CHAPTER 25
KIRA
I arrived at the school’s botanical garden, confused by Xavier’s text. Come to the school, he’d written. No explanation, no location—just that. But as I stepped out of the car, another message buzzed on my phone.
The secret path. Near the greenhouse. Follow it.
I frowned but followed the directions. I’d been here a few times, but I’d never noticed any secret path. Still, I walked along the narrow trail beside the greenhouse, my heels crunching softly against the gravel. That was when I saw it.
An opening.
Covered in vines and tucked between two thick walls of climbing roses, it looked like something out of a fairytale. I pushed through, breath catching in my throat. A small, hidden garden opened before me. Flowers bloomed in quiet colors, a small stone bench sat near
