by Louise Rose
“Don’t be stupid.” I laugh, unable to believe what I was being told. “I’ve seen the way they all race. Everyone’s in front of everyone else.”
“After Declan’s accident, we decided to make the race a little safer,” Taylor says. “It’s not my fault you can’t be bothered to stay up to date with what everyone agreed.” She turns to address the crowd. “I declare Archer Knight the winner of this race.”
I narrow my eyes and shake my head in disgust. “This is crap.” My hands itch to slap that smug look off her face. I should have known she’d come up with any excuse to make me lose.
I get back on my bike and start the engine, not wanting to stick around for the after-race party. I have had enough of these people and their petty power games.
I’m out of here.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ivy Archaic
As I drive away from the race site, the sound of the crowd fades into the distance and with it my stress. For just this little while, I can pretend nothing has changed. That I am going home to Katy and one of her home-cooked meals before we watch the evening soaps together. When we are done, I will go to my room and work on my songs, recording them for YouTube once I’m happy with them.
If only I had known then how good I had it.
Part of me is tempted to turn the bike in the direction of the town limits and figure out my way back to my foster mother’s, but I am under no illusions. They may be well hidden, but I know I am under surveillance by my father’s men at all times. The second he got a hint I might be trying to run away, I would be dragged back to his house and lose what little privilege I have been granted.
For now, I am simply going to go on a ride before heading home. It is a small consolation, but it is better than nothing.
I hear the sound of another bike coming up behind me. Looking in my rear-view mirror, I realise I recognise the vehicle, so I slow a little, pulling to one side so he can ride alongside me.
“What do you want, Romy?” I ask, flipping up my visor.
“To offer you my commiserations,” he says. “I heard what happened. You were robbed. Taylor knew full well you won the race fair and square and so does everyone else.”
“Yeah, I know. But it didn’t stop Archer being happy to take the glory away from me, did it?”
“Fancy drowning your sorrows? There’s a really nice little pub not far from here.”
I think about it for a moment. “Oh, what the heck. Sure.”
The pub Romy takes me to is as nice as he says. More like a country cottage than a pub, there is a little garden with views overlooking a river. Romy gets us both a pint and we go outside to sit at one of the tables.
“I mean it when I say I am sorry you didn’t win,” he tells me. “While I can’t say it won’t sting to be beaten so badly by a girl, a win’s a win. Archer should have stood up for you.”
“Yeah, he should have.” I take a large swig of my beer, which takes the edge off my disappointment.
“Clearly there’s something going on between the two of you. Want to talk about it?”
“There’s not an awful lot to talk about, at least not anymore,” I sigh. “I thought we had something. Turns out I was wrong. Family politics matter more than feelings.”
“Welcome to King Town,” Romy sourly chuckles. “It’s a fucked up town filled with fucked up families. All you can do is grab what happiness you can when it comes your way and let everything else pass you by.”
“Is that why you’re such a terrible flirt? You’re trying to escape reality?”
“I’ll have you know I’m an excellent flirt,” Romy smiles at me. “But seriously, you’ve got a point. It’s not so much that I’m trying to escape reality as it is trying to pretend I can have a normal life and still be the heir to one of the Houses. I know you’ve got it hard being the sole female heir, but it’s just as tough being male, albeit in a different way. I can have as many girlfriends as I like, but when it comes to settling down, any woman I’m with has to be approved by my family. When I marry, it’ll be for business, not for love.”
“So don’t marry then,” I shrug. “I know I’m not intending to get hitched. Ever.”
“You may well find you don’t have much of a choice in the matter,” Romy warns.
“My dad can’t tell me what to do.” The moment I say it, I realise how hollow my words are. Of course he can, and the chances are high he is going to want to approve my partner, if not choose them outright. And if dad wants his little girl to get married, get married she must.
“Oh Ivy. You’re such a wonderful combination of naive and worldliness.” Romy reaches up to brush a strand of hair away from my face. “It’s one of the reasons why I’m so drawn to you. You intrigue me like no one else ever has. And you are most definitely someone my father would approve of.”
“Is that a good or a bad thing?” I murmur as Romy leaned in to kiss me.
This time, his kiss is full of tender promise without demand. It isn’t the prelude to sex his other passes had been; this is someone telling me he cares and letting his body do the talking.
I moan in disappointment as he pulls away.
“You deserve better than… this, Ivy.” Romy gestures to himself and the town all around. “I’m sorry, but I don’t buy that story about you having been at boarding school all this time.”
I open my mouth to lie and tell him how wrong he is, but he puts a finger up to shush me.
“I don’t care where you really are from,” he says. “But I sure as hell know it isn’t anywhere the Houses have an influence. It’s why you have no idea how to navigate everything going on around you. I watch you and I want nothing more than to protect you. You bring out that side of me that wants to keep you safe from all the threats an heir has to deal with. I really, really like you, Ivy. More than any girl I’ve ever been with. I saw your face when Archer hooked up with Carly and I need you to know I would never treat you like that. You’re special and you deserve the world. I know the time isn’t right for us right now, but when you’re ready, I want you to let me take you out. I think we’d have a lot of fun together and I would really love to get to know you better, the real you–and for you to get to know me. Think about it.”
I don’t need to.
“I would like that too.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Ivy Archaic
Going back to school on Monday is the worst. I’ve gone from having a boyfriend and a best friend and building a social network back to total zero. Being forced to do subjects I hate doesn’t exactly help. Even though I have music first thing, I can’t even get excited about it since Declan is off school with his broken leg.
So when I walk into the music room to see him sitting in his usual place, I can’t stop the smile spreading across my face. He might be a cheating arsehole, but he is one of the few allies I have left at the Academy. I don’t feel quite so alone now.
“Hey, stranger,” he grins as I take my seat next to him. “Fancy seeing you here.”
“Fancy seeing you here, more like. What happened? Did you bribe the doctor to set you free?”
“Something like that,” came his enigmatic reply. “Did I miss anything exciting while I was away?”
I think about breaking up with Archer, and of Romy asking me out.
“Nope.” I shake my head.
“That’s not what the rumour mill is saying,” Declan says, a twinkle in his eye. “I hear you are getting close to a certain Knight, only your parents broke up the party.”
“Wow. Is that what they’re saying?”
“Yep. Are they wrong?”
I sigh. “No. If you really must know, Archer and I were getting close, but my father suddenly told me that I wasn’t allowed to have anything to do with the Knights, having encouraged me to get to know him before. It makes no sense to me and I was happy to figure something out on the QT, but Archer went all weird on me and then he took Carly with him for the race on Saturday. He has hinted he migh
t be working something out for us, but if it involves sneaking around behind everyone’s back while he plays happy family with Carly, he can forget about it. I’m not being anyone’s bit on the side.”
I glare at Declan pointedly and he has the good grace to look embarrassed.
“I am sorry about that,” he says. “I can’t help myself though. There you are, looking all gorgeous and kissable. We have a connection. You can’t deny that. With Ally, it’s complicated.”
I can’t–but I’m not going to give him the satisfaction of saying it, so I simply stare him down.
“What does your girlfriend say about our ‘connection’?” I ask.
“She’s not happy,” Declan admits. “Can I tell you a secret?”
“I guess.”
“The reason I had my accident is because Ally wouldn’t shut up about you while I was driving. She kept going on about how you are a bad influence on everyone and it was so much better before you came to the Academy. It’s like all she cared about as making me tell her you meant nothing to me while we were doing sixty in a thirty zone. I tried to tune her out, but she kept going on and on about it, so I turn my head to tell her to shut up, which is when the bike hit a bump in the road and you know the rest.”
“So she knows we kissed?”
“I don’t know.” Declan shrugs, keeping his voice low. The other students are a good distance away so as long as we keep quiet, I’m not worried that they could hear our conversation. “It’s possible she’s guessed, but I certainly haven’t told anyone about what happened between us–unlike some people I can mention.”
“Has Archer been shooting his mouth off?”
My day is getting better and better. Not.
“Not Archer.”
My jaw drops. “Romy? He’s been talking about what happened between us?”
“I thought you would have known better,” Declan says, confirming my worst fears. “Romy’s all about the notches on his bedpost. He once boasted how he intended to sleep with every single girl in our year and from what he’s says, he’s made good progress in making that ambition come true.
“Ivy, you’ve got to be more careful about the company you keep. The House heirs are ruthless–and yes, I include myself in that. It’s how we’re brought up. The law of the jungle rules at the Academy. It’s kill or be killed, metaphorically speaking. Something tells me you aren’t like the rest of us, even with your boarding school background. I don’t want to see you getting hurt because you don’t know how we do things round here.”
“But you still kissed me,” I point out.
“I know.” Declan runs a hand through his hair with frustration. “And while I don’t regret it, I wish it hadn’t panned out the way it did. I should have broken up with Ally before making a move on you. I care about you, Ivy. That’s why I’m warning you now–stay away from Romy and Archer. They’re both bad news. They’ll break your heart and stomp on the pieces.”
“Thanks for the warning,” I say. “Pity it’s a few weeks too late.”
Declan looks like he is about to say something, but he is stopped by the entrance of Mr Metcalf.
“Ah. Mr Dauphin. My star pupil returns. I trust your injuries will not prevent you from full participation in my class?”
“Of course not, sir,” says Declan. “My legs and arms can all be broken and I will still find a way of keeping up.”
“That’s what I like to hear.” He turns to address the whole class. “Get your notebooks out. We’re going to be going over some music theory today, and I expect you all to have cramped hands with all the note taking you’ll be doing by the end of this class.”
We groan, but all did what we were told. I did a good impression of being an attentive student, but in reality my mind is elsewhere. After what Declan just told me, I am beginning to wonder whether it would be better if I swore off men for good.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Ivy Archaic
The week dragged past slowly, as does the next. My new policy of keeping to myself mean my heart isn’t in danger of being broken, but I am so, so lonely. None of the girls want to talk to me and since they can’t date me, I have nothing to offer in terms of political gain and nobody trusts the heir to House Archaic. And Romy continues to try and worm his way into my pants, I’m done with being the plaything for bored rich boys.
That’s why, when I hear that there is going to be a party at Declan’s house, I decide I am going to stay at home, even though Declan begs me to go.
“Come on, Ivy. Let your hair down,” he says, as I pack my things, ready to go home for the weekend. “I know I said you should keep your distance from Romy and Archer, but I don’t mean you should cut ties with everyone.”
“Things are easier this way,” I tell him. “Anyway, I’ve got a big project due for politics and if I don’t spend all weekend working on it, I haven’t got a chance of passing, let alone the A my father demands.”
“All work and no play makes Ivy a dull girl,” Declan says.
“Good,” I reply. “Dull is how I like it.”
“Don’t be like that,” Declan replies, catching my arm. “Please come to my party. For me?”
“Sorry.” I shake my head. “Unless we’re working on a music project, it’s home and homework all the way until I’m done with school.”
I quickly leave him in the classroom and head to the car park, finding my car easy because my driver holds his hand out the window for me. I’m about to step down when Romy slides in front of me.
“Want a lift to the party tonight?”
“Nope, I’m not going,” I tell him, stepping around to go down the steps. He catches up with me.
“Why not? What’s going on with you?” he asks.
“Why do you want to know? Want to brag to the entire academy everything I tell you?” I ask, meeting his eyes. He frowns, but he looks slightly guilty.
“It wasn’t like that. Ivy, wait-,” he calls after me, but I’m done. I get into the car and lock the doors for good effect. On the trip home my phone beeps a few times and I glance at it to see messages from both Declan and Romy, but I ignore them.
“What’s this I hear about you turning down an invitation to party with the Dauphins?” Dad says, his tone making it very clear how unhappy he is with me the moment I step into my “home”.
“I’ve got a politics project to do,” I tell him. “You are the one who tells me I need to get straight As. The only way that’s going to happen is if I spend all my spare time working on it.”
“There are other routes to an A,” my father waves his hand, looking relieved that it is the only problem and not that I actually didn’t want to go. “Isabella will arrange it. Now, about this party…”
“Wait–you want me to cheat?” I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “I thought the Archaics are honourable? You always tell me how there are certain standards to uphold, certain ways of doing things.”
“And there are,” my father says. “Which includes the ability to recognise the best use of your time and energy. Right now, the most important thing is for you to build connections with the other houses, especially with the current situation with the Knights. A levels will soon be a dim and distant memory, but you will be head of your House for the rest of your life. Get your priorities straight, child. Go and get dressed for the party.”
I must be the only teenager whose parent wants her to party instead of study.
I stomp upstairs, exasperated. All I’m trying to do is make it through school without heartache. I can just about predict what is going to happen tonight. Archer would disappear off to the nearest bedroom with Carly. Romy would spend most of the night trying to seduce me and when that doesn’t work, he’ll make do with the nearest willing female. And Declan would stick his tongue down Ally’s throat all evening.
Yeah. Sounds like my idea of fun all right.
I can’t be bothered making a big deal of my appearance, so I throw on my favourite Lost in Oblivion T-shirt with
a pair of ripped jeans. I keep my makeup light. It’s not that I am going for the understated, can’t-care-less look; I genuinely can’t care less.
When I am done, I head back downstairs where Isabella is waiting for me by the door.
“You look nice,” she says. “I bet you’ll be fighting off the boys all night.”
“Uh-huh.” I’m really not in the mood for small talk.
“Anyway, your dad wants me to make sure you leave out the details of your politics assignment so I can deal with it for you.”
“They’re on my desk,” I say. “But I really don’t think I’m comfortable with getting someone else to write it for me.”
“Everyone does it,” Isabella assures me. “And our writers are already aware of your style. By the time they’re done, no one will know it isn’t all your own work.”
“That’s not the point,” I say. “It’s cheating.”
“I told you–everyone does it. It’s only cheating if it gives you an unfair advantage. As it is, you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage if you don’t accept help once in a while. Besides, it’s important to your father that you go to this party. I’m sure he’s already had a discussion with you about priorities–it’s about time you started to act more like an Archaic instead of a spoilt little girl.”
Seriously? Isabella had always been nice to me. What is with the attitude now?
“Whatever,” I huff. “Can I take my bike to the party?”
“No.” Isabella shakes her head. “Your father wants a driver to take you. He’s waiting outside. He’ll stay outside the Dauphin’s place while you have fun and when you’re ready to leave, he’ll bring you back here. Just make sure you’re not ready to leave until midnight at the latest, okay?”
“Fine.”
There is something very weird going on tonight, but I know no one is going to tell me what, so I go outside and get into the waiting car.
