The following morning, Raven and Cerise were eating in the castleteria when Apple and Cedar walked up to their table with trays in hand.
"Are you okay, Cedar?" asked Cerise who noticed the girl walking stiffly.
"Just a little sore, I didn't sleep well last night," said Cedar.
"Actually she's been acting weird all night, she even avoided answering a question I asked her before she went to sleep," said Apple while taking a seat next to Raven.
"You what?!" asked Raven, getting everyone's attention.
"It's not that bad, Raven," said Cedar through some painful groans as she sat next to Cerise.
"Like hex it's not!" said the purple haired girl as she got up and rushed to the other side of the table where she pulled up the wooden girl's sleeve.
"Holly Grimm," said Apple as everyone looked at green glowing cracks that ran up into Cedar's shoulders. Some of the cracks were as thin as a strand of hair while others were thick as a pencil.
"You can't just skirt around answering her question, you have to tell us the truth of whatever Apple asked you right now or you will die," said Raven.
"I… I can't," said Cedar as she took a quick glance at Cerise.
"Wait, does this have something to do with me?" asked Cerise as she looked at the wooden girl with a surprised expression.
"Yes," said Cedar, the marks making their way up into her face.
"Raven, put a barrier around us so no one else can hear," said Apple, who noticed that others were starting to pay more attention to them. The purple haired girl then did as instructed, cutting them off from the rest of the room.
"Alright, no one but us will hear what you say," said Raven.
"I… I like the way Cerise looks when her hood is down, her ears are kind of cute," said Cedar, the marks instantly vanishing after she had finished.
"That's it?" asked a confused Apple.
"You… you saw me without my hood?" asked Cerise with a pale face as she looked at the girl sitting next to her.
"Sorry," said Cedar before running away.
"What was all of that about?" asked Ashlynn who had been sitting nearby.