* * *
After a hearty breakfast by myself, I head to the library, idly roaming the stacks of dusty books until the gardens open to the public. I pick one from the literature section, a chaste romance being the most interesting thing they offered, but find myself unable to focus as I curl up in a stiff armchair to read. I hope Reid and Alexis can work things out on their own, but fear the worst. The last thing I want is to pick sides, but Reid’s talked about Emmrich enough that his interest was clear, while Alexis was already set with Oliver. That should’ve been enough.
At the same time, it’s hard not to envy how she’s both confident and desirable enough to be with multiple men. If I were her, I’d want to enjoy that, too.
Once the six noon bells chime, I make my way to the Academy grounds. I may be alone, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the festivities. It could even provide a chance to meet people outside my frustratingly small circle.
A sizeable crowd of both students and Havenites trickles through the newly formed paths of the transformed landscape, their awed voices less abrasive than I’d expected for such a gathering. It’s a cornucopia of artistic expression, each garden more beautiful than the last, and I wander for several bells, taking in the sights. Despite my attachment to the pink oasis whose creation I witnessed from my window, I eventually discover the clear winner.
This gardener covered their entire area with a shallow pool of smooth obsidian. Perhaps six inches of water fills it, dotted with lily pads and floating flowers, reflecting my face back as I walk along the raised stone pathway that crests the surface. Succulents of various shapes and colors surround the pool, with waterfalls flowing between them.
The path circles the centerpiece—two trees, one with white bark and blood-red leaves, the other dark ebony with leaves of gold, growing beside one another. They bend closer and closer as their trunks entwine, twisting until they merge into one, reaching up to the sky. Water trickles from its highest branches like tears, unending.
A yearning fills me—an ache to have what these trees represent: a love powerful enough to unite two into one.
“Pretty, isn’t it?”
I jump at the voice, then find myself face-to-face with the blond boy who caught me eyeing him at the placement exams. He apologizes for startling me, then introduces himself as Theodore.
“It’s beautiful,” I say, nervously glancing between him and the trees.Is he hoping to ask me to the ball? Why else would he be talking to me?“I never would’ve thought of making something like that.”
“Have you seen the one with black and red flowers just down the way?” he asks. I haven’t, so he takes my hand and pulls me along the path.
My palm’s sweating against his; normally, this would be completely inappropriate, but that’s the theme of the day. So I let him lead me, heart pounding as I pretend I’m Alexis and capable of living a life like hers.
By the time she finds us, the late afternoon sun paints the gardens with a golden light. She doesn’t care an ounce about the sights; she simply needs me to return to the dormitory so she can do my hair for the ball.
“Who was that?” she asks as we step into our sitting room. Sophie’s door is closed tight.
“His name’s Theodore. He said he’d look for me at the ball.” My face burns at the admission, both from what that might mean for my night and anxiety over Alexis’s opinion. But there’s something beneath, too. A tightness in my chest, as if something’s not quite right.
She raises her brow, then shrugs. “Who am I to judge? Now get dressed—we don’t have any time to waste.”
Once I’m in my room, I carefully slip my dress on, its soft fabric sliding along my skin. After clasping its collar around my neck, I glance down to where it catches on the peaks of my breasts, sending goosebumps tickling along my spine. I can’t wear anything underneath to prevent that, not with my back so completely exposed, and heat rushes to my face as I imagine Theodore’s warm fingers grazing my skin if he asks me to dance.
I push the heat back down, warning myself not to get my hopes up.
It takes a significant amount of time for Alexis to style both of our hair, with me awkwardly holding her braids up as she pins them in place. She curls my individual locks into one larger twist, which she affixes to the back of my head. With precise fingers, she weaves pink flowers throughout.
She hands me a small mirror, and my mouth goes dry as I take in my reflection—she was right to style my hair this way. The elegant style highlights my bare shoulders, drawing the eye down the length of my back.
My pulse quickens with nerves. Tonight could fulfill my every fantasy—or utterly humiliate me.
Just breathe.
My innards are completely tangled by the time we reach the Great Hall, just as the first nighttime bell chimes. The gardens have already wilted, incapable of surviving a single day. Workers, likely from Haven, move somberly through the decay, gathering the dead foliage while a crowd of students lingers outside the entry doors, babbling with excitement as they await their partners.
“There’s Oliver!” Alexis adjusts her dress before bouncing into the masses.
She disappears from sight just as someone’s fingers wrap around my hand.
Chapter 15
Ellie
The crowd fades away as my eyes meet Caeo’s gray ones, and the light shining from their blue speckles fills me with a radiant glow. He’s as handsome as ever, the waves of his black hair effortlessly framing his eyes. Despite the occasion, he still wears his Academy uniform, but it doesn’t matter. I couldn’t imagine him in a more formal suit.
He pulls me close. “I found you.”
