𝑨 𝑫𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑴 𝑰𝑺 𝑨 𝑾𝑰𝑺𝑯 𝒀𝑶𝑼𝑹 𝑯𝑬𝑨𝑹𝑻 𝑴𝑨𝑲𝑬𝑺

𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝟐𝟒

'Keep it calm. Get to the journals. 3.141592653589. Get to the journals. Wow, her hair looks really stupid. Get to the journals.'

Delphina gritted her teeth, trying to build some sort of mental wall as Ben walked her up the stairs of the dorm building. She tried to keep her mind focused on the most random, superficial things she could get her eye on. Anything to hide the glaring red billboard in her mind that Mal would be able to read from a mile away;

GET TO VARIAN'S JOURNALS.

The Enchanted Lake wouldn't help her this time. There was no spell she could wash away. Her only hope was that there was something in Varian's journals about fortifying your psyche and protecting it from unwelcome onlookers.

A light squeeze was delivered to her shoulder and Delphina blinked, remembering that Ben was next to her.

"Hey, where'd you go?" He asked softly. He had been treating Delphina like glass since they left Mal's dorm, no matter what she did to try and soothe him.

Offering a weak smile, Delphina looked up at Ben, still trying to convince him that nothing was amiss. "I'm right here. Don't worry." No matter what she said, he wasn't convinced. Delphina could tell he was severely restraining himself from pushing the issue and she huffed softly, itching to get back to her dorm.

They finally stopped in front of Delphina's door, where she eagerly began fumbling with her key when a gentle hand grabbed one of hers. Delphina paused, looking up at Ben who was watching her, deeply concerned.

"Dell, look, I just...you know you can talk to me, right?" He asked softly. He was clutching her hand firmly, as if he was scared she'd fade away when he let go. "I mean, I know I'm not Anthony or Uma or anything, but if there's anything you need...I'm here. If anything's wrong, I don't want you to think you have to go through it alone."

But she did. Going through it alone was the only way to keep everyone safe. Her friends may be royalty, but they couldn't combat fairy magic. She had to play this carefully, like a game of dominos. One wrong move and everything would come crashing down.

If she could handle the brunt of her grandmother's wrath for 16 years, she could handle keeping a few secrets. Even if they made her feel like shit.

Ben ran his thumb over Delphina's knuckles, making her smile softly. "I know, Ben. You don't have to worry. I promise." She squeezed his hand in reassurance before letting go to unlock her door. She gave the prince one last smile before shutting the door and holding her breath, leaning against the wood.

Delphina heard him sigh softly, then nothing for a moment before his footsteps finally began retreating. She slumped against the door for a brief moment of relief before pushing herself up and hustling across the room.

'Music. I need music. Because my brain likes the lyrics. That's it. That's the only reason.' She snatched Audrey's bluetooth speaker from the vanity and quickly connected her phone, struggling to keep her fingers from trembling. Blindly, Delphina opened her music streaming app and clicked the first song she saw.

A random pop rock song Coach Jenkins had played during class began blaring through the speakers and nearly ruptured Delphina's eardrum, but she didn't have time to care. Delphina focused on the lyrics like her life depended on it, even singing them softly under her breath as she scrambled to open the trunk by her bed.

The thick, leather-bound journals were all sitting neatly in the trunk, just as Delphina had left them a few days ago. She snatched them up like a greedy child and huddled onto her bed, beginning to anxiously scan each page while trying to split her brain's focus in two directions.