“And what about you, Eleanor?” I asked, giving her a pointed look as I started putting my base coat on, like they had done already.
Eleanor’s blush extended out to her ears as she immediately busied herself with her own nails, painting the pink onto them. “I mean…Lorian’s notnothot,” she admitted. “And he’s so weirdly sweet when he thinks no one’s watching. He carried me to my room that one night.”
Aura let out a snort. “Fates, you and Lorian have so much chemistry it makes me uncomfortable.”
“I agree,” I said. “He’s always staring at you.”
The three of us fell into a spiral of giggles as stories poured out. They were harmless gossip, weird dreams, and about our romantic crushes. It wasn’t often that I got to just be a girl, awayfrom the pressure of studying, fighting, training, or constantly looking over my shoulder.
Tibby was the best brother, but he definitely didn’t talk boys with me.
This was nice. I found out that I actually enjoyed spending time with Eleanor and Aura.
By the time we were done, my nails glowed a venomous shade of green, like they’d been dipped in bioluminescence.
I fucking loved them.
“They look deadly,” Aura said proudly.
“They are,” I smirked. “One scratch and you’re paralyzed.”
“Oh, no, that’s just your venom from your fingertips!” Eleanor shook her head, still smiling as she cleaned up the polish bottles. “You’re actually terrifying.”
“Thank you,” I said sweetly, standing and stretching. “But I think I’m gonna head out. Thanks for the nail therapy, ladies.”
“Have fun with Zuko!” Aura teased, flopping back onto her bed dramatically.
Eleanor hugged me gently. “Be safe, okay? We don’t judge, but we do worry. Zuko looks like he’s going to mark you all over.”
I gave her a wink. “I wouldn’t mind that at all.”
She gasped as Aura laughed.
As I slipped out of Aura’s room, my nails looked so badass, I couldn’t help but feel a little more loved somehow.
I had friends—realfriends.
It was something I’d always wanted.
“Are you really going to Zuko’s?” Dimitri’s smooth voice hit my ears.
I jolted, holding a hand to my heart, looking over at him.
He was out of his academy-issued suit, wearing only his sweatpants and holding a crystal chalice of blood from the kitchen. I couldn’t stop myself from scanning my eyes over him and memorizing his tattoos. He had “be good, do good” scriptedacross his ribcage, “art” written on his right wrist, “trust” on his left wrist, and a rose on his right pec. The tattoos were hot, but the scar on his throat twisted my heart in a painful way.
It had been far too long since someone had snuck up on me, but I was glad it was just Dimitri.
I found myself nodding. “Yeah, why not? He has venom I’ve never tried before.”
His gaze dipped to my throat. “I have venom, too.”
Intrigue flooded me. “I’ve never tried vampire venom before either.”
He smirked, leaning in until I could smell his cinnamon and nutmeg scent. “Too bad you’re not getting mine.”
I gasped, taking a step back. “Rude.”
“Sorry, lethal darling, but I want to beat you this year fairly. Not because you’re distracted, and my venom would certainlydistractyou.” He turned on his heel, went into his room, and shut the door without turning back.
