes.

“No fun,” Emyr sighed but shrugged and Liliana knew she wouldn’t have to worry about being woken up in the middle of the night to bury a body. It hadn’t happened yet, but it was only a matter of time. She just hoped he waited until they were out of the Academy, when it would be easier to hide the evidence.

Perhaps it said something about her that she knew her friend would kill someone, inevitably. And that she was willing to help him dispose of the evidence and provide him with an alibi. She didn’t really care.

“Go find Alistair and do whatever disgusting things it is you two do that I never want to hear about,” Liliana ordered him as they reached the building.

“You think us holding hands is disgusting,” Emyr pointed out and Liliana mimed gagging.

“It is. It’s downright nauseating,” Liliana defended.

Alistair was her brother. Anything to do with his romantic life was gross. She saw Emyr as a brother too, and so it just made everything worse, in her opinion. Even if she was absolutely delighted they were together and so stupidly happy with each other.

She was also the person they both came to whenever they had a fight, and that, in her opinion, was more information about their relationship than she ever needed to have. She shouldn’t be subjected to seeing it too.

“Whatever, you prude.” Emyr rolled his eyes and turned away with a wave as Liliana entered the main building.

“Hey Lyla,” Liliana waved at the woman working. By now she knew the names of all the staff that worked in this building, and they knew her on sight, too. No one tried to stop her anymore as she walked up the stairs towards the next few floors.

Liliana took a deep breath outside the door to the headmistress’ office and gathered her courage and will. Dealing with a Rank 1 beast was always taxing, even one that kept her aura so tightly leashed, and her beastly side hidden. The door swung open before Liliana could knock.

“Come in, Ms. Rosengarde.”