From Silent Princess to S-Rank Luna Chapter 05

From Silent Princess to S-Rank Luna Chapter 05

His black Northreach blazer looked out of place in Solmere’s bright sunlight.

Three months apart. He’d lost weight. Dark circles under his eyes. Unshaven stubble on his jaw.

When he saw me, his eyes lit up. He strode toward me quickly.

“Maren!” He reached out instinctively to grab my wrist.

“Are you done with this little tantrum? Come back to Northreach with me.”

His tone was still that same condescending command.

?

Like I was just a runaway pet who should be grateful to come running back when he called.

I stepped back, calmly avoiding his hand.

Rafe glanced at me.

“Need me to stay?”

“No,” I said. “Go ahead to the restaurant. I’ll catch up.”

Rafe didn’t push. He just handed me the blueprints. “Call me if anything comes up.”

After he walked away, Cillian’s face relaxed slightly.

“You’ve made quite a few friends here.”

I didn’t respond.

He started making decisions for me, like always.

“Your room’s already been cleared out. Nessa’s stuff is all gone.”

“Mom agreed to throw you another celebration party. Just your friends this time. No one’s going to steal your spotlight.”

“And Greywolf-I’ve already contacted admissions. Your S-rank rating is still valid. If you’re

willing to come back, I can have a mentor reinstate your spot.”

“Hold on, Cillian.” I cut him off, my voice flat.

“I’m not coming back.”

Cillian’s voice jumped an octave.

“Why? No matter how good Moonshore is, it’s too far from home. You’ve never left Stonehaven before. Can you really take care of yourself alone out here?”

“Do you even know how much the family has been fighting because of you? Nessa cries every day blaming herself-don’t you have any decency?”

I stayed calm.

“Nessa cries because she doesn’t have her free babysitter to clean up her messes anymore, right?”

“Mom and Dad fight because they realized the precious treasure they’ve been coddling is actually a useless mess, right?”

“As for you.”

I looked him up and down.

“You flew all the way out here to Solmere for something like-oh, I don’t know-no one to take care of you when you’re sick, right?”

Cillian looked thunderstruck.

He stood frozen, mouth twitching-unable to get a single word out.

“Maren… I…”

His voice cracked, the anger in his eyes giving way to a flicker of panic.

“I didn’t-”

“Good.” I cut him off. “Go back to your Northreach. Stay out of my Solmere.”

I stepped around him, ready to leave.

“Maren.” His voice came from behind me. “I promised I’d take you all over Northreach.”

“I haven’t forgotten.”

I paused. “But I don’t want to go anymore.”

The map I’d drawn-full of bookshops, old streets, and academy buildings-was still in

Stonehaven.

Right next to the old school pin and the shattered model.

I didn’t look back at Cillian.

The news of Cillian’s rejection in Solmere spread quickly through Stonehaven Pack.

But it didn’t spark much reflection.

Because in Northreach, something far worse had happened.