SERAPHINA'S POV
As expected, the room is empty when I arrive - colder than usual, and perfectly spotless as it would be just before we left for school.
Her lavender scent still lingers in the air, stronger on her side of the room, hurting my already aching heart even more.
Instead of falling on my bed as usual, I move over to her side, seating first on her soft mattress and gently feeling the fabric of her sheath beneath my fingers. That is before falling back and fully lying on it.
I turn, pressing my face into it just as tears fall down my eyes again.
If it weren't for me, she'd be here by now, back from school, sighing away the stress of the day. She'd toss her bag aside, climb into bed for a 15-minute power nap, and then dive into her thick books.
But instead, she's trapped in a vegetative state, all because I was so desperate to change this school.
Regretting it now won't change anything. Like Lucian said, all I can do is sit and wait, praying they find the evidence they need-and soon.
I begin packing up some of my stuff, but I don't know when I drift off to sleep or for how long, but a gentle touch on my cheek jolts me back to consciousness. I groan groggily, opening my eyes to meet a gaze framed by long, silky black lashes and piercing blue eyes.
"Hey." He whispers in a soft tone due to my drowsy state. "I came to get you."
"Artemis?" I say slowly, sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.
When I look again, I confirm that it is him, wearing the same clothes from earlier today when we had argued bitterly about the whole situation. And judging by the yellowing sky through my window, I can guess he's here to keep to the end of his threat.
"Let me guess, you're here to drag me against my will." I say bitterly now, accepting my helplessness to the entire situation.
He frowns now, but this time it looks a little broken - it pinches at something in my chest.
"I'm not going to drag you with me. I'm only doing this because I don't want a repeat of what happened earlier. You have no idea... no idea at all, how it felt... hearing that you had gone missing all of a sudden. You have no idea what that did to me, Sera..." He pauses, looking away and hiding whatever expression crosses his face before I can read it and understand what it means.
What did it do to him?
Did losing his little jester ruin his entire day because he had no one to bother, or is there something else he's driving at now?
Nonetheless, I sigh, exhausted with everything.
"I don't think I want to argue with you anymore. I already packed." I say, pointing to the small luggage on my bed. It's filled with only essentials, because I believe I won't have to stay with him for very long.
He nods his head slowly, confirming for himself that I'm being obedient, and I finally get up to grab my bag. It's best to just get this over with once and for all.
"Before we leave, there's someone who wants to speak with you," he says, moving towards the door and pulling it open.
As he does, Juliet peeks her little red head in, scanning the room for me. The second her eyes fall on me, she bursts into tears and rushes in to hug me tightly, bawling her eyes out over my shoulder.
I'm stunned for a moment, but then the understanding sinks in and I hug her right back, patting her shoulder with a small smile.
Artemis takes the initiative to give us space, leaving the room just as Juliet's cry turns heart-wrenching.
"Dear, dear, it's alright."
"I was so worried, because the last time I saw you was right after I sold you out to the administrator. I kept thinking that it was all my fault."
"No, no," I say gently, easing her away just enough to look into her teary eyes and flushed cheeks. "None of this was your fault. You're not the one that should be apologizing."
She sniffles and nods her head, and for a moment I want to chuckle because she looks so cute. But that feeling fades almost immediately.
The realization that the election is still ongoing, complicated by the whole Kamila incident earlier, hangs heavy over me. Can't catch a single moment's rest in this school, can I?
"What about Alice and everyone else? No more attacks, right?" I ask, just to be sure there aren't any more casualties.
She shakes her head. "The school was put on lockdown last night as soon as Olivia's assault was made known, so nothing happened to anyone else."
"Thank God," I sigh in relief. Can't handle any more guilt right now.
"I promise to fix this whole suspension from the election issue and get us back in the race soon. There's no way I'm letting Morgan get another win," I say firmly.
That bastard has done enough damage. I'd be damned before I let him get away with anything else.
"Actually," She interrupts, "a lot has happened in the hours you were gone. Right after your suspension was announced after school, Gabe gathered students outside the administrator's office for a protest. Most of us ended up with three weeks of detention. But today, a few hours after you returned, they pulled the accusations against you. You're back in the race."
"What?" My jaw drops.
"I know, right? It's like some higher power is watching over us," she says, clapping her hands and jumping in pure Juliet fashion.
I'm not thinking about higher powers, but something's shifted, and I have an inkling of what might have happened. I keep that to myself for now, though.
At least risking my life wasn't a complete waste.
"So, Gabe did all this on his own?" I ask.
"Yeah," she says, "it was surprising. He didn't seem fully committed when he first joined the campaign. His 180 was shocking to everyone."
Who would've thought Gabe would step up like that? I had my doubts about his intentions, but maybe he wasn't lying after all.
"Thank you, Juliet, for filling me in and helping me until now," I say.
"Of course. This means a lot to me too, and I'm going to try my best to get stronger so I don't become a liability to our cause anymore, Sera," she says, conviction filling her eyes-far more than the last time I had seen her crying in the hallway.
"I guess I'll leave you here now. Don't want to keep the Alpha Prince waiting," she adds in a chirpy tone, winking a little, then giving me one last hug before dashing out the door.
Why did she just wink?
I can't help rolling my eyes playfully and waving silently until she's gone. Empty silence fills the room again, and my hands drop to my sides.
I take one last look around the room, soaking in this final moment before I leave. Then I walk to the door and go through it.
On the other side, Artemis waits patiently, leaning against a wall. The second I step out, he stands upright, turning to me with expectant eyes.
"How was it?" he asks.
I assume he means the chat with my friend.
"It was nice. Apparently, I've been pardoned and am back in the election."
"That's nice. I heard about the accusations right after you went missing. Finding you was the top priority, so I'm glad it found a way to resolve itself," he says.
I don't mention that the situation resolved itself because I was nice to his girlfriend. Instead, I smile and nod.
Another awkward moment of silence follows. It's easier to argue and bicker with Artemis; being nice and civil always makes me nervous - maybe because I never know what to expect, or what newer side of him I'd see.
My fingers twist against each other on their own, and for some reason, staring at the ground is far more interesting then getting lost in those blue depths.
"I'm sorry," his sweet-toned voice comes from nowhere.
"What?" I look up at him, not expecting those words right now.
In reality, I was the one in the wrong-stubborn and wanting to charge at the enemy without a plan. And he knows it.
But he chooses to be the one to apologize.
"For arguing with you earlier when everything was falling apart and you were rightfully pissed. I'm sorry I was being an ass - I should have been more patient with you, especially after the hell you went through,'" he admits.
"I... I- Well, um..." Words evade me now, because like I said, nothing about being civil with Artemis is ever predictable.
I hate how a single gesture from him can warm up my heart against my will, and I'm almost breathless, staring up at the painfully sincere expression his face. My heart races, and my cheeks heat up.
"Say something." He breathes, drawing a little closer.
Once again, the ground is interesting.
"I...I don't think you need to apologize. I was being stupid." I dare to laugh now, slightly tinged with no humor. "Because what the hell was confronting Morgan gonna do? I... I guess I'm sorry...too. We're both asses in some way."
He chuckles, a soft, mostly addictive sound that lights up my insides with a slight flutter. He closes up the little space between us and lifts up my chin with his index finger, till I'm forced to stare into those stormy eyes - stripped bare and beautiful to me.
"Yeah, well, I promise I won't be an ass while you're staying with me, as long as you try not to do anything crazy on your own. Because then, I might get a little crazy too,'" he smiles.
"It's a deal then," I respond.
"Good."
We stay like that for a moment, eyes locked, and something potent, almost electric, lingering subtly in the air between us, around us, in the way his lips part slightly and eyes slowly darken. It's right there, hot, beckoning, and unmistakable.
I want to act on whatever it is, follow wherever this instinct leads. But Artemis takes a step back, releasing me from his captive stare and the strange rush that fills me.
He puts out his hand, as if asking us to shake on it, and tentatively, I do, taking his hand, which easily engulfs mine, enveloping part of my body in a soft, subtle warmth that resonates through me.
"Shall we?" He says, tossing my bag over his shoulder and stepping aside to let me walk ahead, like a perfect gentleman.
"'Let's do this," I smile, yet my heart doesn't stop racing - not for one second.