Chapter 34 Liora The hallway to our dorm was quiet , too quiet . Late afternoon sunlight had dipped into a rainy night , the once long , golden streaks , replaced by suspended memories in the air . I tossed my braid over to my other shoulder , my clothes suddenly feeling too tight . I hadn't expected to see him , not really sure why Callum of all people would be waiting outside of my exam hall . The stone beneath my feet felt cool , even through my thin slip ons , and the faint scent of lemon polish lingered from whatever overworked staff member had been forced to scrub the floor for inspection earlier . I reached for the doorknob of my dorm room with a sigh already forming in my chest . At Homecoming , the results would be posted - names read aloud , futures sealed with nothing more than a thumbtack and a bulletin board later in the night . For everyone else , it would mean everything . For me , it was just a statement . Regardless , I already knew I passed , and showed up Callum's snooty parents . I wasn't being arrogant , I just knew what I wrote , and I knew it was better than most of the nobles who had snickered when I walked in . But knowing didn't make me feel triumphant . It didn't even make me feel relieved . It just made the ticking clock in my head louder . Because after Homecoming ... I wouldn't be here . No matter how many exams I passed , or how many time's I helped out the image of the wolfless , this version of life wasn't real . I pushed open the door and was immediately hit with an explosion of noise . " YOU'RE ALIVE ! " Mia shrieked . I blinked . " Barely . " She was already bouncing across the room , bare feet sliding across the polished floor , her inky hair a mess , cheeks flushed like she'd been waiting hours to ambush me . " I told you ! I told you , you'd crush that test ! You passed didn't you ! I mean , we don't know you passed , but you totally did ! I bet you did so well you'll qualify for the spring competition ! " She stopped in front of me , breathless . " Do you even understand how rare that is for someone not born into a bloodline ? " I raised a brow . " I don't think they hand out medals for statistical anomalies . " She groaned and shoved my shoulder . " Ugh , stop being humble and let me be excited for you . " I cracked the smallest smile . Just for her . 1/2 Chapter 34 +15 BONUS She didn't wait for a response before darting to her desk and pulling out a tiny box - worn , a bit dented on the side - and held it up like it was made of gold . " What's that ? " " A cake , " she said proudly . I stared at it . " That's a box . " She opened it with dramatic flair , revealing a lopsided chocolate lump barely holding together under a cracked layer of sugar glaze . A single , snapped - in - half candle was stabbed in the middle like a last- minute sword . Now I was smiling for real . " Did you mug a homeless bakery for this ? " " No , thank you , " she sniffed . " It's from the school shop . Don't be rude , I almost set off the fire alarm trying to light the candle . " " And the occasion ? " Mia's face softened . She set the box down on the windowsill , the orange light catching on the broken candle . " For you ," she said . " For everything you've done . For sticking up for wolfless kids like me . For surviving this hell of a school without letting them change you . You have no cue what that means for people like me , like us . You're strong , you're different when ... all I do is affirm the stereotypes . I just ... appricate you . " I looked at her , really looked at her . I couldn't understand why she talk about herself this way . Mia wasn't fragile . People thought she was , because she was small and quiet and was always absorbed in books too easily . But she had grit where it counted . She held people up when they couldn't hold themselves . I'd seen her take insults on the chin and then whisper something behind their backs like some witch casting a curse . But people like me , needed people like her . Every person , every role is meaningful and immeasurable . Chapter 35 4 :0 +15 BONUS Chapter 35