I turned my attention back to El and James. El was stretching beside me, her eyes darting towards me every few moments, filled with curiosity she couldn’t hide. James was nearby, his easygoing smile masking his watchful gaze.
"Okay, spill," El said, her voice low but insistent. She leaned closer, her eyes narrowing. "Why are the Shadow Brothers suddenly glued to your side like they're lost puppies? And don't give me the 'it's complicated' line again."
I sighed, rolling my shoulders as I tried to come up with something that wouldn’t sound insane. "It’s not as simple as you think. There are things happening... things that I can't explain. Not yet. But they’re helping me."
El raised an eyebrow, her expression torn between concern and skepticism. "Helping you? Thalia, these guys don’t help anyone unless there's something in it for them. So, what's their angle?"
James, who had been silently listening, finally spoke up, his tone lighter but probing. "Yeah, Thalia, you gotta admit—those three don’t do anything without a reason."
I hesitated, my gaze dropping to the grass. I didn’t entirely understand it myself. There was a connection—a pull—but how could I explain that without sounding like I had lost my mind? I looked back up at El, her eyes searching mine, and I forced a small smile.
"Can you guys just trust me when I say I need them? And they... they need me too?"
El’s expression softened a little, her lips pressing into a thin line. She sighed, shaking her head. "You always manage to get yourself into the strangest situations, Thalia." Her eyes flicked over to the brothers, lingering on Damon for a moment before she met my gaze again. "But if they step out of line, I'll roast them."
I couldn’t help but laugh, "I’ll hold you to that."
James smirked, shaking his head. "I can already see it—a fire witch taking on the Shadow Brothers. That’d be one hell of a show."
El grinned, the fire in her eyes unmistakable. "Oh, they wouldn’t know what hit them."
As we continued to stretch, the banter helped ease some of the weight I’d been carrying. The brothers—though distant today—were still a presence I couldn’t quite shake. My gaze drifted to where they stood, their eyes meeting mine across the field.
Whatever this was, whatever strange bond had formed between us, it made me feel whole. Maybe I should try to explain to them what I was feeling—but I also wanted to understand it better before risking embarrassment. Was it just my loneliness seeking comfort?
"So, are they taking you to the academy formal then?" El asked as we all stood up, her voice light but curious.
"Um, no, I haven't heard anything about it," I responded, glancing back to see Mira approaching the brothers. I felt my blood start to boil. El and James kept talking, but the pounding in my ears drowned them out.
Mira moved with her usual confidence, her gaze flicking to me briefly before focusing on the brothers. Her smile was all too sweet, and I could see her leaning in, trying to get their attention. The sight of her standing so close to them made something twist inside me—anger, jealousy, things I didn't want to acknowledge.
Watching Mira try to insert herself into their circle felt like a violation. Like she was trying to steal something precious. Something that wasmine, even though I knew it wasn't. It was irrational—crazy even—but I couldn’t help the way it made me feel. It wasn't like I had any claim on them.
El nudged me, her brow furrowed as she caught my distracted expression. "Thalia, you okay? You look like you're about to set something on fire."
I forced myself to take a deep breath, tearing my gaze away from Mira. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... annoyed, I guess."
El raised an eyebrow, a knowing smirk playing on her lips. "Annoyed, huh? Or maybe a little jealous?"
I shot her a glare, but the heat rising to my cheeks betrayed me. "No," I muttered, feeling like a child.
I rolled my eyes, "Can we not make this more complicated than it already is?"
Elara raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Complicated? Please, you’re making it complicated by pretending like you don’t care. It's written all over your face, Thalia."
I sighed, rubbing my temples. "I kissed Zarek, alright? Happy now?" The words slipped out before I could stop them.
"I KNEW IT!" She yelled, her grin widening, practically splitting her face in two. "James owes me lunch." I shot her a warning look, hoping she'd keep her voice down, but it was too late. Several heads turned our way, curious whispers already starting. This was exactly what I didn't want.
I groaned inwardly. Glancing back at the brothers, I prayed to whatever gods existed that they hadn't heard El's outburst. Damon had his arms crossed, a familiar scowl etched on his face, his gaze fixed on Mira with a look of barely concealed annoyance. He looked like he'd rather be anywhere else but here, which, honestly, was probably true. Zarek was smirking, clearly amused by whatever gossip Mira was spewing. And Nox.. Nox's eyes were locked on me, his expression unreadable but intense.
Great, just fucking great. Nox definitely heard.
"Come on," El said, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the training area. "Let's see if we can blow off some steam."
We made our way to the training mats, James following close behind. El kept throwing me questioning glances, but she didn’t press further, and I was grateful for that.
As El and I started sparring, the tension slowly began to fade, replaced by the physical exertion of the movement. James watched from the side, occasionally calling out pointers or teasing us when one of us made a mistake.
