by Lan Chan
“You’re the one who didn’t want to go!”
“How was I supposed to know Adam would ask me?”
“You can cancel?”
I stopped and looked at her. “Who are you and what have you done to my roommate?”
She sighed. “I mean, doesn’t it feel weird to go with somebody else?”
“Sometimes I don’t even know if we’re speaking the same language.”
“I don’t know how much more of this I can handle,” Basil muttered. He was on my bed trying to read yet another romance novel.
“You know, for someone who keeps complaining about not being let outside enough, you sure spend a lot of time in here.”
“Pardon me for enjoying the pleasure of my own company.”
“Did you have any daughters, Basil?” Sophie asked.
“I…” he fumbled. His fake brows creased. “You know I can’t really be sure.”
“I bet you did,” she laughed.
“It would certainly account for how tedious I find this. Perhaps I will go to the library. Can you write me a note?”
I scrawled a note on a piece of stray paper so that he wouldn’t be accosted in the hallways. Everyone had sort of gotten used to the fact that I had a doll with a mage’s spirit living with me. If he had a note, they knew he’d gotten permission and wasn’t on a stroll to destroy the Academy.
I ended up settling for a black skater dress that was still a bit loose around my waist. At least it was long enough to reach just below my knees. The strap kept falling down my shoulder. It was going to drive me crazy all night.
There was no point bothering with makeup and hair when my dress wasn’t all that exciting. So I sat with my back against the wall and watched Sophie get done up. I balled my fists and willed myself not to feel envious when she lifted her dress from the garment bag. Sparkling caramel spilled to the floor.
“How jealous are you right now?” she asked, her smile warm.
“A thousand percent.” My words were whispered. It didn’t feel right to raise my voice around such beauty. I helped her slip into it.
The cut of the dress was simple enough. It had a plunging neckline and cinched waist that would draw the eye to her curvy hips. The skirt flowed all the way to the floor allowing her to wear heels that would inspire Jacqueline. A slit ran just far up enough on her left thigh to be sexy but not too revealing. This Madam Familiar was one dangerous woman.
“If Max doesn’t notice you in this, he’s blind and stupid.” She grabbed my hand.
“Don’t say anything about Max. I don’t want Roland to feel bad.”
I was pretty sure Roland had caught on given how much shit we gave her about Max. But he’d plucked up the courage to ask Sophie anyway, so I shut my mouth.
Somebody knocked on the door. Sophie turned towards it. “That’s Diana.”
But when I hopped to open it, there was nobody there. “What the?”
I thought maybe some of the boys were playing pranks again until I looked down and saw a long, white cardboard box sitting on the floor. There was a sky-blue satin ribbon tied around it. Heels clicked against the floor. Diana appeared in a structured maroon number that accentuated her hourglass figure perfectly. She’d let her braids loose for once and her hair was gathered to one side. I didn’t realise how creamy her skin was until all that hair had been tamed.
“You look incredible,” I told her.
And because tonight was turning out to be magical, the tough-as-nails dwarf blushed. “Thanks. What’s that?”
“I’m not sure. I just opened the door and it was here.”
I picked up the box and moved aside so she could come in.”
“It looks like a dress box. And it has a blue ribbon.”
“Are you just describing stuff now?”
“Open it,” they said in unison. I placed the box down carefully on my bed.
“What if it’s not mine?”
They stared me down until I gave up and did as they asked. The ribbon slipped off easily. My fingers were shaking a little as I lifted the lid off the box and gathered the tissue paper aside. A shimmer of pale blue-grey reflected the light. Sophie inhaled. I lifted the dress out carefully. The skirt trailed down like a waterfall.
“Oh hell,” Diana said. “There’s no way you’re going to be able to wear a bra with that. Are those pearls real?”
She touched the pearls with her fingers. I couldn’t even see how this dress would sit on a figure. But it was too short for Sophie.
“Put it on,” Sophie commanded.
I just stared at the dress. The material was actually more sturdy than silk but it felt just as decadent. It flowed over my fingers and whispered against the floor. I swallowed hard. Diana was rifling around in the tissue paper.
“Ah ha!” she waved a Post-It note triumphantly. Even in the magical world, some stationary was vital. She shoved the note in my face.
I looked at the single word and my whole body tensed. It simply read: Blue.
“I can’t breathe,” Sophie said. “Like I am legitimately having an anxiety attack.”
Diana fanned her face with the note. “Is it hot in here or what? Why are you still standing there? Put the damn dress on!”
I did so tentatively. I was terrified that I would make a sudden move and the dress would tear. Or the pearls would fall off the delicate gossamer thread that somehow held them together.
The dress had no back. Diana was right. There was no way I could wear a bra unless I wanted to ruin the whole look. Instead of straps, the lines of pearls crisscrossed behind my shoulders to form a web on either side. The pearls ran along the dip in the material that ending modestly enough that my butt wouldn’t be on display. The cut wasn’t fitted like Diana’s dress, but it swept against my skin giving the illusion of both curves and grace.
“It really does bring out the blue in your eyes,” Sophie said. She looked a bit teary.
“Do not cry,” Diana ordered. “You’ve already got makeup on.”
“I just realised I don’t have any –”
Diana produced a silver pair of strappy heels from the box. They were low enough that I didn’t think I’d twist my ankle in them. When I put them on, it elevated me enough so that the back of the dress formed a small train.
“That’s going to get dirty and trampled,” I said.
“I don’t think so,” Sophie said. She picked up a piece of red chalk from the table and crumbled it over the train.
“Hey!”
But as we watched, the chalk bounced right off leaving pristine blue silk. “I’m starting to get a little freaked out that he knows what size I am.”
There was another knock on the door. A teeny-tiny part of me kind of hoped it would be Kai on the other side. When Diana opened it, Adam stood in the doorway. All three of us deflated a little. He swept his gaze over me. For some reason, my first reaction was to reach out and strangle him. He smiled and I regained my senses.
“You look beautiful,” Adam said. I almost choked. It was the right sentiment. But it was coming from the wrong person. I returned his smile.
“Thanks. You too,” I fumbled. “I mean, not the beautiful part. I...you know what I mean.”
He reached out to take my hand. “Ready?”
I nodded.
“I’ll see you guys there?”
It was only as I turned that I saw they were both giving him the evil eye. Around these parts, that was an actual thing. I flapped my other hand at them and was grateful that his back was turned. Diana made a very impolite gesture. What had gotten into them? A few months ago they’d have shoved me at him.
Adam stopped me at the top of the staircase. “Do you mind if we teleport?” he asked. “There are a lot of people roaming around. You might be more comfortable if we just cut straight to the Fae forest.”
I’d been so spaced out with training and the voices I kept hearing that it never occurred to me where the venue for the ball might be. My stomach was suddenly squeamish
. My mouth said the right thing, though. “Sure.”
I almost jumped when he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me into his chest. I had found teleportation to always feel the same. But this time there was no burst of starlight. No wrenching pain or exquisite pleasure. Just a blink and then we were standing in a glade lit up by a million Fae lights and fireflies. Beneath our feet the grass gave way to a polished dance floor wide enough to fit hundreds of students. There was a stage set up on the left. I could see Jacqueline and Professor Mortimer standing there chatting. She was in a glimmering black dress and he was in a tuxedo. I couldn’t help smiling at them in this setting.
It was like someone had plucked a fairy tale out of a storybook and set it down right here.
“Would you like a drink?” Adam leaned down and asked.
“Sure.”
He went to the bar, and while I waited, the others arrived. All of the boys looked so handsome. But it was Fred who made my eyes widen. He wasn’t wearing his glasses but that was the smallest physical change. Like me, Academy life seemed to agree with him. He’d filled out as well. He was no longer weedy. Athletic might be more accurate.
I traded a glance with Sophie. “How much exercise have you been doing behind our backs?” I asked him.
His grin could light up the whole place. “Bradley has been helping me train in preparation for the exams. He doesn’t want a repeat of the trials.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You mean that time you helped your friends hold off a manticore while the rest of the students ran away?”
Adam laughed from behind me. He returned with my lemonade and handed it to me. “That really was an eye-opening trial,” he said.
“Which house are you in?” I asked him.
He tipped his head towards Sophie. “Sapphire.”
“I see. So I’m on a date with the enemy?”
“Is this a date?”
I walked right into that one. I was going to say something about the fact that I had been awarded five hundred points for holding off the demons during the bus attack. Obsidian House was now in the lead. It probably wasn’t a good move to try and antagonise my…date. Thankfully, Jacqueline cleared her throat in the universal signal for wanting to make a speech. She kept it short.
“I’m so glad to see you all tonight,” she said. “I won’t keep you except to say that in light of everything that has happened, we all deserve a night off. But that doesn’t mean we stop being responsible.” She then rattled off a list of rules and prohibited substances. Once a teacher, I supposed. We all applauded when she was finished. The band started up and everybody cheered.
“Would you like to dance?” Adam asked. Just then a murmur ran through the crowd. We turned as a group to look between the spot where the clearing gave way to thick forest to see a figure strolling out of the trees. He wore a fitted black suit and tie with a white shirt. How does a person manage to look perfect in formal clothing and sweats? If I wasn’t drooling, I’d probably hate him. I think I did hate him a little. The other part of me was trying not to hyperventilate.
My heart stopped. So did every female’s in the glade. Only I couldn’t hide in obscurity because Kai scanned the crowd until his eyes settled on me. And then he started coming this way.
35
One by one my friends peeled off. Some of them to dance, others to avoid the situation. Sophie gave my hip a squeeze before Roland led her away. Adam placed his hand on the small of my back. I gripped the plastic lemonade cup for dear life.
“I can’t believe it,” Adam said, his lips close to my ear. “He’s never shown up to a dance before.”
I hardly registered what he was saying. All I could do was shiver at the hard stare Kai was giving me. Somebody stepped into his way. I recognized that mop of dark hair. Max definitely cleaned up nice. I resisted the urge to find Sophie in the crowd. Whatever Max was saying to him, Kai shook his head and sidestepped.
And then he was in front of me. Or us.
That sounded weird in my head. Adam and I weren’t anything. He was nice and lovely to look at, but I wasn’t the kind of girl who could keep nice things. All of my shit got stolen or ruined.
Adam held out his hand. “Malachi. It’s really good to see you here.” Clearly Adam wasn’t the type to hold a grudge. If Kai had strangled me, I wouldn’t be so forgiving.
Kai’s nostrils flared. He grasped Adam’s hand. Immediately after he let go, he placed that hand on my elbow.
“Do you mind if I steal her for a second?”
If Adam objected, I didn’t hear it. Not that there was any time because before I knew it, Kai was steering me away in the wrong direction.
“The dance floor is that way,” I pointed out.
“I have eyes, Blue.”
My defences immediately went up. I tugged my arm away and set the lemonade cup down at a nearby table. “What’s wrong with you? First you get me this dress and then you turn up and act like a nutcase. Can you just be a normal person for one night?”
“Do you want me to be a normal person?”
I opened my mouth but nothing came out. He wasn’t normal. Then again, neither was I. Kai closed the distance between us. He tipped my chin up to meet his eyes.
“The thing is, Blue, if I have to be around Adam for too long, I’ll remember how he flew off and left you and Cassie at the mercy of a demon. Then I’ll want to strangle him again. I don’t think you want that.”
I turned my head away. “You have no idea what I want.”
“So tell me.”
I wanted to punch him. But I breathed through it. “I asked Adam to go find help.”
“I don’t care. If he spent more time training and less time trying to be everybody’s friend, he would have figured something else out.”
“Not everybody can be as perfect as you.” He grinned. I stamped my foot. “That was not a compliment.”
“Sounded like one to me.”
“Yeah well, you should stop living in a fantasy world.”
Those green eyes darkened. His lashes shuttered. “I kinda want to stay in this fantasy a little while longer. Dance with me.”
He made it sound like a request. I heard hints of a command. The refusal was on the tip of my tongue. It was in my nature to be contradictory. Aside from Nanna, authority figures always disappointed. Until I came here.
“Please.”
My jaw dropped. I found myself stepping into his personal space. Grabbing the front of his shirt, I pulled him closer. “Say that again.”
He wrapped one arm around me. “Don’t push your luck.”
I wished there was such a thing as a magical recording device. The things I could have done with that one word.
“Okay.”
No sooner had acceptance slipped from my mouth did he teleport us. The sensation shot through every inch of my body, making my cells come alive. This was definitely just a Kai thing. When the world materialized again, we were inside the clearing in the Grove.
There were fewer lights in here, but the ones that hung from the trees were just enough to give the area a feeling of intimacy. On second glance, they weren’t lights I saw hanging from the Arcana tree in the centre of the clearing. They were glass jars suspended by magic. Inside each jar was a tea light candle.
“Isn’t that dangerous?” I asked.
“Not really. The nymphs have them under control.”
“I can’t believe you got them to do that.”
A smirk. “I’m good at getting people to do things I want.”
My brow rose. He held out his hand. There was a moment of taut silence. I didn’t want to encourage his egotistical behaviour. Kai stepped forward and grabbed me around the waist. I tried to reach up and push him off but the pearls were threaded in such a way that it made lifting my arms difficult.
I lowered them. Smacking him in the head wasn’t worth ruining this stunning dress. His gaze trailed along the pearls on my shoulder. My skin tingled even though he didn’t touch me. And then
he did. He lifted a finger to trace along the line of pearls on my right shoulder. The contact tugged at something low in my gut.
How the hell did that happen? He was such an arrogant jerk. He took every opportunity to do things that pissed me off. Yet here I was completely at his mercy. I swallowed as he pulled me close. With the heels on, the top of my head reached his collarbone.
“It’s a great dress, huh?” he murmured. “The way the pearl straps are situated makes it impossible to lift your arms up too high.” He tipped my head up again. The smile he flashed almost stopped my breath. “Means you can’t hit me even if you want to.”
“Oh yeah, smart ass? How are we supposed to dance? Unless you want me to just stand here?”
His smile took on a predatory edge. Raising both hands, he skimmed his fingers up my arms and gathered the pearl straps until they sat directly on my shoulders. I was able to lift my arms up to lock around his neck. It was a good thing he threaded his arms around my back to hold me in place because I was in danger of fainting.
There was no music but we managed to sway in synchronicity. We didn’t speak. It was for the best. Every time one of us opened our mouths, we inevitably started fighting. It hit me then that this right here really was a fantasy. Did I want to wake up from it?
He was so solid and warm around me. As much as he infuriated me, there was something exhilarating about being in his presence. But also safe.
It was that thought that had me tensing. I hadn’t been safe in a long time. I didn’t know how to be safe. He noticed my sudden agitation.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Blue –”
“That’s not my name, you know.”
He sighed. It was heavy. “Three minutes.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s been three minutes of blessed peace.”
“There are plenty of girls back at the ball who would stitch their lips together just to be in your presence. Why don’t you go and bug them?”
When I tried to pull away, he locked his fingers around my back. I glanced up at him, my jaw tight. His head dipped. I stopped breathing.
