It is the only dagger I don’t throw.
My eyes track the droplet going down. I give the dagger a little push before I step back. I take a few more steps backwards before I say something, shoving the dagger back in its belt.
“Are you coming or what?” I exhale sharply, clench my fist around the dagger and raise one eyebrow. This boy has some nerves. As much as I would have liked to have seen his dimples an hour ago, I could not have been more annoyed right now.
He smirks, like full on smirks at me. Ugh. I don’t want him to see that I am annoyed.
“I am going to go. See you inside.” I stomp away before he has a chance to reply.
As I push the door of my room open, someone bumps into me.
“Sorry, ma’am, I was just cleaning this room.” Wide blue eyes stare up at me. “Eliane. Hi. I didn’t see you there,” Annie whimpers, recovering herself, smiling at me, the fear from before disappearing as snow for the sun.
“Hi.” I sigh, not being able to act all positive and happy, but she catches onto my bad mood immediately.
“What’s wrong, Ellie?” she asks me, looking concerned as she calls me by my new nickname.
“Nothing, I am fi—” I breathe out almost annoyed by the fact how easily the lie slips of my tongue. “No, you know what, fuck it. I am going to be honest with you. I am paired up with this ridiculously handsome boy, but he is cold as stone and as unethical as someone could ever be,” I hiss, lifting my shoulder in annoyance.
“May I ask who this bo—” she tries to ask, but her smile drops and her mouth falls open. A warm hand lays down on my shoulder. I look over it in astonishment. My eyes wide visibly as I see who is standing behind me.
“So I am not just an annoyance to you. You think I am ridiculously handsome, huh?” Braxton breathes out. “Oh hello, Annie, didn’t know you were matched to my partner.” He winks at me, but besides that, his face is completely in control. Annie is trying her hardest to sneak out of this awkward situation. Shesteps away from us, and gives me a small nod before bolting away.
“What are you doing here? And how do you know Annie?” I snap at him, crossing my arms together as I turn to him fully. But the words stumble over my tongue and I can’t fight the blush that is appearing on my cheeks. His eyes dart off to them, so he must notice it.
Manes, would I like to disappear. Crawl away under the ground, so he wouldn’t see what his words do to me.
“I thought you knew I was the prince? So I kind of live with her on a daily basis,” he says, looking as cocky as before. He got me there, giving me a taste of my own medicine. How could I forget that? But I am more surprised by the fact that he knows her name. The guards didn’t even know the name of the servants.
“Alright, you’re right about that. But what about, why are you in my room?” His face is still in form, not letting his mask slip. Something passes by in his eyes. Like he has a mask on, but it is kind of offbeat. “You got to be kidding me,” he hisses. He turns around, leaning his head forwards and putting his fingers on his forehead, covering his eyes.
I don’t get it.
Just answer me goddamn it.
“We are paired up. We have to stay together, get to know each other, and live together. He told us that we should get to know each other until the deepest.” He stays quiet, and I raise my brow in confusion. “We are sharing a room this week,” he answers, while I try to fit the puzzle pieces together.
Wait what? I didn’t know I said that out loud. Then I would have been a bit nicer, or maybe not. I smirk to myself. My mouth drops open as the words sink in.
“This can’t be happening. There is only one bed!” I shake my head exaggeratedly before holding it with my hands in disbelief.
“I know there is one bed, Honey. We will have to share. I am not going to sleep on the floor.”
“I didn’t mean to say that out loud,” I murmur, ignoring he is calling me ‘Honey’ again.
“Well, you just did,” he claims, his voice raw as he stares at me intensely. “It is not like I am happy about this.” He shrugs. I can’t believe him. “Then leave! Make a choice: we’re doing this together or not at all, you self-centered prick! Drop this cocky prince act and start acting like the tough man everyone describes you to be!” I yell at him. He stiffens at my reaction. Fuck, maybe I should have been a bit nicer. He is also human. Before I can apologize, his mouth twitches a bit and his eyes smile at me.
“See you tonight, Honey.” He smirks at me, his voice still raw, stepping out of the room. My pulse flutters. He closes the door carefully. I stare at the door in disbelief. He didn’t even slam the door after what I told him. He didn’t even flinch. I feel myself turn red as I stare at the door. Why did I act that way, and why are all the lights on? They were off before. I plop down on our bed and zip my backpack open. The book I felt so attracted to before lies on top. I read it before, a few years ago I think, but it didn’t do anything back then. Right now, it feels like it is glaring at me, screaming to me ‘Open me, please!’ I pull the big brown book out of my bag and toss the bag onto the bed. Tiny glittering lights shimmer around the book, sending tingles through my body. A yawn slips past my lips as the lights in the room begin to dance around it.
Weird.
That doesn’t happen often.
I open the book, coughing as the dust flies out of it. But before it has the chance to fall my lights cover it and change it into little light glitters. I notice that all the lights fly in one direction. One page off the books lights up completely and colors my now entire dark room. I flip through the pages until I am at the onethat lights up everything. A page about signets. I read it until I remember every word that is being described on paper.
‘While one person gets born with a signet, others find out they can channel their signet years into their life. Some would call having a signet a gift, since there has been a time when people had no such thing. I would explain it differently. Having a signet is just like having muscles to run very hard, but you won’t be able to do that if you don’t train them correctly. A signet is a combination of your power and ability to channel. Everyone has their own power and way to channel it. Your signet and ways of use reflect who you are at the core of your being. Channeling and wielding has everything to do with who you are and what you feel the most and nothing with your kind of power. Some would call us fae, but we have no pointed ears. Others call us witches, except witches we do have and we make no blood sacrifices. Most powerless humans put us under the often-used term different. But aren’t we all different since we are the only existing version of ourselves?
‘Everyone feels emotions differently. Some feel deeply and intensely while others don’t. Signets can activate unwillingly when you are a deeply feeling person. You have to learn how to keep your emotions under control if you care about your surroundings.’
