Chapter 78: Accused

Seraphine's POV

I turned. Vespera stood in the doorway. That fucking purple dress. That fake concerned expression.

"Are the children alright?" She pressed a hand to her chest. "Who would do something so terrible?"

Recognition slammed into me. The kitchen door. It had been cracked open when I returned. The baking pan moved. Those irregular bubbles.

You.

Rage exploded through my body. Hot. Blinding. Unstoppable.

"You." I took a step forward. "You fucking did this."

Vespera's eyes widened. Perfect innocence. "Excuse me?"

"You tampered with my bread. After we all left the house."

"Sera, this—" Evander started.

"She's lying!" I pointed at Vespera. "The door was open when I came back. The pan moved. The baking powder—"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Vespera's voice trembled slightly. Perfectly calculated. "I left the house after Kaelen and Lucian went outside. I swear I never touched anything."

"Bullshit!" I lunged forward.

My wolf surged. Gold light flashed in my vision. Vespera's eyes gleamed in response—then she stumbled backward, hands up defensively.

"Please!" Her voice cracked. "I don't know why you're attacking me!"

Then hands grabbed me. Cordelia. She yanked me back hard.

"Sera! Stop! This is a school!"

I struggled against her grip. Every muscle screamed to shift. To rip Vespera apart.

"She poisoned them!" My voice came out half-growl. "She deliberately—"

"You need to calm down." Cordelia's voice was firm. Scared. "The kids are still here. Don't make this worse."

Vespera pressed herself against the wall. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. Beautiful. Fragile. Wounded.

"I understand you're upset," she whispered, voice shaking. "But I didn't do anything. I promise."

She looked at Dr. Thorne, fear written across her face. "I just... I wanted to check on the children. That's all."

The fucking performance. Academy Award worthy.

"You bitch—"

"Sera!" Cordelia's grip tightened. "Please."

Voices approached from down the hall. Multiple footsteps. More people.

Fuck.

Three teachers rounded the corner. Two men, one woman. Their expressions shifted from concern to anger when they saw me—and Vespera cowering against the wall.

The older woman's eyes narrowed. "What's going on here?"

"Sera brought bread for the children," Evander explained quickly. "But something went wrong—"

"She made this?" The woman's voice went sharp. "She poisoned our children?"

"I didn't—" My voice cracked. "Someone tampered with—"

"She's blaming me." Vespera's voice was barely above a whisper. A tear slipped down her cheek. "She thinks I... but I would never hurt children. Never."

One of the male teachers moved protectively closer to Vespera. "Are you alright?"

She nodded weakly. "I'm fine. Just... scared."

"I don't know you," the other male teacher said to me, voice hard. "What pack are you from?"

"She's new to Shadowmere," Evander said. "Kaelen's—"

"New." The word came out like an accusation. The older woman crossed her arms. "So you don't know our ways. Our standards."

"That's not—" My throat closed up. "Please, someone broke into the kitchen. The door was open. The pan was moved—"

"She claims I did it." Vespera's voice broke. More tears. "But I really didn't do that."

The teachers' faces hardened. Looking at me like I was the monster.

"Those children have no one," the woman said coldly. "They've lost everything. And you brought them poisoned food."

"I didn't know!" Desperation made my voice crack. "I swear, someone tampered with it. The door was open when I came back. Someone was in there—"

"Enough." The woman's tone cut like ice. "Accusing others won't change what you did."

Vespera wiped her eyes delicately. "I'm sorry this happened. Truly. Maybe... maybe she just made an honest mistake?"

The generosity in her voice. The forgiveness. It made me want to vomit.

"I didn't make a mistake!" Tears spilled down my cheeks. "She's lying! She did this!"

"Stop." The male teacher's voice was harsh. "You're making this worse for yourself."

Nobody was listening. Their faces were stone. Vespera stood there looking like a victim. Like I was the villain.

Cordelia's arm wrapped around my shoulders. "I'm so sorry. She's so sorry. We'll take full responsibility for the medical costs. Everything."

She started pulling me toward the door. "Come on, Sera. We need to leave."

"But I didn't—" My legs wouldn't move. "Please, you have to listen—"

"Sera." Cordelia's voice held pain. "We're leaving. Now."

She practically dragged me into the hallway. My vision blurred with tears. The teachers' disgusted faces. Vespera's perfect wounded expression.

We reached the front door. Cold air hit my face.

Then I heard it.

Vespera's voice. Soft. Concerned. Floating down the hallway.

"I hope the children will be alright. Poor things..."

The sympathy. The care. All for show.

Cordelia's hand squeezed my shoulder. Hard. I looked at her through blurred vision.

Her amber eyes were steel. Determination written across every line of her face.

"Stay here," she said quietly. Not a request. An order.

Then she turned and walked back down the hallway. Straight toward Vespera.

The teachers parted slightly. Cordelia stopped in front of Vespera, close enough that their faces were inches apart.

"We will find out what really happened." Her voice was low. Deadly calm. "Every detail. Every timeline. Every witness."

Vespera's tears froze on her cheeks.

"And when we do," Cordelia continued, "when the truth comes out—and it will—there won't be anywhere for you to hide."

Silence stretched. Heavy. Suffocating.

Vespera's lips trembled. "I told you, I didn't—"

"Save it." Cordelia's tone could cut glass. "We're done here."

She turned on her heel and walked back to me. Grabbed my arm gently but firmly.

"Let's go."

---

The walk back was a blur. Cold air. Crunching snow. Cordelia's hand on my elbow, steadying me.

My mind kept replaying it. The kids' faces. Their pain. The teachers' disgust. Vespera's perfect performance.

The Moon Festival was fucking fantastic. Like my own public execution.

Day one: Playing some trashy country girl at the party, using an innocent guy who asked me to dance—humiliating him just to make that asshole claim me in front of everyone.

Day two: Poisoned orphans.

Great fucking start.

"Sera." Cordelia stopped walking. We'd reached a crossroads. "Are you okay?"

I almost laughed. "Do I look okay?"

"No." Her honesty hurt. "But I believe you. About Vespera."

"No one else does."

"Evander does. And we'll prove it."

I shook my head. Rowan's face flashed in my mind. The way he'd looked at me at the festival. Disappointed. Ashamed. Like I was something dirty he'd stepped in.

Now the teachers looked at me the same way. Like I was dangerous. Untrustworthy. Wrong.

"I don't belong here." The words came out flat. Empty. "I'll never belong here."

"Sera—"

"Thanks for trying." I pulled my arm free. "I need to be alone."

"Sera, please—"

"I'm fine." The lie tasted bitter. "I just need some time."

Cordelia's face crumpled. But she nodded slowly. "Okay. But if you need anything—"

"I know."

I turned away before she could see my face break completely.

---

The walk back to Kaelen's house felt endless. Every step heavier than the last.

I slipped in through a side door. Avoided the main areas. Took the back stairs.

My room. The one place I could hide.

I locked the door behind me. The click echoed too loud in the silence.

The bed looked untouched. Perfectly made. Like I'd never been there at all.

Maybe I shouldn't have been.

I sank onto the edge of the mattress. My whole body felt hollow. Scraped out. Empty.

"Maybe I really shouldn't leave this room."