SERAPHINA'S POV
I walk on my two feet out of the woods on my own.
The injury on one ankle surprisingly healed on its own, but I don't focus on that, or the pain in my chest, or the fact that there's a body potentially not breathing deep in the woods.
I can't think of any of that; I choose not to.
I feel myself on the edge of shattering into a million pieces, being held together by nothing more than a single flimsy strand.
I'm counting every breath I take while walking closer to school again.
"Sera!" a voice calls my name, footsteps rushing closer to where I am.
"Seraphina?"
It takes a few more seconds before someone finds me-Lucian.
He runs out from a corner, spotting me in my disheveled form: a ripped dress with its fabric dyed dark brown from the mud, hair messed up with dirt and twigs sticking out.
He pauses, looking at me with surprise and then relief.
I don't know what exactly it is, but seeing him is enough for me to shatter.
My legs, which held me up firmly, suddenly grow weak and wobbly. My form shivers, and I choke with emotions that well up in my chest.
He sees the tears in my eyes, and he runs, covering the space between us in only seconds.I break down in his arms, clutching onto his arms and cry again.
Sobbing out loud, wailing loud enough for the heavens to hear me, to pity me for the first time.
My entire body trembles like a fish out of water, and he holds me tight in his hands, silently consoling me without any words, not questioning where I've been and why I look like this.
He has no idea what went down in the woods, that someone tried to kill me quietly, and they ended up dead, and I still don't understand how, and I don't understand who I am or what I want.
And the love of my life is engaged.
All the sadness and hurt and anger pour out of me in hot tears for what feels like an eternity.
"It's okay," he coos, patting my back gently. "I'm here, and I'd never leave you," he makes a promise, pressing me against himself.
I let myself be consoled by him until I can control myself again, and the tears finally stop. I don't know how long we've been like this, but my arm cramps from the way he holds me tightly, and I gently tug away.
He gets the message and pulls away, giving me enough space to breathe. His thumb wipes away enough of my tears.
"Your eyes are all puffy," he jokes, chuckling a bit, an attempt to lighten the mood.
I'm grateful for it, but I don't laugh. I don't think I'll be able to for a while.
"How did you find me?" I ask instead.
His smile turns sad. "Well... I was in the hall when the announcement was made. I saw the way you reacted and when you ran out. Jasper and Olivia are also searching for you," he explains.
I nod my head slowly, reliving the moments before the announcement was made, and my heart breaks again.
I push the memory back down.
"I guess I was lucky you found me."
"I think I'm the lucky one who got to find you actually," he says nervously, rubbing the back of his head.
I take it as another attempt to lighten the mood that doesn't work again, and I stare back at him blankly until he sighs in defeat.
"I think I have a vague idea of what happened."
I look away, unable to meet his eyes when talking about it.
"I know you don't want to talk about it right now. I won't force you to say how you feel. I'm not that cruel. But from what I understand, you and Artemis had something going on, didn't you?"
More than having something going on, we are in love, and we planned to be together.
"And from your reaction, you didn't know he was getting engaged. He didn't tell you."
"He didn't know. He would have told me!" I snap at him the second he insinuates Artemis' betrayal.
My blood is hot again, and I'm breathing fast. He raises his hands in surrender, and I immediately regret snapping at him.
He's just trying to help, and I'm being mean to him to defend someone else. He's the one standing here with me, not Artemis.
"Sorry," I apologize, hiding my face again, embarrassed by my explosive state right now.
"I'm just asking because I knew," he says suddenly, and his words hit me like a hard wall.
I look up at him fast, with wide eyes filled with disbelief and horror.
"You did?"
He nods slowly, pitying me with his eyes.
"Yes. Silvan told me tonight. I knew before the announcement was made, and... I think maybe Artemis did too," he manages to spit out with a degree of pain.
What's left of me turns to dust, and tears I thought were over leak into my eyes again. I look away from him, unable to meet his eyes.
"I'm sorry."
"No... I-It's not y-your fault. Let's not talk about this anymore," I say, choking on tears, sniffling, and wiping the tears from my eyes, deciding that I will not cry anymore.
Not tonight, at least.
I'm already walking away, needing to breathe and digest this new information.
He knew... or maybe he didn't.
I can't say or put together what's fact and what's not until I hear from him first, but he's not here to verify the whole thing for me.
He's not here to tell me what's going on.
Where is he?
My leg gives way from fatigue suddenly, and I fall. Lucian grabs me fast enough before I hit the floor, holding me by the hips.
"I don't think you should be walking right now, Sera," he argues, and I'm too weak to deny the truth or be stubborn about whether I can hold my weight.
I let him lift me up from the floor and carry me in his arms.
I let myself sink into the feeling of warmth from his body, wishing he were Artemis right now, and maybe the version of him that isn't set to be married in a few months.
He carries me like a fragile baby all the way into the school compound, closer to my dorm. That's when I begin to hear Olivia and Jasper calling out to me.
"Seraphina!" Jasper yells.
"Sera!" Olivia yells as well, at the top of her voice.
"I found her." Lucian responds, drawing closer with me in his arms like a knight in shining armor.
They both look at me, and their expressions change. Olivia's turns scared and horrified the moment she sees me covered in filth.
She rushes to me in a second, touching me, rubbing my cheeks, and making sure that I have no scratches like a mother would.
Jasper's expression twists in disgust first, the moment he spots Lucian, obviously sharing in the disdain that Artemis has for him.
I rarely see him this angry or this livid with a living human being.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" He seethes, walking over to us, clearly ready to fight or cause a scene that I don't want to be a part of.
My head hurts too bad right now to witness it, my heart much worse.
"Jasper, please," I croak out, barely getting the words out before he can say or do anything to Lucian.
"He helped me get back," I explain, hoping to calm his rage before it escalates.
He pauses, wanting to say something else but deciding not to. Instead, he stretches his hand out to Lucian.
"Give her to me."
Lucian is reluctant, not even budging to let me out of his grasp until I tug at his arm and he looks into my eyes, begging him to just do it.
He sighs, giving in and drawing closer to Jasper, depositing me in his arms. The transfer is effortless, and I'm engulfed in Jasper's embrace.
"Let me know if you need me at any moment, Sera. I am and will always be at your full disposal," Lucian says with a bow the moment the three of us are about to walk away.
I nod and wave at him before Jasper turns away, blocking my line of sight from seeing him again.