I was out of breath and when Zach saw me and raised an eyebrow, I turned away muttering. “Macaroons, he needs to die.”
“In Italian, Miss Lane.”
I hated Miz. She needed to die. Two girls in the class tried to get my mustache off me. So annoying although it made the challenge a little more exciting. After class, Zach fell in beside me having avoided me during the entire class.
“Penny, nice growth. What’s your secret?”
“Eating the hearts of mages. I should have thought it through, but who wants to think?”
He laughed then grabbed my arm, yanking me back while a girl attacked me from my blindside. “You’re welcome. From my perspective, the mage is eating out your heart. Is he really going to kiss you if you keep it on for twenty-four hours?”
“Shut up.”
He rolled his eyes then stepped in front of me, blocking another girl. “I feel like I’m in football, and all for a droopy mustache.”
“No one asked you.”
“Which is why I’m doing it. I love doing things you don’t want me to do.”
“I didn’t say I don’t want you to, I said no one asked you. It’s not like you to be so imprecise.”
“Your mistake. Someone did ask me. Viney thinks that the wearing of facial hair is your right as a woman. She’s determined to undermine every effort of sexist females to make you bow to the man. Or the woman. Either way.” He flicked out his fingers and a ball of blue sparks swirled around me as three girls tried to jump me. They fell back then turned on Zach, hands raised threateningly. He only grinned at them.
“Viney’s orders, ladies. Take it up with her.”
The rest of my trip to math class was less blue, but the same amount of Zach. I tried to ignore him, but it was hard to do when he was guarding me so close, jostling me now and then.
After math, he was there, waiting for me.
“Seriously?”
He shrugged and gave me a wide smile. “It’s going to be a close thing in the dining room. Do you want to hide in the stables while I grab you some food?”
I ignored him and continued on to the dining room. Since he was going to guard me, I pretended not to notice either him or the psychotic females who were fighting over Drake’s mustache and my face. I got a few scratches, but overall I ate without anyone assaulting me thanks to Zach standing behind me, arms crossed over his chest. What was his problem? He could at least act reluctant.
I ate a lot until the dining room closed and then headed to the stable, Zach accompanying me. He also stayed like he was going to do one-on-one dressage with me.
“No.”
He smiled, his teeth sharp while his blue eyes sparked. “We could just stand here not talking through class.”
I rolled my eyes and headed to Henrietta’s stall, but he stayed right by me. I didn’t say anything else to him, and avoided looking directly at him in spite of his detailed instructions including him adjusting my hands on the reins. I held perfectly still while his warm hands soaked through my leather gloves, his face beside my thigh. At least I was wearing riding pants.
“You used to ramble on about the stupidest things. I can’t believe you can hold all of that in. It’s so nice and restful with you now. Much better.”
I glared at him. I wasn’t falling for any of that reverse psychology crap. I wasn’t looking at him, either. Right. I stared over Henrietta’s ear and focused on being a perfect rider. When class ended, I dismounted and tried to kick him in the face, but he caught my ankle with his hand, twisted it which twisted my whole body. I would have crashed, face-first on the floor, but he caught me, holding me hard against his chest while he stared at me.
I didn’t struggle, just held myself stiffly, pretending like I was a shrunken person in a cup of tea.
“Penny, you’re driving me crazy.”
I barely kept from scowling at him. “Your driving isn’t any of my business.”
“I made a mistake. I’m trying to make it up to you.”
“Only so I’ll give you what you want. You can’t have her.”
He sighed and put me down on the floor. I immediately turned to Henrietta and started on her saddle.
“You’re not entirely right. I did like you. That’s why I was so suspicious of you. I hate everyone. I think it’s because of her, that I feel her through you. The two of you must be very close.”
I brushed Henrietta down more than was strictly necessary, Zach working on her other side.
“Zach, you have to understand. I can’t give her to you. I’m not holding back because of what you did, but because of what she’d do. Not that I’m ever going to forgive you for that. Seriously, it’s your fault I’m wearing this mustache.”
He peered at me over Henrietta’s back. “Drake made that part of your payment?”
I hesitated. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
“It’s my fault. You’re right. I’ll talk to him. I’ll take care of it.”
I smirked. “Yeah, like I’m going to trust you to do that. You’re funny.”
He stared at me, studying me with creepy intensity. “Why did he want you to wear a mustache?”
“You’ll have to ask him. Do you think he’s insane?”
He shook his head. “I suppose it’s possible. No. He’s sane enough.”
I felt nervous with the way he stared at me. I swallowed, brushing the same spot on Henrietta too much. “You’re his friend, right?”
“Close enough.”
“Why did he kiss another girl?”
“To make you jealous.”
I inhaled and kind of choked on my spit so I couldn’t breathe for a minute. “You’re joking.”
“Also he was sucking the life out of them to recharge after he spent so much energy on that spell I so stupidly, carelessly, and idiotically unraveled. You trusted me or I wouldn’t have been able to do that.”
“Oh. Aren’t there better ways of recharging?”
He smiled sweetly, the old Zach smile I’d actually trusted. “Could there be a better way than kissing wickedly beautiful witches?”
I turned away in disgust, putting the brush back on its hook. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never kissed a witch. I didn’t know you were all that experienced, either.”
“I’m not. I’d never select that particular door, but Drake also wanted to make you jealous. It’s all over school how you’re going to date Barry, Lars, Lester and the guy in plaid pants instead of Drake or myself. Drake has a lot of vices, but false humility isn’t one of them. He has a vain streak that’s kind of sensitive. He rescued you in the woods. He let you sleep in his bed for days without taking advantage of you. The least you could do is fall in love with him instead of chasing other mages.”
I blushed. “In that case, I’ll get right on it. Shut up. I’m not talking to you.”
I left the room, leaving Henrietta in his hands as I headed to my room to change. When I came out, he was waiting for me in the Commons. I was half tempted to turn back around, but instead I walked out, hand firmly over the mustache while he blocked the girls who attacked.
In Business, I sat down, barely getting a glance at Drake before he continued his conversation with some guy. Fine. I watched him covertly, taking a few photos of him on my phone before the teacher glared at me. What was his problem? I smiled back sweetly instead of embedding my soon to be shattered phone in his forehead.
Anyway, Business was business as usual, then History which Zach walked me to, nodding at Drake like what he was doing wasn’t so weird. Drake smirked and then looked at me giving me a sexy wink that shouldn’t have been nearly so earthshattering. But it was. Whatever.
I sat down in History beside Viney. “Make Zach stop.”
She stared at me. “Is Drake really going to kiss you if you wear the mustache for twenty-four hours?”
“It’s part of his payment. No kissing, just wearing it. I think he started the rumors. It makes the repayment more of a challenge.” I glared at the d
esk.
“It’s hard to believe that he’s a brilliant strategist with how random and weird he’s being with you.” She studied me, dark eyes narrowing. “On second thought, it might not.”
“He’s trying to mess with me. I know. But, why?”
She rolled her eyes. “If I knew why that boy did anything then I’d be able to use the right bait to catch him.”
“But what would you do with him once he was caught?”
She studied me. “I don’t think innocent ears like yours should be exposed to such explanations.”
I blushed and focused on class. It was Tuesday. I’d demand an explanation on our way to town, or on the way to the restaurant, or on the drive back. The trouble was, after I’d gone to study hall and spent the time with Orc, Drake’s car wasn’t parked in its usual spot. I stared at the empty space then checked my phone for the time. Five-fifteen. I’d come fifteen minutes early, but he was still gone.
This horrible feeling bloomed in my chest, like cancer eating away any hope or light. I ripped off the mustache and threw it down on the empty parking space before I stalked off. I was halfway to Lilac Stories when I changed my mind. I was going to the hospital with or without Drake. My princesses had been without me for a week and I had special lollipops for them. Bonbons and Ho-ho’s, I was going to shove lollipops down Drake’s throat until he choked on them. I headed towards the bench where people waited for the shuttle. Every half hour, the shuttle ran down to town and back again. Great. I didn’t want to ride in the front seat of Drake’s car and cling to him, anyway.
Why didn’t he wait for me? We always went on Tuesdays. It was our day with Pas de Deux in the morning and Community Service in the evening. I miss one week and he forgets about me? What an idiot. Me. I was the idiot to think that we had a thing. We had nothing except a debt between us, a debt that I was going to pay as soon as possible and then hopefully never see him again.
Except in Pas de Deux and Business. Sometimes in the Dining Room. Sometimes in the Laundry room. I needed to clean the black gown. It was in great shape considering everything it went through. He would make it beautiful again. I could make it probably not smell like dead Creagh. I would have to start sending my laundry to be done by the staff like Viney did. It seemed like such a personal thing to let someone else do. No, I’d learn how to do my own laundry if it killed me, or rather killed my clothing.
The shuttle pulled up, the seven rows of seats mostly empty. Everyone intelligent was going in to dinner instead of down to town. I hesitated before I took my seat and pulled out my headphones, listening to Japanese while the scenery passed by. I never got tired of the woods, even in that dreary half red, half gray state of existence. It was like fire and smoke, dying fire.
It was very close to the color of Drake’s hair. Fire burned. I shouldn’t be surprised that I felt a little singed. I should be glad that he was bored with me. It was better this way, easier to focus on other guys I was going to date.
I’d ask Lester tomorrow. He would be my tutor and it would be totally natural. We could go to the café and eat tiramisu, or go play pool. Movies. There was a little movie theater in town. It would be fun. Or torture. Probably torture. But maybe he wouldn’t be too annoying as a husband. I’d have to come up with a questionnaire to ask my dates. What did I want in a husband?
I screwed up my face because I wanted absolutely nothing from a husband. Nothing at all.
I focused on my Japanese even though it was boring stuff, like talking about the weather and the food. There were so many ways you could be polite. I arrived in town, and got off the bus, slinging my bag over my shoulder before I started towards the hospital. It took much longer walking, but felt good to move in spite of the stiff breeze flirting with my knees.
When I got to the hospital, the nurse at the front desk was surprised to see me. All the same, she sent me down the hall and into the room where my princesses waited. Sally squealed when she saw me, running towards me, wearing a yellow tutu over her hospital gown, and a cardboard crown covered in glitter over her bald head.
“Rapunzel, you came!”
I nodded and gave her a careful hug, her delicate bones feeling breakable. “What a beautiful outfit! Are you going to the ball?”
She stared at me for a long time before she nodded.
“No, she’s not. She’s pretending.”
I smiled at Francine where she stood clutching a worn blanket that had probably been purple at some point. “Fancy, have you ever been to a ball?”
She shook her head, her big brown eyes bright with excitement. “Have you?”
I nodded, soberly. “That’s right. I wore a beautiful silk ballgown as black as ink, and danced with the most handsome prince in the kingdom. Unfortunately, it turns out that he was an evil sorcerer in disguise. If not for a kind fairy and a wolf, I would have been cast under a sleeping spell or something even worse. As it was, I got very sick and had to stay in bed.”
Little Lulu came up with her thumb in her mouth so she had to speak around it. “Is that why you didn’t come, because you were sick?”
I hesitated then nodded. “I was very sick. I used to be sick a lot when I was little. Did I tell you that? I was sick until a magician gave me a magic spell to keep the illness away.”
Fancy wasn’t interested in that. She wanted to know the details of the ball. Everyone was impressed with the décor and the refreshments. Why hadn’t I taken pictures on my phone? I stayed longer than usual then when it was time to go, I left reluctantly while they sucked on the lollipops I’d made for them and waved happily. When I was with them, I forgot about whether I was happy or not.
Chapter 13
Mage
“Drake?”
I froze, my hand gripping the invisible human’s collar while an invisible Ian and Pete gripped his arms. Penny? Did I imagine that voice? Ian kicked me, and I winced then half turned to smile at Penny, hopefully not jerking around too much as the human struggled. I should just knock him out, but I didn’t know what that would do to him.
She looked beautiful, sweet, furious. If she was at the hospital, that meant it was definitely after five-thirty and I’d missed taking her to Community Service. How long had we spent battling the Necromancer’s pet? Too long. Time was hard to gauge in Darkside. A witch’s fury was easy to gauge anywhere.
“What time is it?”
Ian kicked me again while the human shoved sideways, spinning me around. I tried to make it look natural, casually leaning against a wall while I twisted the pet’s collar. At least we’d stuffed his mouth with mage mud to keep him quiet.
She cocked her head and stared at me, struggling to not throw the lollipop she clutched in her fist. It looked delicious. Maybe I should provoke her so she really did hit me. The pet sent me stumbling forward. Had a lot of energy, that one did.
“Time for me to catch a ride back to school.”
So Community Service was over then. I just noticed the big round clock on the wall above her head at the end of the sickly green painted hall. “That’s great. You look stunning, as usual. Not as good as with a mustache, but of course we can’t have such unimaginable charm every day.”
Ian elbowed me, but it may have been from him wrestling with the pet. They were dragging me down. My arm ached from holding him up after all the battling we’d already been through.
“Right. Are you going back to Rosewood soon?”
Was she asking me if I could give her a ride? I could kiss her. I could touch her soft curls and talk about all the nonsense I found so addictive. I winced as the pet head-butted me in my kidneys. Humans had such hard heads. Ian kicked me. Apparently he didn’t think I should abandon him and Pete. There was a morgue in the hospital. Probably wouldn’t be the best place to leave the Necromancer’s pet.
“I’m afraid I’m just stretching my legs. Have so much to do tonight. You know, cleaning up vomit and all that. Hey, how are the princesses doing? I was going to bring my guitar. Next week?”
&n
bsp; Her eyes flashed, and she was going to shove her lollipop stick through my eye, but she couldn’t let the princesses down. “They would like that.” She glared at me like it was my fault that the princesses all found me charming and romantic.
I smiled widely while Ian kicked me. I was going to have a very large bruise on my calf from him. He was wearing my boots. His boots. I had to let them go. It was one of my irrational rules to give away anything anyone asked for. It kept me from getting too clingy. “Until then. You do have a ride back, don’t you?”
She nodded. “I can somehow survive without the great, Drake Huntsman.”
I stared after her while she whirled around and stalked off, her skirt flipping up to show a ridiculous amount of thigh. Did she have any idea what that did to me? I kept staring after her in spite of Ian kicking me again.
“She’s lovely.”
Those words from the human pet got my attention. I turned to him, dark mud streaking down his chin. How had he gotten that out of his mouth? “Thank you. She’s my girlfriend.”
Ian snorted. “You wish.”
I kicked him, and it landed. I could see people that I cast invisible. Handy when one was Ian who needed some kicking. “If she weren’t my girlfriend, why would she be so angry at me when I stood her up?”
“You stood her up?” That was Pete, his blue eyes bulging as he struggled to hang onto the pet. The human was surprisingly strong for being so skinny. Most necromancers were. They’d forget that they weren’t already dead and needed to eat.
I gripped the human’s collar and smiled at him. “I’m sorry for the distraction. We’re almost home and then you can relax and be nice and easy.”
He started chanting and I shoved another handful of mage mud in his mouth.
“This is a hospital. Do you think that zombies walking around would help anyone’s recovery? How old were you when you were taken? Oh, that’s right, you can’t answer me. Just as well.”
I flashed a flirtatious smile at the nurse who frowned at me like she’d heard me talking to myself.
Dread Delight: Rosewood Academy for Witches and Mages (Darkly Sweet Book 2) Page 10
