I returned to the academy long after the halls had fallen into relative silence. I couldn't say how long I'd been in the vampire realm, but there was a disquiet clinging to my skin like glue. It felt as if I'd committed a sin. The rogue the Academy had taken in had become a traitor, spending time with the vampire heir. They would undoubtedly kill me if they ever found out.

I had barely crossed the outer arch when I felt it.

Aldric didn't need to get in my way. His mere presence stopped me. The