I stepped out of the shower, trailing steam like a guilty conscience made manifest.
The mirror had fogged over completely, transforming into a blank white canvas that reflected nothing.
Good.
I didn't particularly need to confront my own face right now.
Sixty-eight hours remained until Reyna.
Sixty-eight hours to somehow devise a strategy that wouldn't result in my immediate and spectacular death in front of the entire Academy population, broadcast live for the entertainment of every guild recruiter and faculty sadist on this godforsaken island.
"Master smells significantly better now."
I damn near launched myself out of my skin.
Maki sat perched on the bathroom counter like she owned the place, legs dangling over the edge with the casual confidence of a cat who'd never heard the word "boundaries."
