Chapter 177: the things he remembers

Chapter 177: The Things He Remembers

POV: Astrid Vale

I woke to Xander’s voice drifting through the apartment, aggrieved and carrying. "Nineteen toys. Nineteen. He looked at the last one like it owed him money."

"He has excellent judgment," Reed said from the kitchen.

"You’re sabotaging me. You’ve been whispering to him when I’m not looking."

"I haven’t said a word to the cat."

"That’s exactly what a saboteur would say."

I laughed into my pillow, and when I wandered out, Midnight sat on the counter beside Reed’s coffee, washing one paw with complete indifference to the drama he’d caused. Reed had his bag over his shoulder already, an early student council meeting waiting for him, and he crossed the room to kiss me goodbye, brief and warm.

"Me next," Xander said, stepping directly into his path.

"You’re not even leaving."

"Affection should be distributed fairly."

I kissed him anyway, grinning against his mouth. "You’re jealous of your own brother."

"I’m not jealous. I’m an advocate for fairness."

Reed shook his head and left, though I caught his smile before the door closed.

By the time Ivy and I reached Moonshade, the whole academy was buzzing about an upcoming mixed-pack social, organized to help Moonshade and Blackthorn students settle into the merged curriculum. Flyers covered every noticeboard, promising food stalls, games, and team challenges, with no formal ball in sight. Nobody would have to wear anything uncomfortable, which already made it my favorite event of the year.

"We should sign up together," Eliza said, catching up to us near the courtyard. "A team of three. We’ll be unstoppable."

"You’ve never been unstoppable at anything that isn’t homework," I said.

"I’m unstoppable at homework, so by extension I’m unstoppable."

I agreed, mostly because I wanted something ordinary, an afternoon with my friends that didn’t involve curses or kidnappers. Ivy said she’d join too, but she answered distractedly, and I noticed that whenever someone mentioned Roshan’s name in the crowd, her eyes flickered toward her phone.

During our break, it buzzed against the bench. She glanced at the screen and went completely still.

"Roshan?" I asked, keeping my voice mild.

"He wants to know if I have time to talk later." She stared at the message for what felt like a full minute before typing a reply with careful, slightly unsteady fingers. Then she looked up and saw my face. "Don’t say anything."

"I wasn’t going to."

"You were smiling."

"I’m allowed to smile. It’s a free country."

"Astrid."

"I’ll behave," I said. "I can’t promise it’ll be easy."

She groaned, but the nervousness in her expression was genuine, and I softened. Whatever this was, she clearly didn’t know what to do with it yet.

Later that afternoon, I crossed the courtyard and spotted Ivy standing near the fountain with Roshan. I didn’t stop to listen on purpose, but the wind carried enough of his voice that I couldn’t help noticing how quiet he was, none of his usual easy charm. He apologized for shutting her out that night and told her he’d started seeing someone about what had happened in Elaris.

"I’m glad," Ivy said. "But I’m not going to pretend one decision fixes everything."

"I wouldn’t expect you to." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Thank you for staying with me, even when I made it hard."

"You didn’t make it that hard."

"Ivy."

"Fine. You made it a little hard."

He almost smiled. "Little birdie," he said softly, and she turned her face away to hide her expression, though the corner of her mouth had already given her away.

I walked in the opposite direction before I could embarrass her, a grin pulling at my own mouth.

That evening, I told the twins about the social event while Midnight explored the couch cushions with grave concentration.

"Prizes?" Xander asked immediately. "Are there prizes? Because I intend to win every single competition."

"You can’t win every competition."

"Watch me."

Reed looked up from the schedule I’d shown him. "Is student council providing enough volunteers? Who’s handling the food stalls? Someone should check the fire regulations if there are open flames."

"You’ve turned a school picnic into a royal operation," I said.

"Preparation prevents disasters."

Xander slid closer to me on the couch. "Pick a competition we can enter together. A three-legged race. Something where I’m required to hold you."

"Astrid might want to spend time with her friends," Reed said, his voice calm. "Instead of being followed around by two overprotective princes."

Xander turned toward his brother with his hand pressed to his chest. "That’s a terrible thing to say."

"It’s a reasonable thing to say."

"You’re suggesting we might not accompany her everywhere?"

"I’m suggesting she’s allowed to have a day of her own."

I looked at Reed, grateful in a way I couldn’t quite put into words, and he gave me a small nod, as though he’d understood every unspoken thing behind it. Xander continued to protest dramatically for another ten minutes anyway, until Midnight climbed into his lap and fell asleep, which silenced him completely.

Later that night, I found Reed at the desk in his room, surrounded by council documents, a pen forgotten in his hand. He looked tired in a way he rarely allowed anyone to see.

I sat beside him. "Do you ever get tired of being responsible for everyone?"

He was quiet for a moment. "Yes," he admitted. "But I don’t know how to stop carrying the things that matter to me."

I gently took the papers from his hands and set them aside. "For the next few minutes, you’re not the student council president. You’re not a Lycan prince. You’re just Reed."

He let out a long breath, and some of the tension drained from his shoulders as he leaned into me. I rested my head against his arm, and we stayed like that, quiet and close, until the door creaked open.

"I see," Xander said from the doorway. "A private moment, and nobody invited me."

I opened my arms. "Come here."

He didn’t need to be asked twice. He dropped onto the bed beside us, flung one arm across both our shoulders, and complained quietly about being left out until Reed told him to be quiet.

For once, I didn’t think about my powers, or Elaris, or the unanswered questions about my mother. I only thought about the weight of two people pressed against me on either side, warm and steady and mine.