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He stands up and dusts his pristine school suit off. He turns toward the door, prepared to leave but pauses… “Why did you lie?”

I know he’s referring to the council office in Pride. I was hoping I could avoid this embarrassing discussion entirely, but my mind is too exhausted and overwhelmed to come up with some excuse, so I go with the truth.

“I didn’t think that I would ever end up here. I had accepted the fact that I was most likely going to be exiled. I’ve spent my life being insignificant. No sin power manifestation, no family, very few friends, even my teachers acted like I was invisible.”

I sigh, closing my eyes and leaning my head back against the stone. Just because it’s easier to admit the truth doesn’t make it hurt any less.

“When you assumed I was someone important… it…felt…nice.” I swallow. “I didn’t expect to cross paths again.”

He doesn’t turn around but nods his head once and then walks out the door. I’ve never been in a relationship so I’ve never been through a ‘heartbreak’, but I assume the physical pain in my chest is what one would feel like. It’s strange, like my emotions and my head aren’t mixing; they don’t agree.

This is necessary. This is safe.

It seems like my bonds don't know about each other based off of Atticus's response. If Atticus felt this way, there’s a large probabilityMaylo will too with his ties to the Council. I’m sure it won’t be difficult to convince my Lust bond that this would be a bad idea.

That just leaves the professor. He could be spilling our situation to Dean Bellows at this very moment. I’m sure I’ll find out soon enough.

I can’t hide in this closet forever, and it doesn’t help if my bonds can find me whenever they want, anyway.

11

Thou Shalt Not Chain a Storm

Maylo

Idon’t remember breathing when it happened.

One second, I’m empty, hollow, same as always. A vessel.

Next — boom.

A spark behind my ribs. A flash across my skin. Something alive and furious snapped into me, like lightning.

I staggered. Laughed. Couldn’t stop laughing. Everyone is staring at the poor, sinless girl. They know who she is. They know what happened.

I’m staring at her for a different reason. I never expected the universe to gift me with a bond. Who would tie someone to a person so broken? But maybe the universe found someone as broken as me.

Mine. My bond.

Ha, I hit myself in the head as the girl next to me scoots further away.

I don’t do mine.

I do no one’s.

I belong to no one but the voices in my head, and my master. My owner.

But then she looks up — eyes wide, pupils blown, a little scared, a little angry — and for half a heartbeat, the noise in my skull goes quiet.

They all scattered after the ceremony. The noble brats. Whispering. Gawking. Pretending they weren’t afraid.

I waited.

Waited until their noise died down, until the heavy doors shut, until I could breathe again.

Hours go by. Then I slip.

Gone.