Sam's hands still trembled as they walked through the Academy's crystal hallways three days later.
The memory of the Shadow King's herald haunted their dreams, but somehow they'd managed to leave the library when Alex used their royal authority to break the magical locks.
Now, sitting in the Academy's sunny dining hall, Sam tried to pretend everything was normal.
"You look terrible," Riley noticed, picking at her vegetable soup.
"Have you slept at all?" Sam shrugged, moving food around their plate. Their rainbow wings stayed carefully hidden beneath the familiar robe, but they felt heavier somehow, like they were bursting with secrets that wanted to be free.
"I keep thinking about what that herald said," Sam whispered.
"About the Shadow King returning. What if" "Hey, mind if I join you?" Sam looked up to find Alex standing beside their table, holding a golden lunch tray.
Their golden wings were folded neatly behind them, and they wore the confident smile that made half the Academy swoon. Riley's eyebrows shot up.
"Alex Storm wants to sit with us?"
"I want to sit with my friends," Alex corrected, settling into the empty chair next to Sam.
"If that's okay." Sam's heart did a little flip.
"Friends?"
"Well, we did survive a magical attack together," Alex said with a grin.
"That makes us friends, right?" Before Sam could answer, Alex opened a small golden box on their tray.
Inside were the most beautiful cookies Sam had ever seen each one made like a tiny star and dusted with edible gold.
"Royal cookies," Alex explained, offering the box to Sam and Riley.
"My aunt has the palace cooks make them specially for me. They're supposed to give you energy and make you feel brave." Riley took one carefully.
"Are you sure? These look expensive."
"Everything's expensive when you're royal," Alex said with a laugh.
"But sharing them with friends makes them taste better." Sam bit into the cookie, and flavors burst across their tongue honey, vanilla, and something that tasted like sunshine itself.
"This is amazing!"
"Right?" Alex's bright eyes sparkled.
"Wait until you try this." Alex mumbled something in the old language, and suddenly their golden wings glowed softly. The light touched the leftover cookies, and they began to float gently above the table, spinning in lazy circles. Sam burst into laughter.
"They're dancing!"
"Palace magic," Alex explained, looking pleased with Sam's response.
"Mostly useless, but it makes people smile." Riley shook her head in amazement.
"I can't believe you're showing off for us."
"I'm not showing off," Alex argued, but their cheeks turned pink.
"I'm just... being myself." Sam watched Alex's face as they spoke, noticing how their confident mask slipped when they thought no one was looking. Underneath all that royal training, Alex seemed lonely.
"What's it like?" Sam asked suddenly. "Being next in line to rule?" Alex's smile faltered.
"Complicated. Everyone expects me to be perfect all the time. I have to marry someone the Council approves of, probably someone I don't even like. And I have to make decisions that touch thousands of people."
"That sounds awful," Riley said softly.
"It is, sometimes." Alex caught one of the flying cookies and took a bite.
"But then I meet people like you two, and I remember why I want to protect this kingdom."
Sam felt warmth spread through their chest.
"People like us?" "People who are brave without trying to be," Alex said, looking straight at Sam.
"People who care about their friends. People who..." They paused, seeming to search for words.
"People who make me feel like I can be myself instead of just a royal heir." Sam's wings tingled beneath their covering.
"Alex..." "I know you're hiding something," Alex said gently.
"And I know you're scared. But whatever it is, it doesn't change how I see you."
"How do you see me?" Sam whispered. Alex's golden wings glowed brighter.
"I see someone special. Someone who makes me want to be better than I am." Riley cleared her throat loudly. "Should I leave you two alone?"
"No!" Sam said quickly, heat flooding their cheeks.
"We're just... we're just friends." But even as they said it, Sam knew it wasn't entirely true. Every time Alex looked at them with those warm golden eyes, something fluttered in Sam's chest like butterfly wings. Every time Alex smiled, Sam's secret wings wanted to glow with happiness.
"Friends," Alex repeated, but their voice was soft and their look lingered on Sam's face.
"Of course." The moment stretched between them, full of silent words and feelings too new to name. Sam wanted to lean closer, wanted to tell Alex everything about their rainbow wings and the prophecy in the old book. But fear held them back.
What if Alex was only being nice because they felt sorry for Sam? What if learning about the rainbow wings changed everything?
"I should go," Sam said suddenly, standing up.
"I have... I have studying to do."
"Sam, wait" Alex reached out, their fingers touching Sam's hand. The moment their skin touched, both of their wings glowed Alex's gold and Sam's hidden rainbow making a brief, brilliant flash beneath the cloak. Sam jerked their hand away, afraid someone had seen.
"I have to go." They rushed away from the table, leaving Alex and Riley staring after them.
Sam's heart pounded as they rushed through the hallways, their wings aching to be free. In the empty bathroom, Sam locked the door and let their coat fall.
Their rainbow wings spread wide, shimmering with confusing emotions joy at Alex's kindness, fear of discovery, and something else.
Something that made their wings pulse with warm, golden light.
"I'm falling for them," Sam whispered to their image.
"I'm falling for Alex Storm." But how could they have feelings for someone when they were living a lie? How could they let Alex care about them when they were hiding such a big secret? Sam was so lost in thought that they almost missed the soft knock on the door.
"Sam? It's me." Alex's voice was gentle, worried.
"Are you okay?" Sam's wings flared with fear.
"I'm fine! Just... just give me a minute."
"You left this." Alex slid something under the door Sam's Academy notebook, the one where they'd been sketching pictures of rainbow wings when they thought no one was watching.
Sam's blood turned to ice. The notebook had fallen open to a page covered in drawings of wings in every color possible. Wings that looked exactly like the ones currently spread behind them.
"Sam," Alex said softly through the door.
"We need to talk." Outside, thunder roared across the clear sky. Through the small window, Sam could see dark clouds forming at the kingdom's borders, moving closer with each passing moment.
The Shadow King's herald had been right. He was coming, and Sam was running out of time to hide.
"Sam?" Alex's voice was closer now, as if they were sitting against the door.
"Whatever you're hiding, whatever you're afraid of... you don't have to face it alone." Sam stared at the notebook, at the drawings that revealed their darkest secret.
Their rainbow wings shook with fear and hope and something that might have been love.
The darkness was coming, and Sam had to choose: keep hiding and face it alone, or trust Alex with the truth and risk losing the first person who'd ever made them feel like they might be worth caring about.
Outside, the thunder got louder, and Sam could swear they heard the sound of torn wings beating against the wind.
Time was running out.