Inara's office was messier than usual. Papers littered her desk and her decanter was nearly empty. The headmistress leaned back in her chair, her eyes closed, and a glass of whiskey in her hand.

I sat in my normal chair, arms crossed over my chest, feeling ill at ease. There was also an anger, settled just beneath my skin.

Dark circles stood out under Inara's eyes and I briefly wondered when the last time she'd slept properly was.

"Natalie is not coming," Inara finally said, after draining the glass in her hand.

My skin prickled and the anger under my skin rose at the mention of Natalie. As much as I knew Inara needed her for her plans, I was glad she was no longer coming. Even her name left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"I'm at a loss for what to do now. Natalie was imperative to our plans. Without her, everything falls apart."

"I think we'll be just fine without her." I supplied, the anger lacing my voice noticeably.

Inara raised an eyebrow. "I understand your anger with her, but these are difficult times. I will do whatever is necessary to keep my students safe here."

"Even if that means making a deal with the devil?" I asked.

Inara closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "I will, if that's what it takes. I've inherited the sins of my father, and I will do whatever it takes to seek absolution."

"Either way," I countered, "we can no longer count on Natalie or any of her information. If she ever had any to offer."

"Yes, it appears that way." Inara poured herself another glass of whiskey and took a deep drink. "But we will persevere. You should get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day."

"I suppose it will be," I replied, before standing. I left Inara at her desk, staring into her empty glass.

The dream faded to black, leaving me in emptiness.

When I woke up that next morning, the conversation from my dream still clung to me. Not for the first time, I wondered why I was having these strange dreams. Was it just a result of the stress of a new environment?

But if that were true, why hadn't they stopped or at least slowed in the weeks I'd been here? And why did they feel so real?

My mother had been mentioned. If these dreams were true, then Inara needed my mother, for whatever reason. None of it made any sense.

And they left me more than tired.

Every part of me felt exhausted, like whatever sleep I had gotten was not restful. Whatever the reason, these strange dreams were really having an adverse effect on my health.

In the bathroom, I stared at the dark circles under my eyes. Maybe today would finally be the day I searched through my boxes from home to find my makeup.

Because today was Parent's Day. The parents of my peers would surround me, and I didn't want to spend the day looking like I hadn't had a restful night's sleep since I'd gotten here.

Part of me wondered if I should even go. Naomi told me her mother wouldn't mind if I tagged along, but part of me wished I hadn't promised Naomi I would.

I would not only feel like I was intruding on their day, but I would also spend most of the day feeling like a charity case. Part of me just wanted to tell Naomi I wasn't feeling well and curl back under the blankets to hide all day.

But I knew that wasn't an option. Naomi wouldn't allow me to sit in here and wallow all day, even if it's what I wanted.

So I headed back out into my bedroom and opened the closet door. Carefully stacked boxes loomed inside, each of them labeled in my mother's careful handwriting.

I hesitated before grabbing one labeled bedroom. I wasn't entirely sure how my mother would have packed these boxes. My makeup had been on top of my dresser in my bedroom.

After tearing off the tape, I took a deep breath before opening the box. With the letter from my mom still fresh in my mind, I wasn't sure I wanted to rifle through boxes that would remind me of her.

But I couldn't continue to live my life trying to avoid reminders of my mother, either. So I steeled my nerves and opened the box, letting the faint scent of home wash over me.

Familiar things greeted me. Knick-knacks and old awards, ones that had plastered my walls and stacked along my dresser, were all packed neatly into the box.

I stared at the contents for a few seconds before pushing the box away and reaching for a new one. Digging through the boxes made emotions, ones I didn't want to feel, course through me.

But I pushed them all away, packing away every emotion back into those boxes. Saving them for later, when I had the time to sort through them properly.

I finally found my makeup tucked away in a box of toiletries and feminine products. Once I'd pulled it out, I shut that box just as quickly as I had the others. And then I piled them all back into the closet, shutting the door with more force than necessary.

Using the makeup to cover my dark circles required a lot of trial and error. I had never been one to use makeup daily, and I certainly wasn't a pro at applying it. But a few tries and a quick YouTube tutorial later and I looked more rested than before.

I'd barely finished getting dressed when my phone beeped. Do you want to meet outside Gamma in ten minutes?

I typed back a quick reply. Yes, I'll meet you in ten.

Slipping my phone into the pocket of the jeans I'd dragged out of my dresser, I gave myself another look in the mirror. Realizing that this was about as good as I was going to get, I sighed and walked out of the bathroom, flipping the light off as I left.

Loki was curled up on the bed and he stretched, letting out a small mewl as he did.

"I gotta go, buddy," I told him as I brushed my hand through his soft fur. "But I'll be back later."

The cat closed his eyes and curled back up on the bed, content to sleep the day away. I watched him enviously before heading out of my dorm, careful to lock the door behind me.

Ms. Rose gave me a cheery smile as I passed her desk. Her usual romance novel was nowhere in sight, the top of her desk empty save for a notebook and a few pens.

"Any special plans for the day?"

"Naomi and her mother are spending the day with me," I told her. "Since my mother isn't coming today."

"That was very nice of them," Ms. Rose said, her smile growing. "I'm glad you won't be spending the day alone."

"Me too."

"Well, you best be off then. Don't want to be late."

I gave a parting smile before heading out the door and into the winter air. Naomi waited outside, her cheeks rosy from the cold. I tugged my jacket closer to me and headed down the stairs to meet her.

"It's freezing this morning, isn't it?" Naomi said as I reached her at the bottom of the stairs.

"It feels colder than normal," I agreed. We hurried to cross the quad, the wind biting our exposed faces.

"Is your mom here?" I asked Naomi as we neared Whitethorn Hall.

She nodded. "Got in a few minutes ago and she's waiting inside."

"Thank you again," I told her. "For letting me join you guys today."

"It's not a problem," Naomi said. "I'm surprised you agreed, since Jason said he'd hang out with you today."

"Oh, right." I'd completely forgotten about my agreement with Jason to spend Parent's Day together if my mom didn't show up. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

"My mom's really excited to meet you," Naomi said, changing the subject. "She's been asking me a lot of questions about you."

My stomach churned. "What did you tell her?"

"Just the basics. Nothing too much."

The anxiety swarming through me calmed a bit, just in time for us to enter Whitethorn Hall. There were many people gathered, students reuniting with their parents for the first time in a while.

But Naomi's mother was easy to spot among the crowd. She had the same fiery red hair as her daughter. It was easy to see where Naomi had gotten it from.

We wove through the crowd with little difficulty. And as soon as Naomi and her mother locked eyes, both broke out into matching excited smiles.

I watched as they embraced each other tightly, murmuring greetings to each other as they did. A flicker of sadness washed over me as I watched them.

"Selene," a familiar voice called my name from behind.

I turned, my heart skipping a beat as I took her in.

"Mom?"