#Chapter 63: Help in Unlikely Places

Celeste The campus garden was a strange setting for confrontation. Birds chirped, a gentle breeze swayed the blossoms, and the world seemed far too peaceful for the tension that buzzed in the air. I sat on a bench, Fiona at my side, when Sabrina, with her predatory grace, began to close in on us. “Well?” Sabrina asked, cocking her head to the side. “Do you want my help or not?” “Leave me alone, Sabrina,” I snapped, my patience worn thin. Instead of taking the hint, Sabrina chose the spot right beside me, her smirk ever-present. Fiona, always my fiercest protector, immediately bristled. “You think you’re so clever,” she snarled, her voice low and dripping with venom. “No one’s falling for your dumb tricks, Sabrina. Do you really think we’re that stupid?” Sabrina tilted her head, her eyes dancing with mirth. “Well,” she drawled, “not entirely stupid. Just a little, perhaps.” Her gaze darted over to me, amused. “But for the record, this isn’t a trick. I actual