Chapter 6: Secrets in the Stacks

I must've dozed off for about an hour before Maya's voice pierced through my exhaustion.

"Holy stars, Lyra! We have Classical Elements in fifteen minutes!"

I bolted upright, head spinning. The journal lay open on my chest—stupid, careless mistake. I shoved it under my pillow while Maya rummaged through her trunk, tossing me a fresh uniform.

"Thanks," I mumbled, stumbling to the bathroom. My reflection looked about as rough as I felt—dark circles under my eyes, hair a mess, and was that... yep, a cobweb from the tower stuck to my sleeve. Great.

"Here." Maya pressed a small vial into my hand while I struggled with my tie. The liquid inside sparkled like liquid sunlight. "My own recipe. Better than coffee."

I hesitated. Taking mystery potions from someone I'd just met probably wasn't smart, but then again, I'd already followed a suspicious boy up a tower in the middle of the night. My life choices weren't exactly stellar lately.

The potion tasted like summer sunshine and mint. Instantly, the fog in my brain cleared.

"That's amazing," I said, actually meaning it. "What's in it?"

"Distilled dawn light, frost beetle wings, and a few other things." Maya grinned. "I call it Morning Glory. Been tweaking the recipe since third year. Come on, we're gonna be late!"

We rushed through the halls, joining the stream of students heading to class. The Academy was like a living thing in the morning—staircases shifting, portraits gossiping, and was that suit of armor doing yoga?

Classical Elements was on the first floor, taught by Professor Roth, a tiny woman with flame-red hair that actually flickered like real fire. I tried to focus as she explained the basics of elemental manipulation, but my mind kept drifting to my mother's journal. To Caspian's warnings. To Professor Vale's mysterious conversation in the tower.

"Miss Nightshade?"

I snapped to attention. Professor Roth was holding out a crystal sphere.

"Would you demonstrate a simple light charm for us?"

Simple. Right. Just focus on regular magic, not the starlight trying to burst through my skin.

I took the crystal, aware of everyone watching. Just a basic light charm. The kind any first-year could do. The pendant felt warm against my chest as I whispered the incantation.

A soft, normal white light filled the crystal. Perfect. Totally ordinary.

Then Maya sneezed, making me jump. For a split second, my concentration slipped.

Stars erupted inside the crystal, forming tiny constellations before I could snatch my power back. The light returned to normal, but I saw Professor Roth's eyes narrow.

"Interesting technique," she said slowly. "See me after class."

My heart sank. Next to me, Maya whispered, "That was so cool! How did you do that effect with the stars?"

"Just... got creative," I muttered, sinking lower in my seat.

The rest of class passed in a blur of anxiety. When the bell rang, Maya gave me a sympathetic pat before heading to Advanced Potions, leaving me alone with Professor Roth.

She waited until everyone left before speaking. "That was quite impressive, Miss Nightshade. Most students can't manage stellar manifestation until third year, if at all."

"I... I didn't mean to—"

"Relax." She smiled, and her hair flickered brighter. "I'm not going to report you. In fact, I think you should consider joining my advanced study group. We meet Thursday evenings to explore... alternative applications of magic."

Something in her tone made me pause. "Alternative how?"

"Let's just say we focus on magic that the Council doesn't necessarily... approve of." She lowered her voice. "Your mother was in my study group, you know."

I stared at her. "You knew my mother?"

"Aurora was one of my best students." Professor Roth's expression softened. "She had a gift similar to yours. Though she was better at hiding it."

A thousand questions burned in my throat, but movement in the hallway caught my eye. Professor Vale was walking past, peering into classrooms.

"I... I have to get to my next class," I said quickly.

Professor Roth nodded. "Think about the study group. And Lyra? Be careful who you trust here."

I practically ran to my next class, mind reeling. My mother's name was Aurora. She'd been here, learned here, hidden her powers here just like I was trying to do.

The morning passed in a daze. By lunch, I had a pounding headache that even Maya's potion couldn't touch. Instead of heading to the dining hall, I made my way to the library.

The restricted section was cordoned off by a shimmering barrier, but Caspian's key seemed to dissolve a portion of it when I got close. I slipped through, heart pounding.

"You're late."

I jumped. Caspian emerged from behind a bookshelf, holding an ancient tome.

"Sorry, I was—"

"Being recruited by Professor Roth?" He set the book down on a dusty table. "Good. We can use that."

"Use what? And how did you know?"

"I know everything that happens in this school." He opened the book to a marked page. "Roth's study group is a cover for something bigger. Something your mother was involved in."

I moved closer to see the page. It showed a detailed diagram of what looked like a crown, but the gems were actually tiny focal points for stellar energy.

"The Astral Crown," Caspian explained. "When it manifests physically, it needs a bearer. Someone who can channel raw stellar power without burning up. A Star-touched."

"Like me," I whispered.

"Like you. But you're not the only one who wants that power." He turned another page, revealing a map of ley lines that crisscrossed the Academy grounds. "The Council thinks they can use the Crown to break down the celestial barriers. Roth's group wants to destroy it completely. And there are others..."

A book fell from a nearby shelf. We both froze.

"We're not alone," Caspian muttered.

Before I could respond, he grabbed my arm and pulled me behind a bookshelf. We pressed against the ancient books as footsteps approached.

"...must be here somewhere," a familiar voice said. Professor Vale.

"The girl has it," another voice responded—male, ancient-sounding. "The journal contains everything. Once she decodes it..."

They were getting closer. Caspian's hand tightened on my arm. The pendant grew cold as ice.

Then, from somewhere in the library, came the sound of breaking glass. The footsteps hurried away.

"Maya," I breathed. "That has to be her. She promised to cause a distraction if I wasn't at lunch."

Caspian raised an eyebrow. "You told your roommate?"

"No, but she's smarter than you think." I pulled away from him. "What do they want with my mother's journal?"

"The same thing everyone wants—the location of the Crown's manifestation point." He ran a hand through his starlight hair. "You need to decode that journal before they find a way to take it from you. And Lyra?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't trust Roth. Your mother made that mistake." He pressed another piece of paper into my hand. "Meet me at midnight again. And bring the journal."

I left the library clutching the paper, mind spinning. In my next class, Advanced Theoretical Magic, I finally looked at what Caspian had given me.

It was a page from my mother's research, showing a familiar constellation. But this time, there was a note in the margin in English:

"The Crown appears at the convergence point of stellar and earthly ley lines. But the price of its power is higher than anyone knows. Lyra, if you're reading this, remember: the stars chose you for a reason. Just not the reason they think."

My mother's handwriting. My mother's words.

The pendant hummed against my chest, and outside the classroom window, a star pulsed in broad daylight.

I was starting to think being chosen by the stars wasn't a gift at all.

It was a curse.