Chapter 54

If Valentin had any thoughts of whether or not I’d slept with Maximus, he didn’t show it. Instead, he stared blankly at me.

“Miss Smith,” he addressed me formally. “I didn’t know you were in here. I apologize.”

I could only stare back at him in silence as his eyes bore into mine. Then, he snapped his gaze from me to look at Maximus.

“Mr. Wolfham,” he stated. “I believe you a part of the incident last night. The elder Miss Moonbeam notified me of such.”

Max nodded curtly and Valentin repeated the action. He sighed deeply. “Then, please, if you would come to my office for a statement.”

“I will after I get Zora back to her room,” Max replied, motioning to where I was, still curled under his covers. Valentin gave a sickly sweet smile. It utterly terrified me. Max, however was unphased.

“I believe Miss Smith lives next door, does she not?” Valentin said. His pressed his lips together, giving Max the most insincere smile I’d ever seen. “I think she can walk herself home.”

Max said nothing to Valentin. They were both stared daggers into each other’s eyes. Then Max slowly turned to me. His harshness dropped completely.

“Is that okay?” he said, softer than the way he looked at Valentin. “I don’t want to leave you alone if you’re not comfortable.”

“I’m fine,” I said, barely above a whisper. I looked towards Valentin. “He’s caught right?”

“Yes,” Valentin assured. “Sitting in the campus holding cell as we speak.”

I looked back at Max. “I’ll be fine then,” I gave him a soft smile. “Really.”

Maximus nodded then stood up. He wordlessly followed Valentin out of his room. Before the door slammed shut, he sent me one last look to make sure I was okay. I gave him another forced smile before the door shuddered closed.

As soon as I heard both men walk downstairs, I burst into tears. I threw my body back into Max’s bed and let the sobs overcome me. I had no idea how to process what had happened to me last night. Nor did I know how to process Max’s reaction or Valentin’s oddly protective nature.

None of it made sense. It was all tearing my brain to shreds. I couldn’t believe someone would go as far as to drug me then try to –

I couldn’t finish the sentence. I didn’t want to believe how close to a possibility it could’ve become. I wiped my hand across the bottom of my nose and blotted away my tears. I slunk out of my bed and into the hallway.

When I got into my room, it was empty. I immediately shed myself of the promiscuous outfit that Loren gave me. I went into my bathroom and scrubbed my skin until it was red and raw.

Yet I still felt dirty.

When I emerged, I was wrapped in a hug almost immediately. I gasped but then relaxed when I saw the flurry of white hair under my chin. I burst into tears again.

Loren pulled me over to my desk chair and sat me down, smoothing my hair as she went. She babbled at me as she checked me for injuries.

“I’m so sorry Zora. I thought you were okay and I should’ve known. I should’ve I’m so sorry and I can’t ever forgive myself and thank Gods that Maximus was there and Alessia and I just—”

Then Loren started on her own set of tears and wrapped me back in a bear hug. The two of us sat uncomfortably in my desk chair, crying into each other’s hair for more than I could measure. Finally, I pulled back and laughed, humorlessly.

“I’m still in my towel,” I sniffed.

Loren sniffled too and finally let go of me. “I probably should’ve let you get dressed before I grabbed you.”

“No,” I blotted my tears with the edge of my towel. “I needed it.”

Loren nodded and then left my grasp. She went and grabbed her own chair and pulled it closer to my chair. She held both of my hands in her own.

“How do you feel?”

“Numb,” I replied. “Scared. I don’t even think those words explain it all. I’m just like in shock, I guess.”

“Understandable,” Loren murmured. “Have you spoke with Lunerly yet?”

I shook my head no and Loren gnawed on her lip. “Did anyone tell you what happened?”

“Maximus a little,” I whispered. I paused. “Loren. What did I do wrong?”

“Nothing, love,” she said, running a hand over my head. “You did nothing. Nothing to deserve this and nothing wrong to get to this.”

“What happened?” I asked, slamming my eyes shut. It was if I was trying to hide from the answer.

Loren sighed so deeply, her shoulders rose and fell. “After you went to the bathroom,” she started, voice small. “You were gone for a while. So, I went to look for you. I tried the bathrooms on the main floor first and couldn’t find you anywhere. I saw sissy and asked her to help me. We searched Kairos and Maximus’s bathroom, then we ran into Maximus outside Petyr’s bathroom.”

She stopped for a second, her lip quivering as she fought to not cry. She sniffed once then continued.

“He had Stefan Jackell, that second-year from magiks, against a wall,” she sniffed again. “He was – he was punching him so hard there were dents in the wall. Then we looked on the floor and – and –“

She broke into sobs again. I reached out and grabbed her shoulders. “Hey,” I said, quietly. “I’m okay. I’m here. Maximus said he caught it before anything happened.”

“I – I know,” Loren said, hysteric. “But you we’re so –”

She flinched violently and I rubbed her shoulders again. She cried a bit more before wiping her tears and continuing the story.

“Max picked you up and we took you to Petyr’s room,” she said. “Alessia was furious. Apparently, Jackell had asked Petyr to ask sissy to invite you. She was furious at Petyr, thinking he had something to do with it. But he was in just as much shock as we were.”

I nodded. It was a relief to know that Alessia was watching out for me. It was also a relief that Petyr didn’t hate me as much as I thought he did.

“Maximus took you back to his room,” Loren finished. “He didn’t want to leave you alone. Sissy and I went to wake up Lunerly. He immediately had security grab Jackell. He questioned us for the rest of the night. I only got home just now.”

I hummed. “Thank you,” I whispered. “Really. If you didn’t look for me I don’t—”

I paused. I knew what would have happened had she not looked for me. I licked the front of my teeth then gave her a sad smile.

“Just,” I sighed. “Thank you.”

“What are friends for,” Loren whispered back.

I stood up and walked to my closet. I pulled the biggest sweatshirt I could find out and a pair of matching pants. I threw both on then hung my towel. I combed my curls out, frowning when I remembered how beautiful and straight it had looked the night before.

I gave Loren one last suffocating hug before I left the room and headed to Headmaster Lunerly’s office.