Bound To The Shadow

Chapter 32 (Into your arms tonight).

I shoved the note into my pocket and headed to class, but a chill settled over my shoulders. Something wasn’t right.

And Blossom’s silence wasn’t just frustrating anymore.

It was starting to feel dangerous.

----

The gym looked like something out of a Pinterest fever dream—strands of fairy lights danced overhead, casting a soft glow across the decorated tables and photo booth. Students in semi-formal attire flitted between snack tables and the dance floor like bees with better hair.

I stood at the check-in table, clipboard in hand, trying to look like someone who had it together. Beside me, Maya was going full command-center mode.

"We’re missing two table runners, three cupcakes, and Killian’s patience," she snapped.

"We’ll live," I muttered. My mind was elsewhere. Blossom still hadn’t called. And that note still burned a hole in my jacket pocket.

"You okay?" Isaac asked gently, appearing at my side with two cups of sparkling cider.

I forced a smile. "Yeah. Just a lot going on. You know how I get."

"I know. That’s why I brought you this," he said, offering me one of the cups.

I took it, brushing his fingers with mine. "Thanks."

"We can leave early if you want. I know this was supposed to be your big sister night, and—"

"No," I interrupted. "If Blossom doesn’t show, that’s on her. But I’m not going to spend my night waiting."

"Atta girl," Maya chimed in, setting down a tray of desserts with a dramatic flourish. "You’re radiant, Blue. Own it."

The gala rolled on. Speeches were made, awards handed out. The jazz band Isaac recommended absolutely killed it. I got swept into dances, interviews, and endless photo ops.

But then the lights dimmed for the special performance—a surprise act by a student nobody knew much about.

And I spotted him.

Tall. Sharp suit. Standing at the far end of the gym near the emergency exit. Not a student. Not a teacher. Just… there. Watching.

Our eyes locked for a brief second.

I blinked.

He was gone.

Isaac noticed my distraction. "What is it?"

"Probably nothing," I lied. "Just thought I saw someone."

But my gut disagreed.

After the event ended, I stayed behind with Maya and a few others to clean up. As I tossed a bundle of tablecloths into a basket, my phone buzzed.

Blocked Number: Your sister isn't safe. Watch your step.

My blood turned to ice.

"Blue?" Isaac appeared behind me again, concern written across his face.

I turned my screen to show him.

He read it. Paused. Then said, very calmly, "We need to talk. But not here."

I nodded slowly, adrenaline mixing with confusion.

Something was unraveling.

------

We didn’t speak again until we were outside, the cool night air slipping through the trees like whispered secrets.

Isaac opened the car door for me, and we sat inside his old sedan, the silence thick and sticky.

"Okay," I said finally, facing him. "Spill. What’s going on?"

He rubbed his hands together, a nervous habit I’d only seen once before—last summer, when he thought his scholarship might fall through.

"The note... the text... it’s not random. It’s connected to something that’s been following me for a while now."

My stomach dropped. "Isaac, what are you talking about?"

He looked me in the eye. "My dad used to work for a company called Valkyr Arms. Weapons manufacturing. Private deals, international stuff. High-level. He left years ago, but recently, he started getting threats. People looking for files. Names."

Valkyr Arms. I’d heard of it. Blossom had mentioned it once, in passing. I thought it was just another shady-sounding company.

"You think whoever’s after your dad is now watching you?"

"I know they are. And that note—your sister is in to deep? That’s part of it. She’s mixed up in something real, Blue. Real and dangerous."

My hands trembled slightly. "Then we have to tell someone. We have to tell Blossom."

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a flash drive. "This is what they’re after. It’s encrypted. My dad trusted me with it. He said if anything ever happened to him, I’d know who to bring it to."

"Who?"

Isaac hesitated. "A man named Vincent Marino."

My pulse skipped. That name. I’d heard Blossom say it—too carefully.

"That’s… Blossom’s boss. Or—something like that."

Isaac looked startled. "Then we need to get this to her. Fast. Before they realize I’ve got it."

Suddenly, everything clicked. The messages. The man at the gala. Blossom’s silence.

"We’re in way over our heads, aren’t we?" I whispered.

"Yeah," Isaac said. "But we’ve got each other. And right now, that’s everything."

I held the flash drive in my hand, heart pounding like it already knew the storm we were about to step into.