Adonis and group returned to the Academy by the next day.
And the first person Adonis had to confront was Mariana.
The heavy oak doors of the dormitory suite clicked shut, sealing out the whispers of the Academy hallways. The air inside was cool, but it carried the faint, lingering scent of jasmine and expensive fragrance of the First Princess.
Mariana stood by the window, her silhouette framed by the afternoon sun. She turned as the group entered.
Her eyes immediately landed on Adonis, and the sharp, regal inquiry she had prepared died in her throat.
She saw the hollowed-out look in his eyes, the way his shoulders seemed to carry an invisible, crushing weight.
She glanced briefly at the two girls flanking him. She saw the black-haired maid, Millia, whose eyes were red from crying, and the ethereal, dangerous presence of Valentina, who watched her with the predatory gaze of an ancient beast.
In any other circumstance, Mariana would have demanded names and explanations.
