Theo and the others left and walked toward the showers. Devon, however, lingered behind, waiting for me with his heightened level of care.
“I still don’t trust you,” I said. “I have to make that clear. Are you your father’s son or my vassal?”
“I did say I can be patient.”
“Be honest. Why the sudden change?”
I heard the scraping of our shoes against the track as we walked away. “You stood up for me.”
“Huh?” I didn’t remember doing so. In fact, if another beast like Fenrir came at us now, I’d probably run away and leave Devon behind to fight it. Sue me for being selfish, but I didn’t love him that much, and it was always the selfish kids in the orphanage who came out on top. Bully or get bullied. That was how the world worked. “Remind me when I did that again?”
“Back in my father’s study,” Devon said. “He was scolding me and you fought back. I think that’s the first time anybody’s done that for me. Abigail never did. Mother lets Father take control, and my siblings are always too concerned about themselves. But you voiced your opinion and took my side. So, thank you.”
I narrowed my eyes. “That’s it?” I didn’t do much besides letting my tongue loose, which, for me, was pretty much like breathing.
“That’s it.”
So simple. It wasn’t even much, and yet I’d won Devon over.
“There is one more thing, however,” Devon said.
“Uh huh. There’s always a but. Nothing can ever be straightforward. So what’s the bomb you’re about to drop?”
“Father warned me about being with you. He says I should stay far away and that my proximity to you puts me in grave danger.”
“I’m a grave danger to myself.”
The universe, proving me right, made me trip over a ledge. I didn’t plan it, but since I was looking at Devon, I didn’t pay attention. I put my hands out in front of me to catch myself, but Devon stopped me from face-planting right on time by hooking his fingers around my elbows and pulling me upright. He caught me in his embrace and tugged me against his hard chest. The smell of him swirled around me, intoxicating me, and sent a lightheaded sensation through my mind.
Tension simmered between us, and a lump formed in my throat. I was wondering what to say, since my mind had blanked out, when Devon filled the silence between us. “You’re probably going to do something really stupid that’ll end up with my head severed.” He parted from me, and as soon as he did, I missed his touch on my skin.
The usual Cara snapped back into me when we stopped touching. I banished all nervous thoughts from my mind and answered, “Sounds about right. It’s great that you have so much faith in me.”
Chapter Nine
Goddess etiquette was the most bullshit class I’d ever had the bad luck to attend. I preferred to call it “stuck-up etiquette,” because the obsessive way the lesson went over basic manners made me want to tear my hair out. Danna attended this class with me, and likewise, she thought it was overboard. She stood at the table next to me, and every so often, she’d flit a disbelieving expression my way.
The professor in front, Professor Dahliana, wore six-inch heels that looked like they might break her ankles. She’d tied her hair in an elaborate pattern, and her makeup made her look like she belonged on a stage instead of classroom. Her collared shirt was so straight that I couldn’t spot a single wrinkle on it. As she’d done a million times before, she reached for a bell on the table and rang it to get our attention.
Most of us gave it to her for the majority of the class, but she looked so insecure that I assumed she thought that if she weren’t ringing the bell every minute or so, she wouldn’t have the ability to keep us focused. It was the constant nibbling on her lower lip and the shifting of her eyes that created that impression. Professor Dahliana was poised, no doubt. Every one of her mannerisms was carefully controlled, but without the confidence to back it up, her knowledge of etiquette was useless. I held myself back, but every time I heard that sharp, ringing noise, I wanted to shout, “Stop ringing the damn bell, woman! We get it! You want attention!” She was probably insecure due to her background. Earlier, she’d introduced herself as a human. Professor Dahliana had spent the earlier years of her life raising many daughters of goddesses, and when her service proved to be satisfactory, the goddesses enlisted her into the Sanctuary to teach. It must be difficult to be the only unexceptional person amongst so many powerful beings.
“Today, you must learn how to balance books on your head,” Dahliana said.
I cast a disbelieving glance at Danna that hopefully said, “Are you hearing this?”
Danna raised her shoulders in an indifferent manner, telling me she was just as miffed as I.
Why would anybody in any circumstance need to balance books on their head? The only scenario I could think of was if I’d found too many books in the library and needed to carry more of them. Since reading gave me the fits, that was highly unlikely.
I raised a brow at Theo, who stood at the side of the room with the rest of the vassals. He was my company for this class. Theo flashed me two thumbs up and followed them with a bright grin. He was always glowing with support. He was so perfect that sometimes I questioned whether I deserved to be his half-blood.
Dahliana continued, “It’s important for goddesses to be poised, elegant, confident…” She was missing the last bit in her own personality. Confidence wasn’t merely a display of actions. It was a way of life, an attitude. Difficult to fake if one lacked it. “…and posture is key when presenting yourself.” She slouched and let her hands hang limply in front of her. “Don’t do this. It projects insecurity and weakness. Some of you have horrid postures. Goddesses have to carry themselves with their heads held high, their backs straight.” Professor Dahliana straightened herself again. She folded her hands behind her back and angled her chin slightly toward the ceiling.
So, to get good posture, I had to balance books on my head. What kind of crazy logic was that? A chiropractor would be more effective. Were the goddesses drunk when they came up with this curriculum? Then again, what did I know? I was a dumb nineteen-year-old, and these goddesses liked to act as if they had the answers to everything. I just wished their answers weren’t those of murderous psychopaths.
The professor lifted a stack of three books and placed it on her head. Not once did I see the books lose balance. They centered on her scalp as if they were meant to be there and pressed down the tiny bun that protruded from the back of her head. I assumed that the bun might get in the way of balance, but apparently not. “When you walk,” Dahliana said, “it’s important to ensure that you’re angling your feet correctly. It’s bad when your feet are too wide apart, or placed too narrowly. Always ensure that each footstep is taken in a nearly straight line, and that you properly distribute your weight between both hips.” She shimmied slightly, bringing attention to her hips.
“The more books you balance,” Dahliana continued, placing the books back onto the table, “the more points you get.” She pointed to the scoreboard, where my name still sat in the bottom half. “And the higher you will climb in rankings.” I was running out of time for this semester, and once it ended, the next batch would go through another cull. Staring at the scoreboard gave me motivation to find another lead. I darted my gaze to Theo, thinking I needed to reconvene with my vassals and come up with a better plan. Theo continued smiling brightly.
Dahliana rang her annoying bell again, indicating for us to start. The table before me, fueled by magic, flipped around, and a stack of books appeared before me. I picked up the nearest one and perused the pages. They were completely blank, with not a drop of ink on them. The books were bound between leather hardcovers that looked expensive. “What a waste of materials,” I muttered to myself. All this craftsmanship just for a stupid class?
“You have five tries,” the professor says. “Each time you drop a book and it reaches the ground, that counts as a failed attempt, and you’ll have to bal
ance them all over again. Extra points if you manage ten books and take five steps with them. Good luck.” Ten books? What did she think my scalp was made of? Cinder blocks?
Like the rest of the girls, I tried placing the books on my head. I was careless about it and lost balance in a split second. The book slipped from my hair and fell onto my ground. I grimaced.
“That’s one.”
I flicked my eyes to the professor and saw that she was already scribbling my failure onto a piece of paper.
I, with my lack of grace, only managed three books the next time before the stack felt too heavy and slipped from my head. I tried catching them so my attempt wouldn’t reset. The hardcovers clunked noisily onto the ground. I grunted, eying the objects as if they were my worst enemies.
The other girls were doing much better. When I first arrived, a brightling had told me that half-bloods were supposed to have more grace and dexterity than others. My experiences in gym class and this one proved him wrong. The other girls were faster, stronger, better. At least in the physical sense. I knew that when it came to the ukulele, I’d still out-serenade them, so I had my strengths, too. Still, I couldn’t help the pang of jealousy that shot through me when I saw them easily maneuver through the task. Danna already had fifteen books stacked on top of her pretty, exuberant head. She took a step forward, then waved at me with a bright smile, acting as if she didn’t have pounds of paper on top of her. The books slanted to one side, almost falling, but she used her hands to steady them and took another step, as if she’d been born to balance books on her head.
I sighed, then looked at the pathetically small stack of hardcovers I’d gathered in front of me. I decided to be less ambitious—two books at a time. It was still a challenge. Every time I thought they’d stay on my head, they shifted to one side and almost fell. I constantly used my hands to adjust their position while I watched the other girls stack books on their heads without thinking twice. I growled out my frustration as I saw my name creep down the scoreboard. Through great effort, I’d inched my way past the fiftieth percentile, but it looked like this class was about to undo all my work.
Fucking books. We never got along. And I didn’t even have to read them this time.
Did my head have an especially uneven surface or something? I wouldn’t be surprised, because the stuff I thought of every day hardly made sense.
After my third failed attempt, I picked up a hardcover and measured its weight in my palms. I wouldn’t be surprised if Agness had ordered Dahliana to give me faulty, imbalanced books.
Professor Dahliana stopped before me. “You’re going about this the wrong way,” she said.
“Oh, really? What gave it away? Is it the fact that I have nothing to show for my attempts except for a messier head of hair?” I pointed to my scalp. I realized I sounded testy and annoyed. I shouldn’t let my emotions get the better of me, but everybody needed to be angry once in a while, so I continued, “This is the most useless class I’ve ever been forced to attend.” I watched as my name went even lower down the scoreboard, dipping together with my morale. What did I care about stupid numbers? My vassals and I were going to save the entire school and I’d be lauded as a hero. Right?
Dahliana, perfectly and gratingly poised, twined her fingers together and gave me a gentle look. I could sense her irritation boiling beneath her skin. She didn’t like my disrespect but didn’t want to show it. “You have to focus on how you’re standing, Cara. Look at your tiny shoulders. They’re tipped at the wrong angle, and you’re barely even standing straight.”
“Tiny shoulders?” I scrunched my nose. I thought I had a decent physique, a mellowed-out hourglass shape. Dahliana was just jealous. Since I didn’t mind improvement, I listened to the professor’s instructions. I sucked in a deep breath and focused on my posture as I placed the books on my head. I thought it might be working, but as I gently let my hands fall to my sides, the books wobbled and toppled, collapsing into a useless heap. I eyed my failure in exasperation.
“I need cake,” I said. More than just red velvet this time. Vanilla. Chocolate. Cheese and tiramisu. All the flavors of the world. I thought Hansel was feeding me too much of it, however. Being a half-blood did nothing for my metabolism, and my love handles were beginning to feel a bit too lovely.
“You can have some—”
“I’m tapping out.”
It wasn’t in my nature to give up. I was part crazy, and crazy people liked doing the same thing repeatedly in hopes of better results. Not this time, however. My head hurt. “I’m going to the next class early,” I said. “Get prepared so that I can make up for this one.”
“You have two more tries,” Dahliana said. “And it’s disrespectful to leave so abruptly.” She couldn’t stop me, however. The half-bloods had full control of their actions as long as they didn’t leave the Sanctuary. Goddesses were supposed to rule, so the council didn’t suppress autonomy.
“Well,” I said, waving my hand dismissively, “find your respect somewhere else. You’re not going to get it by constantly asking for it like a child.”
I grabbed my bag and tossed it over my shoulder before making my way toward the door. Danna finished her assignment, topping the class. She took a stack of twenty books from her head before carefully placing them on the table. Many other girls looked at her in awe. Her name was printed magically on the top of the scoreboard.
Show-off, I thought. But I quickly banished jealousy from my thoughts. She was my best friend. I should be happier for her.
I needed a breath of fresh air. I pushed the door of the classroom open and made my exit. Danna noticed me leaving before I stepped out, and we waved at each other. Her mood soured when she saw how dejected I was, and that sent guilt spiking up my gut. Theo followed me once he noticed my leaving. With broad strides, he closed the distance between us with a look of concern on his face.
He clasped his hand over my shoulder and squeezed tightly. “You feeling okay, Cara?”
“Just a little under the weather,” I said. From being a sore loser. I tucked my tongue between my teeth and made my way down the corridor. I pulled my timetable out from my bag to glance at it. My next class was spell control. I had more than enough time to get there.
“Could we get some cake before heading to spell control?” I asked. “I’m famished.”
Theo grinned. “Anything for you, Cara.”
He was so sweet that I almost reconsidered my decision to get cake. There was a limit to how much sweetness a girl could take. Seeing him smile like that brightened my mood slightly, but it was immediately soured again by seeing Agness exit another classroom that was down the corridor. She was dressed in her usual turtleneck top and jeans. She spotted me walking toward her. I hoped she’d leave me alone and be on her merry way, but instead, she pivoted in my direction and blocked my way.
I sighed.
I’d run out of patience to deal with Goddess McBitchface. “Am I in trouble?” I asked.
“And why do you ask that?” She looked at me like I was a criminal.
“Just making sure. I don’t know whether you look pissed because that’s your default expression, or if it’s because you’re angry.”
Agness actually didn’t seem pissed at all. She wore a carefully crafted mask of calm, and my petty insult didn’t offend her. “You’re not in trouble, but I do need to speak with you in private, and it’s good that I’ve bumped into you here. Theo, could you please leave me alone with Caramel?”
“I need to send her to the next class,” Theo said.
“She’s in no danger when with me.”
Tension gathered between us. Glancing at Theo, I could sense that, just like me, he doubted Agness’s promise.
“I won’t ask twice,” Agness said. She placed a hand on the wand strapped to her belt, warning us that if we didn’t listen to her orders, she’d have to take action.
With that, Theo caved. As only a vassal belonging to a half-blood, he stood no chance against the goddess.
Theo, not withholding his affection, placed a kiss on my cheek and strode down the corridor. Before leaving fully, he let his gaze linger on me.
“Don’t worry about me,” I said, waving him on. “I’ll be fine.”
“You don’t have to act as if I’m Odin himself,” Agness said. “I’m merely here to talk.”
“Odin?” I asked.
Agness nodded. “A vassal who lost his mind ten centuries ago. We had him put down. It would serve you well to pay attention during your history classes. There is much to learn from past mistakes.”
“I’m less concerned about that,” I said. I looked over Agness’s shoulder, watching Theo leave. He turned around a couple of times to ensure my safety. The level of care he displayed caused my heartbeat to waver. He really didn’t need to be that worried. Equipped with my wand, I probably wouldn’t be completely useless when in a fight against Agness. It was an upgrade from that hanger I’d tried using in my apartment back on Earth. “I’m more focused on the secret happenings of this school. You know, dead bodies like Miley and all.” I laughed sheepishly, then studied Agness for her reaction. “Are there any updates about that?”
Agness maintained a blank expression. “We’re still busy trying to solve the mystery behind that.”
“The rest of the girls are concerned. Is this a one-time occurrence? My gut tells me otherwise.” I folded my arms across my chest and tipped my chin up. Facing Agness like that might have been a bit too ballsy, but my time in the orphanage had taught me how to stand up to bullies. Agness looked elegant on the surface, but ultimately, she was like the rest of them—oblivious to the wrongness of their own actions. “How many more girls have to be killed unjustly because of your incompetence?”
I saw apprehension flitter past Agness’s eyes.
Sudden anger surged through me. The injustice of it all made want to punch Agness for letting such a terrible thing happen. Many of the girls in the Sanctuary were catty and immature, sure. But they were still young and naive. They didn’t deserve to be taken away from home then sacrificed.
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