Starlight Court

5- Skin of Glass

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Three weeks later and my eyes struggle to stay on the professor before me. His jaw dusted with stubble, hair graying and eyes squinted as he drones on about the importance of storing scrolls. Sleep had been a fleeting task ever since we returned from the Stellar Plains, the daunting news that there was something dark lurking within our kingdom, keeping me on high alert which meant almost no sleep since then.

My head feels like a bag of rocks about to fall over, when Mr. Abascus stops, his hands clapping excitedly. "Class, I would also like to introduce a new student, their village had been destroyed during The Fall, so they have transferred to finish their final year here."

A man walks in and suddenly I'm wide awake. His head is topped with rings of starlight. Curling hair so blonde it's blinding to look at. His eyes of frost crinkle at the edges ashe gives us a small wave, his pink lips curling into a smile. He's breathtakingly beautfiul and my mouth dries at the sight of him. 

"Hello," he says, voice like honey, dripping and coating every part of my being, "I'm Adonis, As Mr. Abascus said, I'll be finishing my final year here." The class is silent, all of us swooning over the ethereal being that stands before us. Even the guys' jaws are slackened in shock. 

"He's not real," someone whispers next me.

"He must be a test," another whispers, "no one looks that good."

I glare at them, clearly uncaring that Adonis can hear them as well. My thoughts are confirmed when I see his cheeks tinge pink as he scratches the back of his neck. 

He makes way down the aisle, sitting at the empty desk behind me and suddenly I am all to aware of his presence. It radiates with energy that makes the hair on my arms stand on end. 

The rest of the period is spent trying to hyperfocus on properties of matter that can damage the special paper we write our spells on, the topic suddenly interesting as I try not to look at the god that sits behind me. 

When the class is finally dismissed, I rush to pack up my things but I am stopped before I reach the door. I turn around quickly, the hand on my shoulder falls limply to Adonis's side. He looks nervous but determind. "Hey, you're the King's daughter, right?" 

I stare at him, wondering how he could have possibly known that. He holds his hands out in defense, "No, no, not like, in a creepy way or anything," he says quickly, "I saw the emblem on your jacket, the royal symbol." 

I glance down and find that there it was above my left breastbone sat my family's emblem. A blooming night lily. It's leaves round and plump with sharp leaves jutting between intersection. The gold shone in the morning light and I subconsciously run my finger along it. "Oh, yeah. Yeah, I am, I'm Lyra," I saw quietly. 

He holds out his hand, "Nice to meet you, I think the canteen is open around this time and was going to ask if you could point me in the right direction?"

I don't take his hand and point my head to the door. I walk away from him as he scrambles to catch up. We walk in silence, bodies of bristling students surrounding us as we make our way to the smell of food that wafts down the hall. 

The canteen itself sits in a garden tucked away at the back of the college. Wide double doors are propped open, leading into the space. The air today is hot and wet, my clothes sticking to my skin and my forehead instantly pricking with sweat. Warm weather seemed to be coming a lot sooner than anticipated, the sun now sitting out for longer hours and the night air warm and stale. I lead Adonis to the main portion of the canteen, large plumes of greenery shelter a few of the tables, vines wrapping around the pillars that support the half tent where meals are cooked. Flowers of all colors dance among the vines, warping into a rainbow as they prepare for bloom.