Chapter 1

“I despise packing,” Jade groaned, collapsing onto the clothes scattered across her bed. She didn’t want to move another muscle.
“Just pick some outfits,” Benjamin chuckled, not looking up from the sketchpad on his lap. She tilted her head, glancing at him. He was sprawled against the headboard with one leg outstretched and the other bent, pencil smudges on his fingers from shading whatever he was working on.
“Easy for you to say,” she muttered. “You get to sit there looking all artistic while I run around trying to pack for a few months of boot camp.”
“Then my plan’s working perfectly,” he smirked, finally setting the sketchpad aside. She peeked over, curious about the drawing, only to find a self-portrait of him with strong cheekbones, crystal-clear eyes, and that familiar unruly hair threatening to spill over his forehead. But there was more. She saw the faint outline of her face next to his.
“What are you doing?” she asked, sitting up in surprise.
“Something for you to take to Crystal River,” he grinned. “You know, to show off to all the eighteen-year-olds.”
She rolled her eyes, even as she smiled. “I don’t date anyone younger than a hundred too immature.”
Benjamin grabbed her hand, pulling her against his chest. She giggled as her arms wrapped around him, feeling his steady heartbeat beneath her cheek.
“I’m going to miss you,” he whispered, his voice soft.
She tilted her head up to meet his gaze, memorizing his features. “I’m going to miss you too.” She kissed him lightly, already feeling the weight of the days ahead.
The last few months had been a blur since she woke from the coma. The Conclave had granted her time to recover before sending her to Crystal River, but now, after graduation, the day she dreaded had arrived. It felt impossible to say goodbye to him, even if it was for a few months.
“It’ll be fine,” he said, kissing her forehead. “You’ll be safe there, and that’s what matters.”
“I know, I just wish it wasn’t for so long.” She paused, glancing up at him. “Do you think you’ll find Skye soon?”
Benjamin’s smile faded. He hadn’t caught her yet, but he’d felt her presence in Georgia. Demons had come searching for Jade just last week, and though he had sent them away, they both knew it was only a matter of time before more came.
“I know where to look,” he reassured her. “She can’t run forever.”
“And... will you look for my mother too?”
His expression faltered. They’d had this conversation before. Aiden and Benjamin believed Skye had lied about her mother being alive, using it as a trick to distract Jade. But she couldn’t shake the gut feeling that her mother was out somewhere there.
“I’ll try,” he said quietly, though his eyes didn’t meet hers.
Jade let it go. She didn’t want to argue, not on their last night together. Instead, she inched closer to him, brushing her lips against his, savoring the feel of his cool skin against hers.
Then, a knock on the door interrupted them.
“Sorry to break this up,” Aiden’s voice called out, his figure appearing in the doorway, arms crossed and a smirk on his face. She sighed, pushing herself out of Benjamin’s embrace.
“Hi, Aiden,” she said, trying to fix her hair. As happy as she was to see him, his timing was terrible and his smug grin didn’t help.
“You’re almost ready to go,” Aiden teased, surveying the chaos of clothes and empty suitcases around the room. “If only we could teleport this mess to Crystal River.”
Jade tossed a pillow at him, which he dodged easily, raising his hands in surrender. “Okay, but seriously, what happened in here? It looks like a tornado hit.”
“This is how I pack,” she shrugged.
He snorted. “Sure, sure. You’ve got a real system going on here.”
She rolled her eyes, and Benjamin chuckled from the bed. Traitor, she thought, shooting him a look. His hair was still tousled from their make-out session, yet here he was siding with Aiden.
“I’ll be ready by tomorrow,” she insisted, even as Aiden’s doubtful gaze swept the room again. “It’s not like I’m meeting the Queen—”
“Is there a Seraphina queen?” she cut in, half-serious, eyes wide.
Aiden chuckled. “No, you doofus. Did you hit your head again?”
She huffed, grabbing a dress from the pile. She stared at it, debating whether she’d even need dresses there. After all, she wasn’t going there to date, she was going to learn how to fight.
“You’re overthinking it,” Aiden said, exasperated. “Just throw it in the suitcase.”
“That’s what I said,” Benjamin added.
Before she could argue, a car horn honked from outside. The gang was heading out for one last hurrah, which meant she could delay packing for a few more blissful hours.
“Time to go!” she chirped, racing out of the room before either boy could stop her. She slid into the passenger seat of Lacey’s car, with Aiden hopping into the back a minute later. Jade suspected Benjamin had slipped away, as usual, not wanting to disrupt the group dynamic.
“So, where to?” Jade asked, glancing around at her friends. Lacey, as usual, was in the driver’s seat, while the boys piled in the back.
“We’re going to Alex’s house,” she announced, shooting a look at Alex through the rearview mirror. “His parents are out of town, so we’ve got the place to ourselves.”
“And we decided to throw a rager!” Aiden cheered, high-fiving Sam.
Jade groaned. “Wait, you threw a party?”
“It wasn’t my idea,” Lacey said apologetically. “But c’mon, it’ll be fun. Let’s leave with a bang!”
Jade wasn’t thrilled by the idea of a full-blown high school party, but before she could protest, Lacey pulled into Alex's driveway and the party was already in full swing. Cars were parked on the lawn, headlights illuminating groups of people dancing on the grass. Jade felt strange walking toward the house she’d visited so many times before, now filled with classmates who felt like strangers.
“We barely know these people,” she whispered to Lacey.
“I know, but it’ll be fun,” she replied. “Besides, wouldn’t you rather be remembered as the ones who threw the best party after graduation than... you know, the coma girl?”
She grimaced, she hadn’t thought about it that way. After all, everyone still whispered about the mysterious attack that left her in a coma. Maybe going out with a bang wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
As they approached the porch, Aiden pointed toward the dance floor. “I see Julia Hunt,” he said, eyeing a petite girl with blonde hair.
Jade slapped his hand down. “Stop pointing.”
Aiden grinned mischievously. “I may or may not have already told her that Alex has a crush on her.”
She laughed as they watched Alex lead Julia to the dance floor, giving them a not-so-subtle thumbs-up.
“You’re quite the matchmaker.”
“I try,” Aiden said, but as he looked over at Jade his smile faltered, their faces were close, too close. She could feel the shift in the air and knew what was coming before he moved. She broke eye contact, pulling away slightly, and Aiden’s expression fell as he stepped back, giving her space.
“So,” she said, trying to break the tension, “what about you? Hazel’s still up for grabs if you want one last hurrah.”
Aiden grinned, brushing it off, but Jade could see the lingering pain. She wondered how long they could avoid this. He hadn’t been overt about his feelings, but moments like this made them hard to ignore.
“You excited for tomorrow?” he asked, changing the subject.
“Yeah... but I’m nervous too,” she admitted. “Being surrounded by Seraphina, it’s going to be... different.”
He smiled reassuringly. “Everyone’s gonna love you and my little brother can’t wait to meet you. He thinks you’re a shiny new toy.”
She smiled at the thought of a mini version of Aiden, running around with endless energy.
“And the Conclave’s not as bad as it sounds. You’ll be fine, I promise.”
Before she could respond, Aiden’s expression suddenly changed. His body tensed, his eyes narrowing at something behind her. “Lover boy’s here.”
She turned to see Benjamin weaving through the crowd, his eyes standing out against the darkness. She suppressed a smile and turned back to Aiden, silently promising she wouldn’t ditch him for her boyfriend.
“I’ll leave you two alone,” he said, pushing away from the railing.
“Aiden, stay,” she called after him. “I want to hang out with both of you.”
He shrugged as if to say that wasn’t possible and started to walk away. She heard the porch steps creak as Benjamin approached, his face grim.
“We need to talk,” he said urgently.
Aiden stopped. “What’s going on?”
“Privately,” he replied, glancing around. “Let’s go inside.”
Aiden unlocked the door, and the three slipped into the dark kitchen, leaving the party’s noise behind. The silence inside felt heavy, almost suffocating.
“What’s happening?” she asked, her voice tight.
Benjamin’s eyes met hers, a sadness lingering in them. “You and Aiden need to leave... Now. I packed your stuff and brought his car.”
Jade’s heart dropped. “What do you mean?”
“They’re here,” Aiden said, understanding immediately. “Demons.”
Benjamin nodded. “The horde I sent away are back. We have five, maybe ten minutes before they tear this place apart.”
She jumped off the counter. “We can’t just leave everyone here!”
“We need a plan,” Aiden said, stepping forward.
“No. You and Jade need to go,” Benjamin insisted. “I’ll lead them away, make them think you have already left.”
“You can’t do this alone,” she protested, her hand reaching for his. “We can fight them together.”
He shook his head. “It’s too dangerous.”
Aiden grabbed her hand. “He’s right we need to leave. Now.”
She glared at him. “It’s not like you wouldn’t gladly watch him die,” she spat, immediately regretting the words. He flinched but said nothing.
“This isn’t about that,” he said quietly. “It’s the best way to keep everyone safe.”
He started pulling her toward the door, but Jade tugged free, turning back to Benjamin. He stood in the shadows, his face unreadable. She knew this might be goodbye Aiden disappeared outside, leaving them alone.
Benjamin crossed the room in an instant, cupping her face gently. “It’s going to be alright,” he whispered, though neither believed it.
“I love you,” she whispered, pressing her forehead against his.
Their kiss was soft, but filled with urgency. Benjamin held her tightly, as if letting go meant losing her forever. When they finally broke apart, his expression had changed. He gave her one last look, memorizing her face, before he vanished into the night.
And she was left alone, holding nothing but the air.