Chapter 14 · Bird in a Gilded Cage

"You’re not the one calling the shots today, Nora."

Sera’s voice was a low drawl, dripping with a smugness that made my skin itch. She didn’t even look at me. She was leaning against the locker, arms crossed, blocking the only exit from the training wing’s changing room.

I stepped forward, the heels of my boots clicking sharply on the tile. "Move. Now. Before I decide that your 'assistant' contract includes twenty hours of manual labor in the archives."

Sera finally looked up. Her eyes scanned me—not with admiration, but like she was dissecting a specimen. "The golden girl is losing her patience. Cute. Tell me, does the mask slip when you're alone, or do you keep the fake smile glued on even when you're scrubbing the floors?"

I didn't answer. I reached for the locker handle behind her, but she shifted, her shoulder slamming into my chest. It wasn't a hard hit, but it was a claim. A reminder that she knew exactly who I was behind the light.

"Get out of my way," I hissed, my voice dropping an octave.

"Make me," she whispered.

I didn't think.