“Oh, pardon me. After you.” Vaughan held out his hand, waiting for us to lead the way. On his face was a placid smile, as if he were oblivious to what he’d interrupted. Or almost interrupted. Thealmostpart left me feeling like someone had yanked a chair out from under me and I was still falling.
Rush peeled off to the left and marched down an upstairs hallway without a word as I descended the foyer stairs and walked the familiar path back to House Ruby.
A few students heading out for early workouts or study sessions in the library whispered loudly as I passed them in the halls. I smiled and nodded at them.
In the Ruby common room, silence fell among the few milling students as I entered. Prescott and Clarence already sat bent over breakfast plates piled high, and Vanya was pouring herself a cup of tea from a pot that had been left on a stone trivet on their table. She smiled at me, then scanned the room, as if waiting for someone to say something.
“Welcome back,” Vanya said, voice hoarse. She covered a huge yawn, which I reciprocated.
No one said anything as I made myself a breakfast plate, relishing the scents of cinnamon scones, the sharp smell of the aged cheeses, and the blessed smell of coffee. I hadn’t had coffee since leaving Cardan Lott. I walked straight to where my friends sat and took the empty seat beside Clarence.
The man in charge of making sure our common room had hot coffee and tea every morning quietly picked up a cup, filled it with coffee, added a splash of cream, and brought it to me.
I looked up at him with surprise.
“Glad to see you back,” he said with a faint smile. He bowed as he walked back to stand against the wall, like he had done almost every morning I’d been a student here, save his off days.
My brows lifted as I took up my cup and inhaled.
“They say they know all the secrets of the school,” whispered Prescott, leaning against Vanya’s shoulder.
She giggled in response, but I turned around and nodded at the man, whose name was Alfred. I’d asked him once, months ago. He returned the gesture.
I sipped coffee and chatted idly with the others about the upcoming ball. I soon lost track of the conversation, gazing out the window at the dark outline of a dragon soaring over the forest.
“Wait, you don’t have a dress!” Vanya said, as if this were a greater tragedy than nearly losing my dragon.
“I do, actually,” I said, sipping the last of my coffee. “Fairfax commissioned it months ago.”
Just then, Rush sidled in from the boys’ dormitory, hair perfectly combed back, uniform as pristine as always.How did he get in?There must be more secret passageways, or he was good at scaling walls. He did not once look my direction. Mychest caved in as he strolled to the couch and flopped down. Scarlett quickly slithered toward him and perched beside him.
This was going to be misery.
Clarence adjusted his glasses and gave me an awkward smile before walking away. The rest of the day, Prescott pretended to be disinterested in me any time Rush was around, only hanging near me because of Vanya. Clarence would smile at me if we made eye contact, but Rushland Covington was a locked safe.
Barely concealed scowls and overly loud whispers followed me all day. Nothing terribly new about that, other than Professor Siva’s furious look when I marched into literature class. He harangued me with questions about our recent text, growing angrier and angrier each time I answered correctly.
All day, Vanya hung close to my side and Rush remained as far from me as possible.
The hole inside me grew deeper.
The following day, decorations for the ball had been completed, and the students buzzed with energy and excitement. The snow melted in the early spring sunshine, but the air was still cold and sharp, especially in the morning. Between chatter about the ball and arguments about who would win the opening race of the season in the arena, whispers of the next night race filtered through the student body. Invitations were given out; the pulse quickened in the halls, the tempo of conversation and footsteps increasing.
Fairfax was still planning to make me race against Rush.
More invitations had been given out this time, it appeared. As far as I could tell, everyone at Cardan Lott had been invited. How Fairfax had managed this, I didn’t know, nor did I care at this point.
The race hung like an executioner’s noose in my mind. Fairfax had said Azeron would die if Rush won, and I knew if I lost I’d never see the inside of Cardan Lott again. But therehad to be an alternative option. The duke would likely need to administer magic, somehow, to Azeron to ensure his victory, so there was still a chance we could stop him. We’d think of something. Vanya didn’t mention the stakes, but she stayed close, quieter than usual, a sign that she felt the weight of it too.
Going two days without a glance from Rush was another shovelful from the grave being dug inside of me.
Shep, however, had been eager to speak to me.
“Glad you’re back,” he’d said the morning I’d returned. “I heard you passed the bond test.”
I had no doubt plenty of rumors had been circulating in my absence.
He’d then asked me to the ball. Just as Rush had suspected he would.
