6. Court, Clashes and Complications

By the time 4:30 rolled around, I was nervously double-checking my sneakers like they were the key to survival.

Freya, of course, looked amazing. She had tied her fiery hair into a sleek high ponytail, paired a fitted black tank with navy basketball shorts, and somehow managed to look both sporty and cool.

"Are you sure I don't look ridiculous?" I asked, tugging at the hem of my old Braywick High basketball jersey. It was faded, a little too big, but it was the only thing I had.

Freya gave me a once-over and smirked. "Nope. You look badass. Like the underdog in one of those sports movies who secretly wipes the floor with everyone."

"Great," I said, rolling my eyes but secretly smiling.

The campus had taken on a warm golden glow as the sun started its slow descent, turning the buildings of Moonveil into a postcard-perfect scene.

Freya and I followed the cobblestone path toward the East Gym, our sneakers tapping softly against the ground.

I was busy mentally prepping myself for basketball when Freya suddenly stopped dead in her tracks.

"What's wrong?" I asked, stopping beside her.

She looked like she'd seen a ghost. Her blue eyes widened. "Oh. My. God."

My heart sank. "What?"

She slowly raised a finger, pointing toward the basketball court ahead.

I followed her gaze and froze.

Standing near the edge of the court were them.

The heirs.

Lucian. Elias. Rowan.

Lucian stood out immediately, his white hair practically glowing in the late-afternoon light. His purple eyes, yeah, the ones I still thought had to be contacts, were locked on me.

Rowan, all golden-blonde hair and piercing green eyes, leaned casually against the wall, chatting with someone, but his gaze flicked to me as if he'd sensed my approach.

Elias, the one with messy brown hair and those thoughtful hazel eyes, was dribbling a ball with practiced ease, but even he looked up when we got closer.

"Should I… turn back?" I asked under my breath, my voice barely above a whisper.

Freya visibly shuddered. "God, I hate that they're here. Why are they here?"

"That's not really an answer," I hissed.

She let out a sharp sigh, squared her shoulders, and grabbed my wrist. Her hand was slightly trembling. "Nope. We're not turning back. You're going to crush it out there, and if they don't like it, too bad."

I swallowed hard. "You sure?"

"Yup," she said, though her voice wavered just slightly. "Let's go."

As we stepped closer to the court, Kai waved wildly from the far side. "Finally! There's my star player!"

"Star player?" I muttered, squinting at him. "I've barely gotten on the court yet."

Kai grinned as we walked up. "Freya, Maeve, you're just on time. We're running warm-ups."

His grin widened when he caught sight of my nervous glance toward the heirs. "Ignore them," he said under his breath. "They're just here to watch. Or glare. It's hard to tell with those guys."

"Watch me crash and burn, more like," I sighed.

Freya smirked nervously. "Or watch you dunk on them."

I snorted. "Yeah, sure—"

But before I could say anything else, Lucian tilted his head slightly, his eyes never leaving me. A dangerous, sharp smile curved his lips, like he was already enjoying the idea of watching me fail.

Oh, no. No way was I going to give him that satisfaction.

The game started light, just a few of us males and females practicing layups and passes. Kai threw me a ball. "You ready, Sinclair?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," I said, trying to sound confident.

The court wasn't packed, but enough students lingered around the sidelines that I felt the weight of their stares.

A group of girls were whispering and giggling, clearly amused by the fact that a scholarship girl had dared to show up on the court.

I gripped the ball tighter. Fine. Let them watch.

Freya gave me a quick nod of encouragement from across the court. "You've got this!"

The first dunk came almost by accident.

I cut across the left side of the court, dodging past two players, and before I knew it, my muscle memory kicked in. With a sharp jump, I slammed the ball into the hoop. It wasn't perfect, but it was loud, satisfying, and apparently impressive enough to make a few people clap.

"Whoa!" Kai laughed, his eyes wide. "Did you see that? Maeve freaking Sinclair just dunked on you guys!"

I grinned, adrenaline rushing through me. Maybe I could do this after all.

The second dunk was intentional.

This time, I moved faster, weaving between players with quick, precise steps before leaping up again and scoring. A ripple of applause and murmurs moved through the crowd, and I couldn't help the small swell of pride in my chest.

Of course, that's when the heirs decided to join.

Lucian walked onto the court first, tossing a ball up and catching it with one hand like he owned gravity.

Elias followed, stretching his arms lazily but with a glint in his eyes that said game on. Rowan was last, his smirk almost playful as he dribbled his ball.

"So, the scholarship girl thinks she can play. Does she think she can handle us, Kai?" Rowan asked, his voice smooth and teasing.

Kai shot me a look. "You in?"

I hesitated for half a second, then nodded. "I'm in."

The game turned intense fast.

Lucian's style was aggressive and sharp, like he was trying to prove something with every move.

He blocked one of my shots with such precision that I almost lost my balance.

Elias was graceful, almost too smooth, sliding past players like water.

Rowan, though, Rowan was tricky. He played like he was studying me, testing my moves.

But I didn't back down.

I dribbled past Elias, faked a pass, and took a shot that swished through the net. There was a brief moment of stunned silence before someone clapped.

"Damn, Sinclair," Kai yelled from the sidelines. "Where've you been hiding those skills?"

Then it happened.

I went for another drive, cutting across the court, but my sneaker slipped on the polished floor. I lost balance and crashed straight into Elias.

"Whoa!" I gasped, steadying myself as I half-fell against his chest. I pushed off him instantly, my face flaming.

Elias looked down at me, his hazel eyes narrowing. "If you're this clumsy, you don't belong on this court. Go sit on the sidelines where you won't mess up," he said flatly, like it was a fact and not an insult.

"Excuse me?" I blurted, my embarrassment boiling into irritation.

Rowan laughed, low and amused. "Harsh, Elias. Maybe give her a chance to stand before you destroy her confidence?"

"Not my problem if she can't keep up," Elias said, stepping past me like I was in his way.

Something in me snapped. "Keep watching," I muttered under my breath.

The next time I got the ball, I drove hard toward the basket, dodged Elias's block with a clean pivot, and nailed a perfect shot. The ball smacked through the net with a satisfying swish.

Kai let out a whistle. "Yes, Sinclair! That's what I'm talking about!"

Lucian's gaze cut to me, cold and assessing, but he didn't say a word.

When the game finally ended, I was sweaty, panting, and exhilarated. Freya ran up to me, her eyes wide with delight, and maybe disbelief.

"You were AMAZING!" she practically shouted, throwing her arms around me. "Did you see their faces? I think Lucian's soul left his body for a second."

I laughed breathlessly, trying not to look at the heirs still lingering on the court. But I could feel Lucian's gaze on me like a blade, cold and cutting.