It was visiting day.
Parents and guardians were everywhere, coming through the gates, hugging their kids, carrying gifts.
Yvaine stood outside the Lycris auditorium, scanning faces. She'd been standing there for two hours.
Who was she kidding?
They weren't coming.
But still, she kept looking. Just in case.
Finally, she went inside.
The sacred tree stood in the middle of the auditorium, its branches stretching up toward the glass dome. The one they were going to light up later. Families were sitting in little clusters around it, talking and laughing.
Caelan waved her over.
She walked to where he sat with a tall woman in her twenties. The woman had black hair streaked with silvery blue. Pretty. Carried herself like she knew it. They looked enough alike for Yvaine to guess they were related.
"Hey," Caelan said.
"Hi," Yvaine said.
"This is my sister, Caitlyn. Caitlyn, meet Yvaine."
Caitlyn smiled. "Hello, Yvaine Theolux. My brother's said so much about you—and I've only been here thirty minutes."
Caelan flushed. "You didn't have to say that."
"Why not?" Caitlyn nudged him with her elbow. "You do have a huge crush on her."
Yvaine smiled, not looking at him. "He's told me about you. And I must say, you look good."
"Thank you," Caitlyn said.
"Your hair… it's…" Yvaine started.
"Yeah, I know. I get that a lot." Caitlyn touched a strand. "Got a little Frosthowl in me, hence the blue."
"So… you're a hybrid?"
"Not exactly. I don't have a wolf."
Caelan added, "She can just manipulate ice to a certain degree."
An ice-manipulating witch. Interesting.
"Got my Gran's witch side," Caitlyn said.
Caelan turned to Yvaine. "Are your parents here?"
"Not yet."
"You can come sit with us if they don't show."
"Thanks."
Principal Myrrin walked onto the stage. "Welcome, alumni, parents, and guardians." Her voice carried over the chatter. "Let us rise for the anthem."
She waved her hand. An invisible orchestra started playing. Everyone stood and began to sing.
When the last note faded, there was applause.
"Now," Myrrin said, "we light the tree, and the dance will be done by our students."
Another round of clapping.
"All students in the dance, please go backstage and get ready."
Caelan turned to his sister. "That's our cue."
"Break a leg," Caitlyn said.
Yvaine left with him.
She was still paired with Lucien. More than anything, she didn't want to be.
They changed into their outfits. Students lined up behind the curtain. No sign of Lucien.
Good. Maybe he broke his leg.
The hope didn't last long. He appeared beside her, looking irritatingly perfect in his costume.
Don't look at him, she told herself.
"Hello, Theolux," he said.
She didn't answer.
The curtains began to move. He took her hand. His hand was... deliciously warm.
"Let's do this," he said.
They stepped out. Her heart started to race.
Yvaine kept looking down.
Lucien said, "You've got to look at me, Theolux. Chemistry. Or the tree won't light, and it'll be because of you."
Was he being serious right now? The nerve.
She ignored him. The dance went on. His hold on her waist became firmer.
She immediately felt nauseous as she remembered dance class, his claws digging deep into her back.
Lucien felt her tense.
"Loosen up, Yvonne. The tree senses negative energy."
"It's Yvaine."
"Whatever. Ease up and look at me."
She didn't.
The lower part of the tree started to glow.
"Why won't you look up?" he asked.
Yvaine snapped, "Maybe I don't want to look at the silverwolf who almost killed me."
He chuckled. His eyes met hers.
"Lovely," he murmured.
"Now that's more like it. Now smile."
Gods, this bastard was so annoying. This dance needed to end.
She smiled at him anyway and kept dancing.
The tree was more than halfway lit.
By the time the song ended, it burned bright.
The crowd clapped and cheered. The students bowed.
Lucien opened his mouth to say something, but Yvaine walked away fast.
She grabbed a bottle of water and drank.
Zully and Ed came over.
Zully hugged her. "Girl, you danced really good."
"Thanks."
Ed grinned. "I'd have killed to be Lucien."
Yvaine laughed. "He's an ass."
Ed handed her a small vial with green liquid.
"That's the potion. Zully bound it last night."
Her key to shifting. Finally.
She opened it fast and gulped it down.
She waited. Nothing.
"I don't get it. I don't feel anything."
Zully said, "Relax. Give it a little time."
"Okay. Thank you."
Ed asked, "Your parents here yet?"
Yvaine shook her head.
"You can come sit with us," Zully said.
"Yeah," Ed added.
Then—
"How about she sits with me?"
Yvaine turned. Zayne. He'd come.
"Zayne!"
"Hello, baby sister."
She rushed to hug him.
"I thought nobody would come."
"Mum and Dad had something urgent. So I came."
"And Master Gareth?"
"He's on leave for now."
Zully cleared her throat.
"Sorry," Yvaine said. "This is my roommate, Zulieka, and my friend, Ed. Zully, Ed—my brother Zayne."
"Hello, Zully. Hey, Ed," Zayne said.
"Hi… my pleasure to meet me—sorry, you," Zully stammered.
Yvaine laughed. Not surprising.
"Nice to meet you, senior," Ed said.
"Please, call me Zayne."
Zully kept flushing and batting her lashes. Zayne kept glancing back at her.
"Let's go sit and enjoy the rest of the evening, shall we?" he said.
At the table, Yvaine leaned closer to her brother.
"I want to come home. Back to Moonvale Manor."
Zayne shook his head. "You'll have to wait till the end of the session."
"It's too far."
"It's just around the corner. So, what's been going on?"
"Nothing."
"Hmm… really?"
"I'm serious. Nothing." She laughed a little.
Zayne looked at her. "Have you found your wolf yet?"
"No."
"Still? Damn. Your eighteenth birthday is tomorrow. If you don't get it—"
"I don't want to hear it, okay?" she cut in. "I know. If I don't get it tomorrow, I might never get it again."
Inside, she wished the potion would just start working already.
"Keep your voice down," Zayne said. "People will hear."
"I don't really care."
"Maybe your stubbornness is what's blocking your shift."
She stared at him. "You're pathetic."
He laughed. "Pathetic? You're the one Mum and Dad don't want to see till you shift."
The words hit hard.
"What?" Her voice was low. "So the whole 'urgent emergency' thing was a lie?"
He didn't answer fast enough. She felt her eyes sting.
Zayne reached for her hand. "Yvie… I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to be sorry for." She stood up and walked away.
Zully caught her eye and mouthed, What's wrong?
Behind her, Zayne's voice came. "Yvaine—wait up. I'm sorry."
Yvaine didn't stop till she was in front of the hall. The cold air stung her.
Zayne pulled her hand back. " Yvaine... I said I'm sorry."
"No you're not, Zayne. You're not sorry, Mum and Dad are not sorry."
Zayne sighs, " Don't be like that,"
"Be like what? You all have never let me live down not having a wolf. I was thrown in here against my own will. Do you know what I've had to endure?"
"It's all part of the process. It's all to make you strong."
This made Yvaine madder. " What if I don't want to be strong, huh, Zayne?"
Zayne's grip on her arm tightened.
"You're hurting me." Yvaine winced trying to free herself from his grip.
Zayne's eyes flashed silver. " Now, you'll listen to me and listen good. You are a Theolux and you have no choice than to be strong. There's no room for your pity parties. Those days are long gone. You need to grow up"
She suddenly felt her head hurting. He was suppressing her.
"Zayne... please.. you're hurting me.."
He didn't stop.
"Stop being a weakling." Zayne yelled.
She felt liquid coming out from her nose. Blood.
"Zayne..." Her voice began to break.
Then, Zayne's grip loosened as he staggered backwards.
"Leave her alone."
It was Lucien.
Zayne held his face. " Who the hell are you?"
"Nobody bullies Yvonne but me."
What the hell?
"She's my sister." Zayne punched Lucien in the face. Lucien hits back.
"I hate you both." Yvaine yelled and ran off, her tears blinding her.
She gets to the pine grove and sat on a stone.
She hated feeling this way. She hated herself more.
"Hey."
She looks up. It was Lucien.
"What do you want? To humiliate me further?"
"Yvonne..."
"It's Yvaine, goddamn it! And leave me the hell alone. Go away."