“Shit, Lily.” My stomach turned. What did the vamps do to Independent Study fae who couldn’t find an employer? They certainly wouldn’t let them just walk out into the regular world.
“No kidding.” She hiccupped, eyes brimming with tears. “You wasted your major on me, and now Vulthus will buy you.”
“It’s not a waste.” I slumped down into the chair opposite from Lily’s. “We still have—” I counted on my fingers. “Three months left. I’ll help you study. And I’m working on something.” I paused. Was I really going to drag Lily into this? Was it selfish and irresponsible?
“What?”
I chewed on my lip. I needed to tell someone. I needed help. Lily and I would help each other. “Remember how Petra disguised herself?”
“Glamour?” Lily hiccupped again and quickly covered her mouth.
I reached across the table and took her arm. “Breathe. I’ll help you pass the test tomorrow. If you get better marks, you’ll have a chance. I’m sure there will be more outings to show your skills.”
Lily nodded, then chewed on a nail. “I’ve never heard of anyone on the earthbound side using glamour. All the magic’s been leached from us over the generations. I don’t even think Peony can do it.” She sighed. “I’m sorry. I know that’s not encouraging.”
“It’s okay.” My life wasn’t encouraging. “But even if there is only a small chance, I still want to try. I get that it’s not a skill I can gain overnight, but--”
“Onyx, if anyone can master it, it’s probably you. You’ve pulled off some crazy things in the short time I’ve known you.” Lily smiled and squeezed my hand.
I nodded. I had escaped kidnapping. I had fought Peony and Petra. I had put Peony into the dungeons and outed Petra. Finally, I had survived Headmistress Cardinal’s latest interrogation. Maybe, just maybe, I could manage a glamour.
I returned Lily’s smile. “Thank you. Now, looks like we have an essay question to answer for Sullivan tomorrow. I’m thinking it’s going to be one of these three questions here…”
All throughout February and the beginning of March, I continued to practice my glamour without any success. All I managed was to allow a bit of ice to flow into my face, which turned my cheeks pale, giving myself a headache every night in the process. Whenever Lily wasn’t studying, she watched me practice, her frown telling me that I was making zero progress.
“You know,” she said at lunch, “maybe there’s another way to do glamour other than just trying to look at yourself in the mirror. Another way to focus on it.” She sipped at her steaming, mushroom soup, the offerings for the day.
“Or maybe I can’t do it,” I said miserably. My gaze shifted across the cafeteria to where Peony and her posse were gathered. Mei was once again sitting with them, and I suspected whenever they weren’t plotting against Thorsten, they were talking about me. By now, I had memorized every stripe in Kristen’s hair and every curve of her face, trying to replicate it in the mirror. Thankfully, Kristen was so self-absorbed that she hadn’t noticed my stalker tendencies.
Virgie remained a part of their clique. As if sensing my gaze on her, she sneaked a glance over at us, her forehead furrowed, and gave a tiny shake of her head. What was her deal? She’d snubbed me, and probably rightfully so, and now she appeared to be giving me a warning look.
“Something’s going on over there.” Lily took another spoonful of her soup. “They’re talking about us.”
“Well, me.” Trying to ignore the tension growing between my shoulder blades, I finished my soup. I hated mushrooms, but since there was no other lunch option today, I had no choice but to make do with it. I gathered my books and followed Lily to German class.
Thorsten, too, sneaked a couple of glances at me and tightened his lips. I sensed he wanted to say something, but was holding back, and I didn’t like that. The air thickened as class went on, and by the end, I couldn’t focus. I was considering asking him what was going on after class, but right before the gong went off, someone knocked on the classroom door.
Thorsten answered and remained silent, facing the figure on the other side. My stomach lurched when I spotted the dark hair combed off to one side, the crooked nose, and the sadistic, mean face.
Gregory Vulthus had arrived. I hadn’t seen him in nearly two months, and the naïve part of my brain had managed to convince me that maybe he had lost interest in me. Clearly, that had been nothing more than wishful thinking. A few people muttered, and I shifted in my seat, grabbing onto my desk.
“Thorsten Steinberg,” Vulthus said with a leer as he spoke his last name. “I have decided to pay your school a visit, as I have kindly volunteered for a class lesson today.”
My throat dried and felt as if a rock had lodged there. Lily, from the next desk, took my hand and squeezed, but there was nothing she could do to help the situation.
“A class lesson?” Thorsten’s body hummed with tension.
Gregory smiled. “Yes. If I could borrow Onyx Logan, that would be much appreciated.”
My heart dropped onto the floor and beyond. My next class was Courtesan Studies, and any lesson involving Gregory would be...I didn’t want to think about it.
Thorsten grabbed the door like he wanted to slam it in Gregory’s face, and I half-hoped he would, but I knew he was on shaky ground and could not afford to say no. “Of course, sir.”
“Onyx.” Gregory nodded at me, beckoning me to follow him. “I have been looking forward to spending some time with you.”
He wanted to walk me to my next class, maybe lull me into a false sense of security. The gong went off. Everyone would see him parading me around, demonstrating his hold over me. I tried to swallow as my ears rang. The staff must’ve planned this. Sullivan and Lady Cardinal were still sour after what I had said. There was no end to their revenge.
I had no choice but to go with Vulthus. My body betrayed me, and I rose, gathering my books, to join the monster in the doorway. Just his proximity brought the ice out in me, and a faint hope rose. Who wanted cold fingers touching them? Candice had told us yesterday we’d be going over massage in class today. Apparently, courtesans often started a night of pleasure with massage because a relaxed vamp tended to be less hungry than a tense one, and less likely to bite a fae in bloodlust. Learning massage was for our safety as much as it was for a vamp’s relaxation.
And if Gregory was here…
The training instilled into me overrode my repulsion, and I took the arm Vulthus offered, as we had been instructed to do by Candice. He hooked his elbow tightly around mine, offering no chance of escape. I sensed all eyes on me as Thorsten remained by the door, practically hovering over me. His eyes darkened, and his jaw was clenched so tight, I was surprised I couldn’t hear the gritting of his teeth.
If Vulthus noticed Thorsten’s tension, he said nothing. Instead, he swept me out of the classroom and into the throng of walking students.
“Onyx, I hear you have been excelling in your studies.”
He was here to check on me. To make sure he was getting what he paid for.
“I’ve been struggling with some subjects lately,” I said, voice cracking. Everyone was looking at me as we passed. Gregory was walking slowly, and I had no doubt he was putting on a show. Peony would definitely gloat when she saw me.
“Do not sell yourself short,” he said in a voice that made my stomach lurch. He flashed his fangs as a hungry gleam filled his eyes. “I’ve heard so much about you from your fellow students. You know how to entertain. How to please. Most importantly, you’ll do as you’re told.”
The twins. And possibly Mei. She’s feisty, the twins would’ve said. Everything I’d heard about Vulthus was turning out to be true. There would be no privacy when it came to pleasing him. I’d be some form of sick entertainment, maybe even confined to a cage, with dead eyes like Blair’s.
Vulthus eyed my form, licking his lips as we walked. His elbow grasp tightened to the point where I had to bite in a protest. He liked pain. Savager
y. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
We entered Candice’s classroom, and she looked down as Vulthus strode inside and released me with a slight shove. Other students filed in, but I sensed I was not to sit down, as much as I wanted to get away from this monster. Virgie didn’t dare look at me. Once again, she’d abandoned me.
But I couldn’t let the pain get to me. Candice clapped to begin class and motioned to a massage table at the front of the room. “Today, we are beginning practical work on massage. Massage can relax a vampire after a long night of business deals and often forms a bridge between relaxation and pleasure, if done correctly. Gregory Vulthus has offered to be our subject for demonstration today, and Onyx Logan will show us a few sequences that we have been reviewing this week.”
My lunch threatened to come up. Yes. This was planned. How much had Vulthus paid the staff to set this up? I didn’t want to touch Gregory’s twisted body even if it wasn’t quite sexual yet, and my fingers turned to ice at the thought. Maybe I could still dissuade him from buying my contract. Blame a circulation problem or even nerves.
Candice didn’t miss a beat, though. “The courtesan or gigolo often helps the stressed vampire undress for massage, as Onyx will demonstrate. She or he will have a towel ready as well.”
Gregory held out his arms so I could help him out of his suit jacket and remove the shirt from his shoulders. Thankfully, he didn’t make me undo the buttons. I folded his clothes carefully, the way Candice had demonstrated in the last class. I tried not to look at his body or at the students who were watching me. Instead, I focused on a tiny rip on the corner of the massage table. Just the rip. I could do this. Vulthus said nothing as he laid down on the table. I chanced a glance at him and wished I hadn’t. He was undressing me with his gaze. His irises glowed with red, a sure sign of vampire hunger. Even Candice backed off. I knew no amount of massage would calm him enough to curb his savage tendencies. I could try and try, but I would never succeed. And that was the message he and the staff wanted to send me.
I let a bit of ice trickle into my fingers as I draped the towel around his hips to protect his pants from the massage oil, glad he had only undressed the upper half of his body. That I could stall the inevitable. I had to get to work. I started with his shoulder blades. Despite his crooked appearance, he had strong muscles under his scarred flesh that revealed a distant, brutal past. A past that might have molded him into the monster he was today. Vulthus’s skin tightened at my touch and so did his shoulder blades. He growled, agitated. The whole class watched, holding their breath. If he attacked, no one would stop him.
Vulthus was in charge.
“Please continue, Onyx,” Candice said with a manufactured smile, her eyes wide with a silent apology and terror.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “It’s so cold in this castle.” If he hated my touch, he wouldn’t want me. I took a breath, willing a bit more ice into my fingers and went back to work on his shoulder blades. This time he remained still, like a predator in wait, and I dug my icy fingers into the space under his shoulder blade, working on what felt like a knot.
Silence and tension dragged out. I dared to look at the rest of the class. Virgie held onto the side of her desk, biting her lip. I dug in deeper, breathing more cold into my touch.
Vulthus jumped up, his nostrils flaring in anger and snatched my wrist before I could back off.
“What are you doing, girl, with that miserable touch?” he asked, pulling me so close I could see every red line in his irises. “Do you know what I do to those who displease me?” A hint of a smile threatened at the corner of his lips. He lifted my wrist closer to his mouth as he raised his other hand as if to slap me. But then he stilled, letting his words float between us, stepping toward me, his chest only inches away from mine. I wanted to throw up as I turned my gaze away. His grin told me my fear and disgust were his aphrodisiac.
He liked taking women against their wills.
Gregory Vulthus wanted to punish. And I’d just showed him that I would give him plenty of reasons to abuse me.
“Gregory. We do not have much class time,” Candice said, fluttering around us like a helpless butterfly. “We must demonstrate the arms as well as the lower back.”
Slowly, he released my wrist. “Continue,” he said, lying back down. “You might not want to please yet, Onyx, but mark my words, it will become your life’s purpose to keep me happy once I purchase your contract.”
15
Onyx
Gregory Vulthus’s words reverberated through my head for the rest of the day like an evil mantra I couldn’t shake. Every time I found myself in a bathroom, I scrubbed my hands vigorously until they were red, trying to remove the sensation of his skin under my palms.
But no matter what I tried, it remained.
And so did his dire warning.
My last class of the day was Home Décor. We still didn’t have a teacher, and it was none other than Thorsten who stood impassively by the teacher’s desk, overseeing our activities. It felt like he was a million miles away. He would be of no help.
Lily tried to come up with a business plan and was scribbling quickly into her notebook while I sat next to her and pretended to learn how to draw to please my future master while actually mulling over how to create a glamour.
“I need another outing.” Lily let out a heavy sigh. “This plan is worthless unless I can show it to someone. It’s about running a deep cleaning company. Vampires will need specialists to clean up blood spills, won’t they?”
I looked at her organized plan, trying to force myself to look interested and not too absorbed in my own problems to care about hers. Yes, there had to be a market for that. Lily might have a chance. I didn’t reply, because Virgie had just wandered over to our table to grab a few brushes and fill her palette with colors. Clearly, she too was doing art today.
“I wouldn’t mind another outing as well,” Virgie said quietly, staring intently at the red tube of color as she squeezed a dollop onto her plate.
I snorted. “So now you’re talking to us?”
She glanced up, hurt in her eyes, as if she was the wronged party. “I thought you understood. I can’t be seen with you.”
I leaned forward and hissed, “Oh, I understand very well. All you care about is protecting your hide.”
Virgie gulped, then replied in a trembling voice, “You’re right. I’m a coward. Not everyone can be as brave and fearless as you, Onyx.”
I blinked, not having expected that response. In the face of Vulthus, I was not brave.
Virgie hiked her shoulders up as if she were facing off with me. Behind her, Peony and Kristen stood over a row of plants in the gardening area, not paying us any attention. “But just because I can’t associate with you openly doesn’t mean we can’t secretly work together.”
I clenched my jaw. “Playing both sides. Getting your cake and eating it too.”
Virgie squeezed green onto her palette, nervously glancing over to Peony.
“Yes, I’ll take any advantage I can get. Pretending otherwise is stupid. Things are getting a little better for me. I don’t want to die or worse.” Virgie glared at me, and I swallowed hard, remembering the twins’ promise of finding her the worst buyer. But even though I had screwed up, so had she, and I wasn’t willing to accept all the blame.
I smiled bitterly. So her posse had been helping her secure a better future. “Don’t worry. Vulthus is interested in me. Whoever will buy you won’t be as bad as him.”
Virgie nodded without shock. “The Onyx I knew wouldn’t give up this easily.”
I put my paintbrush down. “I’ve tried everything. I don’t have powerful vamp friends.” I badly wanted to ask her how to use glamour, but I couldn’t risk it, not after she had discarded me as soon as Peony had returned from the dungeons.
Virgie dropped a piece of paper as she pivoted and sashayed away.
I groaned as I grabbed the note, annoyed that I’d have to endure another putdown. But th
en I hesitated. Virgie wasn’t clumsy. She was clandestine. Was this a peace offering?
I glanced at Lily, who nodded, encouraging me to open the note.
Carefully, I unfolded the piece of paper.
To learn new magic, use your own magic as a base.
I searched for Virgie, wondering how she'd figured out what I was doing. Had Candice put in a word to her? We shared the same class. Virgie might have seen me talking to her that day I asked about glamour. Maybe she had even read the frustration on my face. Virgie was consumed by her canvas, nodding along as Kristen chirped about something.
I handed the note to Lily, who frowned.
“What do you think?” I asked.
“It’s better than nothing. And no, I haven't had the chance to talk to her.”
I nodded. She was right about this being better than nothing. And also, the interaction with Virgie had given me another idea. Lily and I both desperately needed another outing, an opportunity to meet more rich vampires. And so did Virgie. Sure, there was a chance that Mei would vouch for her, but given the Hong Kong heiress’s closeness to the twins, and Virgie’s unease about putting all her eggs in one basket, Virgie would only welcome a second chance. And unlike Lily and I, she could gently nudge and convince the right people to grant us one.
Yes, Virgie might not have a backbone, and she didn’t want to be my BFF, but a friendship with her still had perks, even if neither of us could fully trust the other.
Since Home Décor was the last class of the day, and Peony stuck to Virgie like glue during dinner, I didn’t dare to broach the subject, deciding to wait to talk to Virgie when she was alone.
Determined to get a grip on using glamour, I spent two hours before bed once again in front of the mirror as Lily watched in silence. This time, however, I didn’t visualize Kristen’s face. Instead, I called on my ice, willing it into my veins. It came, and finally, I released it, slowly, one breath at a time. For some reason, I imagined Kristen as a barbie doll. The ice sprang from my fingers, gathering moisture from the air, freezing it, growing it. And floating between my hands was the ice doll I had imagined and brought to life.
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