ASHLYNN POV
Three months later. The school looked almost normal again. Almost. I stood beneath the stone archway leading into the courtyard, watching students spill through the enormous wooden doors. Laughter filled the air. Bags were thrown over shoulders. Friends shouted greetings across the grounds while teachers desperately attempted to maintain some kind of order. Headmistress Castor stood at the top of the stairs with her arms folded across her chest, wearing the stern expression that had terrified generations of students. But I saw the smile she was trying to hide. Three months ago, this courtyard had been covered in blood.
The eastern wall had been completely destroyed. Half the windows had been shattered. Two classrooms had collapsed beneath Vex's attack and the ancient oak near
