Chapter 98-Called out (3)

Chapter 98: 98-Called out (3)

"Or is it only because she’s Maisa?"

Maisa’s chest tightened. For once, she had no argument against the questions Kriza raised because beneath the jealousy, beneath the cruelty, beneath all the things Kriza had done, there was something Maisa couldn’t simply dismiss.

Kriza had been watching, had seen everything change, and perhaps what frightened her most wasn’t Maisa herself.

It was the possibility that Maisa had proven the rules could change because if they could change for one redblood... then what did that say about all the people who had spent their entire lives suffering beneath them?

She pointed toward Maisa. "A redblood who has been here for barely two weeks."

Maisa’s fingers curled against her skirt. All eyes fell on her, and aside from her mates and the professors, everyone else’s eyes held malice.

"She doesn’t even know our rules properly," Kriza’s voice cracked. "She doesn’t know our history. She doesn’t know our bloodlines. She doesn’t know what we’ve sacrificed to get where we are. Yet, somehow, everyone keeps making exceptions for her."

No one interrupted her, the students cheered her on in their hearts and even the professors felt like that topic should be addressed once and for all. Why was Maisa so special?

"She became important overnight," Kriza laughed bitterly. "And I couldn’t understand why."

Varitreya’s expression remained unreadable. "So you decided to remove her from the equation?"

Kriza lowered her eyes. "Yes."

Sophia whispered, "Kriza..."

"No." Kriza shook her head. "I’m done lying."

She looked toward Maisa. "I wanted you gone. I hate that everything I bleed for... you get without lifting a finger."

Maisa held her gaze. The hatred she found in those eyes was enough to chill her all the way to the bone.

"I thought if you disappeared, everything would go back to normal."

"Nothing about that was normal," Professor Primrose said sharply. "Instead, you’ve brought trouble down on yourself."

Kriza flinched. "I know... I know," For the first time, genuine remorse entered her voice. "I know now. How can I not with all this pressure coming down at me?"

Jane stepped forward. "I didn’t want her to get hurt."

Maisa looked at her. Jane’s eyes immediately dropped with guilt. "I thought we were just scaring her," she admitted. "Kriza said the forest would teach her a lesson. Sophia said she’d be waiting near the border."

Lumi’s expression twisted. "You knew?"

Sophia shook her head desperately. "I knew they wanted to scare her. I didn’t know they’d actually leave her there."

"And you still went along with it."

Sophia’s eyes filled with tears. "I was angry."

"At me?"

Sophia hesitated. "Yes, at you. I am your best friend and yet... yet... she seems to mean more yo you than me. So, yes. I am angry at you and at everything."

Lumi stared at her. "Then you should have spoken to me."

"I was afraid you’d choose her."

The confession seemed to hurt Lumi more than anything else. "Choose her?"

Sophia’s voice broke. "Ever since she arrived, you barely look at anyone else. You sit with her... you walk with her... you defend her. You even..." she stopped. Her eyes flickered toward Maisa.

Lumi understood. "You were jealous of her."

Sophia said nothing. At this point, her jealousy was obvious that there was no denying it.

Lumi closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them, the fury was still there, but now it was mixed with heartbreak. "You endangered someone’s life because you were jealous."

Sophia couldn’t answer.

Professor Primrose stepped forward before the argument could deteriorate further. "Enough."

Her voice carried across the entire garden. Every student straightened. "This is no longer a disagreement between classmates. This is a violation of one of the most serious protections in vampire law."

Her gaze moved between the three girls. "The Dark Forest is not a playground. It is not a place to settle grudges. It is not a place to teach someone a lesson."

She paused. "It is a prison. The nation’s prison," she let out. The weight of the word settled over everyone. "And you deliberately sent a newly turned vampire into it."

Maisa lowered her eyes. Newly turned, the phrase still felt strange when applied to her. She remembered entering that forest without her speed, without her heightened senses, without the strange bond that had become such a huge part of her existence. She remembered realizing that she was powerless and thinking she might never leave.

Her stomach tightened, and then she felt warmth beside her. Zolani had moved closer. She didn’t say anything and simply slipped her hand into Maisa’s.

Maisa looked down at their joined hands. For some reason, that small gesture nearly broke her.

Varitreya noticed. Her eyes briefly fell to their hands before returning to Kriza, Sophia, and Jane.

"You will answer for what you’ve done," she said. She didn’t address all the grievances that Kriza raised. "Each one of you will face punishment."

Kriza swallowed. "What punishment?"

Professor Primrose looked toward Varitreya. The princess didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she glanced at Maisa.

Maisa felt every eye in the garden turn toward her again, but this time, she didn’t feel like an exhibit. She felt like someone whose voice mattered, and that scared her.

Varitreya finally spoke. "The matter will be formally reported to the Blood Council."

The three girls visibly paled.

"And until their ruling," Varitreya continued, "none of you will leave Old Scaris without supervision."

Kriza’s face fell, Sophia looked devastated, and Jane simply stood frozen.

Varitreya added quietly, "And there will be no retaliation against Maisa," her eyes swept across the students. "Not from you, not from your friends and not from anyone else."

The warning was unmistakable. Maisa looked at her. For a heartbeat, their eyes met. Something warm moved through the flower beneath Maisa’s chest. It felt dangerously close to reassurance.

Varitreya looked away first. ’I hope I’ve done the right thing.’

Professor Primrose dismissed the students, instructing them to remain in groups and return to the hotel before the evening route resumed.

The garden slowly came alive again. Students began whispering, though their voices were considerably quieter now.

Maisa remained where she was, Zolani still held her hand, and Lumi stood a few feet away, staring at Sophia with an expression Maisa couldn’t decipher.

"Wait!" Addessa’s voice broke through the crowd.

Everyone turned to look at her. She looked at Maisa and smirked. Her smile was sinister and it made Maisa’s heart sink. She didn’t like that look or the smile, she had a feeling that Addessa was out to get her.

Addessa turned towards the princess and bowed respectfully. "I, Addessa Challan, request a blood trial punishment for this crime for the culprits namely; Kriza, Sophia, Jane..."

Everyone drew sharp breaths. Maisa looked around, not knowing what that was or why everyone was so shocked.

"And for... Maisa Loven!"

Varitreya, Lumi, and Zolani felt their hearts stop beating. They glanced at Addessa, too shocked to react.

Maisa gulped. ’What had she done? Why was Addessa dragging her into the punishment? And what the hell was a blood trial?’