I didn't wait for more. I turned and bolted down the hallway, my boots slapping against the stone floor.
Tears blurred my vision as I pushed through the heavy oak doors into the academy courtyard.
The fresh air hit me like a slap, carrying the scent of pine and distant dragon smoke.
I collapsed onto a weathered wooden bench beneath an ancient oak tree,the kind that had probably witnessed a thousand students dramas before mine. Sobs wracked by body.
I buried my face in my hands,shoulders shaking.
How was I supposed to prove my innocence when the evidence was planted right in my locker? Bianca had done this-I knew it in my bones-but who would believe me? My mother's reputation already hung over like a storm cloud.
One more slip, and I'd be expelled. Phoenix rise would be nothing but a memory.
A gentle hand landed on my shoulder,warm and steady. I flinched at first, then slowly lifted my head, wiping at my tear-streaked cheeks with the back of my sleeve.
My breath caught.
Grayson Blake.
He stood there in his crisp Academy uniform, the fabric hugging his broad shoulders just right.
Tall, with tousled dark hair fell slightly over his forehead and piercing blue eyes that seemed to see right through the chaos.
He was the most popular guy at the dragon academy-captain of the ariel dragon racing team,top of his class, and the kind of handsome that made girls whisper and blush from across the quad.
And now he was looking at me,Astrid Rivers Voss, the girl everyone whispered about for all the wrong reasons.
" what do you want? "I asked, my voice shaky as I wiped away the last of my tears, trying to sound stronger than I felt.
Grayson shirfted his weight, his expression softening." I just wanted to see if you were okay".
He glanced toward the main building,then returned his gaze to me.
"And... I don't think you would do something like that.Plant black magic in your own locker? It doesn't add up".
I blinked surprised.Most people would've joined the whispers or stayed silent.
But he sounded genuine, his voice low and reassuring like a calm wind before flight.
He scratched the back of his head, a small, almost boyish gesture that made my stomach do a weird flip.
"I was wondering if...I could take you out on a date sometime?".
The world seem to stop. The rustle of leaves,the distant roar of dragons in the training fields-all of it faded.
Grayson Blake, the hottest guy in school, was asking me out?After everything that just happened.
No freaking way.
My heart raced as I stared up at him, the tears forgotten for a moment, replaced by a spark of something warm and unexpected in the middle of all the shadows.