Chapter 39

As the school year resumed in full swing and the pressure of dealing with Silas and his assassins seemed to fade temporarily into the background, life at school became somewhat normal again for Alex and Samira. Although their return had been marked with whispers and rumors after the mysterious absence, they were slowly settling back into a routine. For Samira, however, something unexpected was about to turn her world upside down—something that had nothing to do with amulets, powers, or deadly enemies. It was about someone new.

It all started one afternoon in the school library. Samira had volunteered to help with organizing books as part of the school’s community service program. Alex was out training with Lila, and for once, she had a chance to focus on herself. As she scanned the spines of dusty novels, pulling down a few to shelve, she caught sight of a figure a few rows down, absorbed in a thick book.

At first glance, she didn’t pay much attention to the person. But when she lean