I stood in Headmistress Valencia's office, the wrapped dagger resting on her obsidian desk. The room was oppressively quiet, with only the occasional hiss from the lava channels visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows breaking the silence.

  "And you're certain no one saw who threw it?" Valencia asked, her violet eyes sharp as she examined the weapon without touching it.

  "No, Headmistress," I replied. "It happened quickly. One moment we were walking to class, the next..." I gestured to the dagger.

  "If not for Lily's reflexes, I might be in the same state as Valentina," Isabella added, her voice calm despite the gravity of her words.

  Valencia's expression remained impassive, but I noticed her fingers tighten slightly on the edge of her desk. "Two attacks on pureblood students within days of each other. This is... concerning."

  "Do you think it's connected to what happened in the administrative district?" I asked, unable to help myself.

  The Headmistress's gaze snapped to mine. "That is not your concern, Miss Nightstar."

  Isabella spoke up, her voice calm and controlled. "With respect, Headmistress, as the target of this attack, I believe I have some right to information about who might want me dead."

  "What you have a right to, Miss Lilitu, is the Academy's protection while you're on these grounds," Valencia countered. "Which we will provide. But I expect the three of you to focus on your studies and leave this matter to the faculty."

  "But—" Aria began.

  Valencia silenced her with a look. "This is not open for discussion. Report anything suspicious immediately, but do not investigate on your own. Is that clear?"

  The three of us nodded reluctantly.

  "Good. You're dismissed. Return to your classes."

  We filed out of her office in silence, walking down the corridor until we were well out of earshot. Once we rounded the corner, Aria leaned in close, her voice barely above a whisper.

  "We're seriously not going to drop this, right?"

  Isabella's lips curved into a subtle smile. "Of course not. I'll do some digging. And I'll obviously tell my mother about this. The Headmistress can't possibly expect me to keep an assassination attempt from my own family."

  "Aren't you worried your mother will pull you out of the Academy?" I asked, concerned that we might lose Isabella to House Lilitu's protective instincts.

  Isabella gave a delicate snort. "Please. If my mother recalled me, that would mean she doesn't trust me to handle this situation. And a Lilitu is expected to face danger with composure, not flee from it." Her ice-blue eyes glinted with determination. "Besides, I'm safer with you two than I would be alone."

  Aria nodded emphatically. "Especially with Lily's lightning-fast tail reflexes. Speaking of mothers," she continued, her tone shifting, "mine sent me a letter recently. She wants to meet."

  I raised an eyebrow in surprise. "That's rare." In the months I'd known Aria, she'd barely mentioned her mother, let alone received correspondence from her.

  "Maybe she heard I've become friends with a Lilitu," Aria suggested with a shrug. "I didn't want to bother you both with it, but now with all this conspiratorial stuff happening... maybe there's some connection?" She shook her head. "I doubt it, but it's worth looking into."

  "I can come with you, if you want," I offered, watching her face carefully.

  Aria hesitated for a second, then nodded. "Actually, that would be nice. It's not that I'm uncomfortable seeing her, I just didn't want to drag you into my family drama."

  "What are friends for if not to drag into family drama?" I replied with a smile.

  We reached Professor Soraya's classroom door, the sounds of her lecture on defensive techniques against religious symbols already underway.

  "We'll talk more later," Isabella whispered as we slipped into the classroom, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible.

  * * *

  Professor Soraya's lecture on defensive techniques against religious symbols passed in a blur. I tried to focus on her demonstrations of how to counter a crucifix's burning effect, but my mind kept circling back to the dagger that had nearly struck Isabella. The identical weapon to the one that had petrified Valentina. The explosion in the administrative district. The rising tensions between circles. It all felt connected, though I couldn't quite see the pattern yet.

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  When the bell finally rang, I gathered my notes mechanically, still lost in thought.

  "Let's grab lunch," Aria suggested as we filed out of the classroom. "I'm starving after all this excitement."

  I nodded absently, but before we could take three steps into the hallway, a familiar voice cut through the crowd.

  "You three. Stop right there."

  Valentina Morgenstern stood before us, her platinum blonde hair perfectly styled as always, her crimson eyes narrowed with fury. Her skin showed no trace of the stone-like texture that had encased her just days ago.

  "I know it was one of you," she hissed, her gaze particularly venomous as it landed on Aria. "Don't think I don't know who's responsible."

  I blinked in surprise. "Valentina? You've recovered already?"

  "Don't act surprised, Nightstar," she snapped. "As if you weren't counting the days until I returned to expose you."

  Aria crossed her arms, her purple eyes flashing with annoyance. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Valentina. None of us had anything to do with what happened to you."

  "Please," Valentina scoffed. "Who else would want to humiliate me? Who else has been against me from the beginning?"

  I stepped forward, feeling a flash of irritation. "If we really wanted to do something to you, Valentina, I assure you it would be more permanent than a simple petrification."

  Isabella didn't speak, but the corner of her mouth curled upward in a subtle, dangerous smirk that said more than words could.

  I noticed Nyx Shadowveil, who had been walking toward her next class, stop and turn around, her glasses glinting as she observed our confrontation with scholarly interest.

  Valentina's eyes widened slightly at my statement before narrowing again. "You won't be so smug when I find proof of what you did," she snarled. "My family may not be what it once was, but we still have connections. When I'm finished, you'll wish you'd never crossed a Morgenstern."

  With that, she turned on her heel and stalked away, students parting before her like water.

  As soon as she was out of earshot, Aria turned to Isabella with exaggerated outrage. "You told us it would take her a week to recover! It's been two days!"

  Isabella shrugged elegantly. "Apparently her parents care about her more than I expected. They must have paid premium for restoration services."

  "Or they're trying to make a statement about House Morgenstern's resources," I mused, watching Valentina's retreating form. "Either way, she's convinced we're behind this."

  "Which we're not," Aria added firmly, glancing around at the lingering students who were pretending not to eavesdrop.

  "Don't bother with her," I said, adjusting my bag on my shoulder. "Let's get to our next class. The last thing we need is to get into more trouble by being late."

  As we walked away, I caught Nyx's gaze. She gave me a small, curious nod before turning and continuing on her way. I couldn't help but wonder what she made of all this.

  * * *

  After our last class ended, we retreated to the safety of my and Aria's dorm room. I collapsed onto my bed with a sigh while Isabella perched elegantly on the edge of Aria's bed, crossing her legs at the ankle.

  "We need to do something about Valentina," I said, breaking the momentary silence. "She's already spreading rumours that we were behind her petrification."

  Isabella smoothed an invisible wrinkle from her skirt. "While it certainly will make us more popular among certain circles, it will also attract unwanted attention." Her ice-blue eyes narrowed slightly. "Particularly with everything else happening right now."

  Aria flopped dramatically beside Isabella, her purple eyes rolling toward the ceiling. "But what can we do? Valentina is always running her mouth. It's like her favourite hobby after being a total bitch."

  I sat up straighter, an idea forming. "I can try talking to Valentina."

  Both of them stared at me as if I'd suggested we invite an angel to dinner.

  "I know how she comes across," I continued, "but as bad as she is, I think I can make her understand that we had nothing to do with what happened to her."

  Aria's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious. It's Valentina we're talking about. The same Valentina who tried to force-feed us feral-inducing nectar? The one who coerced imps to hurt Bellas?"

  As if summoned by his name, Bellas entered with a tray of refreshments. His movements were graceful as he set down glasses of chilled wine and a plate of small pastries filled with something that smelled spicy and sweet.

  "Thank you, Bellas," I said, offering him a smile that made his cheeks flush.

  He bowed and retreated to his corner, but I noticed his ears remained tilted in our direction, listening.

  "It's worth a shot," I insisted, turning back to my friends. "It's not like she's going to do anything to me. Not after what happened with the dagger today. She'd be the first suspect if I turned up petrified."

  "I'll come with you then," Aria declared, sitting up straight.

  I shook my head. "No. I've been thinking about it, and somehow Valentina seems more agitated when I'm with you two. It's like her grudges just pile on top of each other. One of us she might be able to tolerate, but all three together..."

  "Are you sure about this?" Isabella asked, her silver hair catching the light as she tilted her head. "Valentina may be from a diminished house, but she's still dangerous."

  "I'm sure," I said with more confidence than I felt. "Besides, if I can get her to back off, it's one less thing for us to worry about while we figure out who's really behind these attacks."

  We spent the next hour working out when and where I should approach Valentina, what I should say, and contingency plans if things went south. Isabella suggested I wear a magical tracker so they could find me if needed, while Aria insisted I carry a small vial of defensive potion in my pocket.

  When we'd exhausted the topic, Aria suddenly brightened. "We should go to the Pleasure Dome again tonight! After all this stress, we deserve it."

  I sighed, shaking my head. "While it was fun, I don't want to repeat it every day, Aria."

  "But—" Aria's lower lip jutted out in an exaggerated pout. "We barely explored half the chambers! We haven't even been to the—"

  "The tentacle pit?" I interrupted, raising an eyebrow. "I think I'll pass."

  Aria crossed her arms over her chest, her expression a masterclass in theatrical sulking. "Fine. Be boring."