Chapter 1

When we were children, Asher Blake, our three other friends, and I cast the Everlasting Bond Spell, swearing we'd never be separated.

We'd been inseparable ever since. They'd never once made me feel alone, and I thought nothing would ever change that.

Then Sera Ellis, my adoptive parents' long-lost daughter, came home.

At my birthday celebration, she asked about our plans after graduation.

To my surprise, all four boys presented acceptance contracts from the Nocturne Sanctum.

"Come with us, Lydia," Asher said. "We promised we'd always stay together."

So I signed my five-year contract in blood. That night, Asher even accepted my confession of love.

Three days later, I went to Asher's house to discuss our preparations for the Sanctum, only to find their private group chat projected onto the living room wall.

Did Lydia sign?

Yep. Four fake contracts got her out of Ravenwood for five years.

Now Sera can finally have us all to herself.

Asher's stuck pretending to be her boyfriend until she leaves.

They were all going to Blackwood Academy with Sera.

I'd trusted those boys with my life. Apparently, that meant nothing.

What they didn't know was that I'd accepted the Sanctum's offer of early admission.

In forty-eight hours, I would leave Ravenwood. Once I entered the Sanctum, its mandatory cleansing ritual would strip away every binding spell I'd ever carried, and its ancient wards would cut off all contact with the outside world.

Including the four invisible chains that had connected us since childhood.

They'd gone to so much trouble to push me out of their lives.

Soon, they would finally get what they wished for.

...

Footsteps sounded behind me.

I turned to find Asher and the others standing in the doorway, with Sera between them.

They were carrying bottles of bloodwine, no doubt meant to celebrate their acceptance into Blackwood Academy.

All five froze when they saw the messages projected on the wall.

Asher was the first to break the silence.

"Since you've seen the messages, there's no point pretending anymore."

He set the bloodwine on the counter, looking remarkably calm for someone whose lies had just been exposed.

"Sera's only recently come home. She's still struggling to control her bloodlust, and she wouldn't survive the Sanctum's training. You've always been tougher, Lydia. You'll be fine on your own."

Sera tugged at his sleeve, her eyes filling with tears. "Asher, please..."

I didn't cry. Instead, I pointed at the messages still projected on the wall.

"Who made the fake acceptance contracts?"

"Lucien forged the seals. I arranged everything else," Asher admitted.

"And whose idea was it to bring up our plans at my birthday party?"

Sera lowered her gaze.

Rowan immediately stepped in front of her. "We all agreed to it. Stop trying to pin everything on Sera."

I looked back at Asher. "And agreeing to be my boyfriend? Was that part of the plan too?"

His jaw tightened.

"You wouldn't have signed if you thought we were going to be apart. You made that pretty clear."

He said it as though deceiving me had been the only reasonable option.

Sera suddenly reached for Lucien's phone.

"This is my fault. I'll contact the Sanctum and ask if I can take Lydia's place. You guys can stay at Blackwood."

All four boys surrounded her.

"Don't be ridiculous," Rowan snapped, taking the phone away. "You've already accepted Blackwood's offer."

"But what about Lydia?" Sera whispered. "She'll be all alone up there."

Asher pulled out a tissue and gently wiped her cheeks.

"Lydia's always been independent. You haven't even fully recovered since coming home. The Sanctum would be too dangerous for you."

I watched him comfort her.

So that was the difference.

They couldn't bear the thought of Sera suffering, but sending me away for five years was perfectly acceptable.

Lucien adjusted his glasses.

"The way we handled this wasn't ideal, but everyone's getting what they want. You get to study magic at the Sanctum, and we get to stay at Blackwood with Sera. Nobody's losing anything."

I gave a humorless laugh. "Should I thank you, then?"

Rowan frowned. "You wanted to go, didn't you? The Sanctum invited you twice. We just helped you make the decision."

That was the worst part. He wasn't entirely wrong.

I'd dreamed of studying at the Nocturne Sanctum since I first learned to cast spells. Its ancient libraries and powerful instructors offered opportunities no ordinary vampire academy could match.

But I'd turned down both invitations.

Because leaving meant spending five years away from the four people I loved most.

Nine years ago, we'd cast the Everlasting Bond Spell together. Four invisible crimson chains had connected my wrist to theirs ever since.

Back then, they'd promised we'd never be separated.

I'd believed them enough to build my future around that promise.

Now none of it seemed worth explaining.

I picked up my Sanctum acceptance letter.

Asher caught my arm. "Where are you going?"

"Home."

"And what about us?"

I looked at him. "What about us?"

His expression hardened.

"Don't be dramatic, Lydia. Yes, I agreed to date you so you'd sign. But that doesn't mean everything was fake. I'll still be your boyfriend until you leave. Maybe I'll even visit when the Sanctum allows it."

He paused.

"You've wanted this for years. I gave you what you asked for."

Apparently, a few weeks of pretending to love me were supposed to make up for five years of betrayal.

Sera spoke softly from behind him.

"Asher really does care about you, Lydia. Remember your birthday? He covered you with a blanket after you fell asleep."

I almost laughed.

He'd tricked me into an irreversible contract, but he'd also brought me a blanket.

How thoughtful.

"I hope you five are very happy together."

I unclasped the dark red crystal pendant Asher had given me years ago and placed it in front of Sera.

She'd mentioned wanting something that represented our childhood.

"Here. You can have this too."

Sera stared at it without reaching out.

Asher's eyebrows drew together.

"What's gotten into you? You're the one who always said the five of us would stay together forever."

My gaze dropped to the faint crimson chains around my wrist.

"That was before."

I turned and walked out.

My phone buzzed as I reached the driveway.

A message from the Sanctum's admissions office appeared on the screen.

Your transport will arrive in Ravenwood in forty-eight hours. Please confirm whether you wish to begin your training early.

Asher had never seriously considered entering the Sanctum. He probably had no idea that every new student had to undergo a cleansing ritual, much less what that ritual would do to our childhood spell.

I pressed Confirm.

For once, I was the one choosing to leave them behind.