“I’m fairly certain your girlfriend will lose her mind if you and I went together. Not to mention both of our kingdoms.”
“It’s a dance,” he said flatly. “And she’s not my girl but that doesn’t mean she won’t lose her cool.”
I’d actually look forward to that so I could punch her for always glaring. “Besides wanting to see me in a dress,” I rolled my eyes, “why?”
Zyacus sheathed his weapon and stepped closer to me. “I think loverboy with the silver hair and fangs might ask you if I don’t and we can’t have that.”
That wasn’t the answer I expected. I’d rather hoped he’d have a confession of sorts. A hollow pit of disappointment cracked open inside me. “Oh,” I mumbled lamely.
He shrugged. “If you don’t want to, it’s fine. I know I’m hideous and you might not want to be seen with me.”
Second eye roll of the day. “Yes, you’re just disgusting.”Getting more annoyed the more I thought about his reasoning, I twirled a strand of hair around my fingers, contemplating. It was jealousy or simply him wanting to keep me from Kyan as if I couldn’t turn him down on my own. As if I needed him to protect me. “I don’t need a sham date from you. If I go with a date to winter formal, it will be with someone who actually wants to take me.”
I turned and stalked toward the exit.
His footsteps trailed behind me. “It’s not—Visteal, wait.”
Shoving through the door, I quickly made sure it clicked shut. He didn’t attempt to open it.
∞∞∞
I plopped down in the single chair in my room still upset about Zyacus, when my door crashed open. Legacy ran in and collapsed on her bed in tears, my heart broke for her.
Tearing up myself, I put a hand on her back and laid my cheek against her. “I’m sorry Aric had to go.”
Red-faced, tears glistening, she turned to me. “You already knew?”
“If he stayed—he would die.”
“I know. Madison said she had a premonition so he had to go home where he’d be safe.” Sobbing, she pressed her face into her pillow.
I wondered if I should tell her it was me that saw the premonition. But I thought better of it. Mine meant his death was likely certain. “You’ll see him again,” I said quietly. Even if I wasn’t sure, it felt like the right thing to say.
“I hope so.” She turned and pulled me into a hug. “What if he dies?” she whispered. “I can’t... it was so hard to say goodbye wondering if it would be the last time I ever saw him.”
“If he stays in Collweya, I think he’ll be fine. Maybe during the month-long break you can go see him.” Maybe for once things wouldn’t happen as I saw. If he wasn’t here then he couldn’t be with Zyacus and me. Maybe with Madison’s help I finally found a way to change things.
She turned away and grabbed her pillow, crushing it into her chest. “We are going to write to each other every day. He promised.”
“That’s good,” I said. “I’m glad.” But I worried that his letters might stop one day and we’d both know why.
Chapter 25
The next morning while eating breakfast, my eyes kept drifting to Zyacus on their own accord. He’d asked me to the dance but only because he didn’t want me to go with Kyan. To protect me. Ugh, that made me so much angrier than I thought it would. I wanted him to want to take me, not act like I was some damsel in distress. I stewed about it all night long. But how could I get another date? According to Zyacus all the boys were afraid of me. Lovely. I turned to Taz. “Do any boys here actually want to talk to me? Outside of classes, I mean. Just because I’m a Princess doesn’t mean they can’t approach me.”
Taz picked up a piece of an apple and laughed. “You and I are only friends because you made a point to be my friend. I was scared to death of you when we became desk partners first year. You’re our princess. Royalty. Above the rest of us. Have a scary father.”
“Alright.” I held up a hand. “I get it.” No wonder I never get asked on a date. The dances are only for fifth years and older so this would be my first formal.
“Why do you ask?”
“Well,” I started. “The winter formal is coming up.”
Legacy leaned over. “If you don’t get asked Lora and I plan on going together. We can be a trio. Taz is taking Freya.”
Freya sat beside him and smiled. “He already asked and I said yes, of course.” She nudged his arm with her elbow and went back to eating.
“Warlord Goldheart’s son Connor talks about you often. I even overheard him mention he wishes he could ask you to the dance,” Taz said, peeking down the table at him. “I bet he would if you gave him even the slightest bit of attention. Since he’s a warlord’s son he’ll probably be more confident.”
The golden-brown haired boy sat at the far end of the table. He was the Seventh Year Tournament Champion that I told Zyacus to bet on. We’d only ever spoken a couple times at formal meetings. I had no idea that he even was attracted to me. If anything, the few times we’d met, he avoided eye contact with me and only gave short answers in response to my questions. I’d assumed he thought I was too young or something.
Looking across the room at Zyacus talking with his not-girlfriend solidified it. I’d give Connor some attention and hopefully get asked, and prove to Zyacus that I didn’t need his sham date.
I found Kyan’s silver head across the room. After he manipulated my memories, and the fact that he was a vampire, pretty much ruled him out as being my date even though he’d be perfect for pissing Zyacus
