Chapter 30
Bloody Mary
Sinta
It was embarrassing how easily I’d forgotten about my laundry.
Waking up on Thursday morning to no clean underwear had been a lovely surprise.
Having to go commando for my classes was embarrassing. And uncomfortable.
Why did guys like it so much?
My jeans were rubbing in places they shouldn’t be touching. I hated it.
So I resolved myself to an afternoon of laundry – after I got through my tutoring and Art class.
“Hey! You ready?” Yelana beams.
“Hey! Why aren’t you with Imelda?’ I question.
Being the Princesses’ bodyguard, Yelana was never away from her side.
Which made me all the more concerned.
“Had a little issue to deal with. She’s already waiting for us.” She says and gestures for me to walk with her.
We enter the library and start to make our way to our usual room.
The students inside give Yelana a wide birth.
When she’s not looking they toss snide looks my way.
Ignoring it, I focus on Yelana and the blood on her red leather jacket.
I would’ve missed it if I hadn’t been able to smell it layered into her usual scent of ozone and metal. Her jacket was the perfect colour to hide arterial spray.
“What happened?” I ask quietly. “Did someone try to hurt her?”
Yelana catches my glance at her sleeve.
She shrugs. “It was just a security threat. Someone let a nosy pap onto the island. It’s dealt with.”
“Pap?”
“Paparazzi. It happens. Some news stations will pay millions to get a juicy story about Imelda.”
“But she’s okay?”
She nods. “Yeah. We got an alert that someone was snooping around the House while we were waiting for you. I went and sorted it. He never even got near her.”
I nod. “Good.”
Opening the door, Yelana gestures me ahead into the room.
“Of course I am upset, Bladgood. The island is supposed to be secure.” Imelda snaps into her phone.
“Yikes.” I mumble.
Plopping down into an armchair, Yelana takes up position closest to the door.
I climb onto the window seat and pull my backpack onto my lap.
“It shouldn’t have happened at all. ‘These things happen’ is not an appropriate excuse.” She barks, stood before the fireplace in what could only be described as a power pose.
She was wearing a slacks and vest combo today, both a royal blue velvet. She had a sheer white button-up on under the vest, and her usual choice of elegant white heels.
She’d done her hair up in an intricate knot that had to have been accomplished with magic and wore a pair of gorgeous gold chandelier earrings.
Turning towards me, she manages a strained smile.
I smile back and gesture to her outfit, mouthing ‘I love that’.
Her smile widens as she winks.
I especially loved the gold buttons shaped like little dragons on her vest.
“She’s got to leave for an event this afternoon with her mother. We’ll be back in time for your session with me tomorrow afternoon.” Yelana whispers.
I nod.
“You will not hang up, or you will be dealing with my mother.” Imelda snaps.
I swear the temperature drops with her fury, the air icing.
I shudder in the face of it – and the fact that she’s talking to the headmistress like that. I hadn’t heard much about Bladgood, but the little I knew of her made me wary.
Being a thousand year old Fae with stories of legendary battle tended to give you a pretty solid reputation.
But I dared say Imelda could match her.
“You may put me on hold, temporarily, but this conversation will continue, Aunery. Do not test me.” Imelda intones.
Then she lowers the phone.
“Aunery?” I question.
“Bladgood’s given name. Don’t say it too loud, people think she’s like Bloody Mary.” She warns.
“Bloody Mary isn’t real.” I scoff. “That’s a human tale.”
“She was real.” Yelana chuckles. “That bitch rained terror on humans for centuries. Then she pissed off the King of House Onyx and Bone, and he had her imprisoned in a mirror.”
“You’re fucking with me.”
Imelda snorts. “I wish. It was the previous king a few centuries ago, and my mother bartered that mirror from him. It’s gaudy and hideous, and sometimes she just stands there and stares at you.”
“Your mother?”
“No. Bloody Mary.”
Right. Who is real. And apparently a Fae. Trapped in a mirror.
“Fucking hell.” I mutter.
“I need to resume this call. Is it okay if today we just study? You have some reading to do, I believe, and Yelana and I have to practice our Ancient Greek.”
“Yuck.” Yelana groans.
Pulling out one of the heavy tomes from my bag, I read the title. “’Draconic Fae; Breeds, Powers, and Histories.’ Sounds interesting.”
“Ooohhh, I like that one. It covers a few gory battles from like six centuries ago. Lot’s of cool death illustrations.” Yelana cackles.
“Oh, yes please.” I croon.
“Nerds.” Imelda sighs, then returns to her phone. “Yes, I’m here. No, that will not be satisfactory.”
“Get ‘em.” I quip, diving into my book.
I never feel as pathetic as when I’m washing laundry.
Seeing exactly how much clothing I have always makes me feel a little extra poor.
It’s depressing.
Folding my meagre eight pairs of underwear and placing them with their matching bras, I check how much longer the rest of my clothes have to go.
Five minutes.
Hearing chatter from the kitchen and checking my phone, I deduct that the guys must be organising dinner.
Perfect timing.
“Are you avoiding me?”
Spinning to face him, I stare at his usual easy grin and his bare chest – since he never seems to be wearing a damn shirt – and take in the dark blue Marks that swirl over his shoulders.
Realising I’m ogling the guy I’m furious with, I blast him with a steely glare instead.
“Yes. I am.” I snap.
He rears back at my acerbic tone, blinking.
“………. Why?”
“You know why.” I growl.
His dumbfounded look turns into wary confusion.
Genuine wary confusion.
Either he was dumb as rocks or a better actor than I thought.
Raising a hand when he goes to speak, I shush him with a finger.
Rushing around him I close the laundry door.
Then I turn and lean back against it so he can’t escape the verbal lashing I’m about to give him.
“I am so angry with you right now I could throw you in the washing machine to see if a kraken can drown.” I snap.
We both draw back in shock.
How would I even fit him in the washing machine? He’s huge!
“What? Why are you angry—”
“Why would you flirt with me when you are with someone?!” I demand, ignoring the hand he reaches for me. “Do I look like the kind of girl that’s okay with cheating? Because I’m not, it disgusts me, and the fact that you’d put me in that position tells me I was really, really wrong about what kind of male you are!” I growl.
He gives me a wary look, starting to shake his head. “Sinta, I don’t—”
Angry he might try to lie, furious he would deny what I’d seen, I lunge forward and slap a hand over his surprised face.
Leaning close, so close our noses touch, I stare into his blue eyes above mine and state, “I saw you with Tomashi. Why didn’t you tell me you are dating him?!”
Rapid turns white as a ghost, and I know I wasn’t wrong at all.
“Is that really what you are like? You flirt with girls when you have a boyfriend?” I whisper, pulling back and wrapping my arms around my middle.
Most of my anger was gone and now I just felt a whole lot of hurt.
Never having had a male be genuinely interested in me past a night of sex, I’d liked the thought of Rapid wanting more. Hadn’t realised how much I’d liked his attention.
Elijah and Fade had made their move on me, but Rapid had been there first. I’d thought he was genuine.
Obviously my judgement sucked.
“Devil Eyes.” He croons, face fallen, and reaches for me.
I shake my head, twisting out of his reach.
“Sinta, it’s not like that.” He tries again, stepping close and grasping my arms.
“Oh, god, not that line.” I groan, glaring.
“It really isn’t.” He insists. “Me and Tomashi…. It’s not—we’re complicated. People don’t know,” He stops, takes a deep breath, and rubs my arms. “Tomashi and I are technically not together – not publicly. It’s a private relationship, not even the guys know……..”
I frown. “Why not? How do I know this isn’t some practiced line you feed unsuspecting females?”
“Well, Tomashi and I are bisexual, for starters.” He admits, and I blink. “We are exclusive with each other – as in we don’t see other males. But we see females; sometimes separately and sometimes together. No one knows Tomashi and I are a thing….. we didn’t even realise you were home.” He mumbles and looks a little panicked about it.
“I wasn’t feeling well. I was going to get water and saw you guys in the hallway, so I just went back to my room.” I mutter. “Why is it secret?”
“I—” Face pinching, Rapid stares at the door behind us while he thinks, biting his lip.
“If you’re trying to think up an elaborate lie—”
“I’m not, I’m just not sure I should share Tomashi’s private business.” Rapid sighs.
“Is this why he hates me so much? Because you were flirting with me?”
He gives me his signature wicked grin, and I have to remind myself it is not an appropriate time to blush.
“Honestly? I don’t know. I’ve publicly dated guys before, so everyone knows I’m Bi, but Mashi hasn’t…..” He murmurs.
“He’s not ready to come out?”
A pained look flashes in his eyes. “More like he can’t. His parents aren’t……. accepting. Mashi has never had a great home life, he walks on eggshells around them. This would send them off the rails.” He pauses, pinning me with an intense look that was so unlike him I almost want to step back. “This is his secret. It’s a huge deal, Sinta. I can trust you not to tell, right? I want to be able to trust you.”
“Like, life or death secret? They’re that bad?” I whisper, horrified.
To think, in this day and age, the leaders of an old and grand House were bigots.
Even if it was privately………..
“They’re the kind of people that would send him away to one of those torture reform camps until they’re sure he’s straight.” Rapid mutters, voice hoarse.