Chapter 6. Captain?

Calista’s POV

“It’s not like I’m behaving the way you do,” Draven scoffed, his voice dripping with derision. His gaze, heavy with indifference, bore into me as though the conversation was beneath him. Humiliation washed over me in a relentless tide.

“That’s enough,” Zane interjected, his tone devoid of any interest. He strode toward me, his jaw set in a rigid line. “Go to your room. They are already prepared. My sister mentioned tomorrow is the first day of your classes.” Despite the low and stiff quality of his voice, there was a hint of warmth that I appreciated, breaking the tension that had settled like a thick fog.

I smiled, conveying the words I couldn’t voice through a gaze, but when my eyes inadvertently met Cedric’s, my heart began to beat in an unsettling rhythm. I wished it were butterflies; perhaps it was, or maybe just sheer embarrassment.

“Thanks,” I murmured, running my fingers through my disheveled, damp hair. I lowered my gaze, feeling