Seraphina's Pov
Still seated in front of Principal Astor, I could feel the tears prickling at the back of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I was so close to breaking down and to letting every bit of frustration and helplessness spill out, but I knew it would do no good.
Principal Astor's stern face and her nonchalant stare told me everything I needed to know: nothing I could say or do would make her reconsider forcing me on Electra's enchanted archery team. She was determined, and for this reason, my feelings and my fears were nothing more than inconvenient obstacles she had no intention of acknowledging.
For one brief, desperate moment, I thought of calling my father. Maybe if he understood how anxious I was and how terrified I was feeling, he'd step in and tell Astor to take my name off the roster, but Astor was one step ahead of me, as though she'd anticipated my last shred of hope, and swiftly crushed it.
