Her message was littered with both a warning and something deeper that I didn’t quite understand yet. I needed to know more about their world. I needed to know the history that had torn these royals apart. This week had opened my eyes to a lot of things, but so much was still hidden.
When I entered the library, it was packed just like yesterday. Apparently you got here right after class, or you didn’t get a table. Considering that almost no one bothered to use books any longer, it was more like a museum showcasing the paper relics and a study hall with tables for those who used palm readers.
Alex was easy to spot, his blond hair shiny under the lighting. He was in the middle of working, head down as he tapped on his extended version of a palm reader. It had a lot of attachments, with a board for typing, extra screens, and some holograms popping up so he could research and write at the same time.
“Wow,” I said quickly. “Does mine do all that?” There was even more than I’d thought to still learn.
Alex’s head shot up and his smile was bright and genuine.
“You got a palm reader?” he said, like he hadn’t noticed it at all before now. I’d only been wearing it all week, but I supposed I had been avoiding him, so it was understandable.
He was certainly not up to Rafe’s standards of observation. So far nothing had gotten past the Swiss prince…
And why the fuck was I always comparing Alex and Rafe? It was starting to get annoying, even in my own head.
Alex reached out and wrapped his hand around mine, touching me in the familiar way he’d had since almost the first moment we met. “Yours does everything,” he said, after examining it for a moment.
He still had my hand, and he pulled gently, nudging me into the seat beside him. “Let me show you.”
Alex showed me how to activate all of those final extra features, improving my ability to do schoolwork tenfold. “Thanks,” I said sincerely because he didn’t have to take so much time and be so thorough.
A crooked twist of his lips made my heart stutter. “Pretty sure I’d do anything you asked, Violet. Showing you how to use a palm reader while secretly adding my details and getting yours is nothing.”
A snort of laughter left me. “Okay, I guess you weren’t completely altruistic.”
Alex shrugged. “I rarely am, but I’m seeing there might be some benefits to a bit of an emotional upgrade. You know, if I want to be in your league.”
An insane urge to roll my eyes came over me. He sounded sincere, but he was laying it on so thick that one could suffocate in that much perfection.
“Just keep being yourself,” I suggested. “While also not, if that makes sense.”
Alex laughed, and thankfully we were able to get back to school then. The next hour flew by with all my fancy new gadgets; I was surprised when I noticed everyone packing up for dinner. I did the same, putting back the few books I’d grabbed to help with a research paper on life directly after the Monarch War.
“Ready for dinner?” Alex asked, and I was surprised that he seemed slightly nervous.
“Yep,” I said without hesitation. I’d agreed and I would stick by that, even if it got me into shit with Mattie. Speaking of…
Alex roped me into dinner with him tonight. Sorry to ditch you, but I really need the help with school.
I sent it quickly, all the while hoping my friend wouldn’t be pissed with me. I didn’t like the feeling of having to choose between two warring groups at school. That wasn’t my style.
All good, girl. Catch me after; we’ll watch a movie or something.
Relief hit me hard. Also excitement. A movie? I’d seen only a few in my whole life, so to think I’d get to watch one tonight was enough to send a buzz of energy through my veins.
Alex gestured for me to go first, and I joined the throng of students leaving.
“Thanks for agreeing to have dinner with me,” he said, walking so close our bodies kept brushing against each other.
“This counts as a date,” I blurted. “It’s part of our deal.”
Alex slapped a hand to his chest. “You wound me, Violet Spencer. Here I thought you were starting to enjoy my attention.”
A part of me definitely was.
“Are you feeling better now? You looked a little pale when I caught you beside the nurse’s station,” he segued.
The painkillers had kicked in and I felt fine, so it was easy to say, “Feeling good as new.”
