Chapter 31
Arax
Tingles.
I opened my eyes to them oscillating through my body, and my lips curled into a little smile.
I had been clutching my shoulder in my sleep, softly running my fingers over the same patch of skin Konstantine had deigned to kiss with his touch only a few hours before.
Stretching out, I rolled over and crushed my face into the pillow, unable to rid it of its ridiculous smile.
That early morning hour had been… wonderful.
Spectacularly adorable even. That was a word I’d never thought I’d use for that scowling behemoth.
I didn’t want to read too much into it, so I busied myself by going through the pedestrian motions of getting up and dressed.
The day of the party had arrived, and the castle was buzzing with excitement.
I tried to stay out of the way as much as possible with the arrangements that were happening.
I knew Penelope and her family were important people in this place, but when I ventured into the main areas of the castle, it really hit me just how important they were.
Florists, caterers, and multiple party planners had been brought in for the occasion.
They sped past me, mumbling to themselves and to one another.
One might think it was a coronation or a wedding, but no.
It was all for Pen’s twenty-fifth birthday.
I could tell she liked things big, and I was happy for her.
In the short time I’d known her and Vallon, they had embraced me right away and brought me into their group.
Despite how inseparable they were, they couldn’t be more opposite.
Penelope was loud and opinionated and bossy, whereas Vallon, I noticed, was often the calm voice of reason, much quieter than her friend. It was why their friendship worked.
I tiptoed into the kitchen in a futile search for a cup of coffee, but the madness drove me outside, where it wasn’t any less crazy.
The main part of the castle seemed to be the base of operations, and my curiosity got the best of me.
I followed the convoy of preparations to portions of the grounds I’d seen in passing but hadn’t explored.
The doors on the west wing of the castle, where I was staying, connected to a massive courtyard, surrounded on two sides by equally massive stone structures.
It was being transformed into a concert area.
A stage had been set up, along with several tents for what could eventually become bars and lounges.
The courtyard bled into the gardens, which were also undergoing a huge transformation, judging by the number of people assigned to handling their decor.
This was going to be one extravagant affair.
I thought back to my own twenty-fifth, just under a year ago. It was the first birthday that I had been completely alone. My entire family was gone. I’d shunned Danny and holed myself up in my apartment, with nothing to do and no one around.
I shook my head free of my depressing thoughts and followed the trees down a path, which led outside the grounds.
I had been meaning to walk around anyway. I knew my days were numbered here, and I realized that despite two visits to this… place, I had never been anywhere besides the castle.
Leaving felt odd, but as soon as I rounded the corner and came upon the main road, the strange feeling I had was replaced with one of sheer delight.
The town I was walking through recalled places for me that I’d only seen in travel magazines, far-off destinations too beautiful to be real.
The layout was exquisite. Cobblestone streets were lined with perfectly manicured trees and greenery, behind them rows of shops and restaurants and other businesses crafted in architecture that seemed to take its inspiration from the romance of the ancients.
Their roofs were set against a background of rolling hills, with substantial-looking houses peppering throughout them before they disappeared into the mountains.
I had stumbled into a magical world, and the thought of leaving it in a few days’ time left a feeling of hollowness deep inside me.
My stomach rumbled, reminding me that it needed sustenance while my brain wanted coffee. I quickly located a quaint sidewalk café. Despite it being a lovely day, it was unusually dead. I was served quickly, but when I went to pay, the cashier shyly waved me off.
“I got it,” a soft voice said behind me.
I spun and saw Vallon walking toward us, her sweet smile brightening my mood.
“I came to get you, but you’d already escaped,” she said with a laugh, the chaos of the party preparation obviously too much for her as well.
“Good morning, Del—Vallon, will you be having the usual?” the cashier asked, greeting her with a touch of formality. She nodded at him and shut me down again after I tried to pay. Once we had our food, we found a bright spot outside and sat.
I’d anticipated a day spent by myself and I knew I was being rude, but I couldn’t bring myself to make idle chitchat. Vallon, though, didn’t seem to notice. She breezed easily through my awkwardness, commenting on Penelope’s complete disregard for her brother’s party budget.
“Her birthday is only once a year but I swear, it’s Pen that keeps the economy of this place as healthy as it is. I cannot wait to see his face when he sees all the extras she ordered!” She said through a forkful of eggs.
Both of us were hungry, and we lapsed into silence.
I chewed slowly, suddenly feeling down and melancholy.
Vallon’s eyes were on me as she leaned back in her chair, sipping her coffee while drumming her nails lightly on the wooden armrest. Wraps, tinted with dried blood, covered her knuckles, and under the scattered sunlight her skin was dewy with perspiration.
“Were you beating people up this morning?” I asked, nodding at the wraps.
“Only Jason,” she grinned, “don’t worry, he’s into it.”
I went quiet again, but Vallon wasn’t about to let the conversation lose momentum.
“Rox, talk to me,” she said lightly. “What’s on your mind?
“It’s nothing,” I answered.
She took another sip and frowned. “Fine, but let me take a stab at it.” She set her drink aside and crossed her legs.
“You can admit you like it here, even after such a short time.” She went on, not giving me a chance to argue.
“You don’t have to pretend we haven’t grown on you.
It’s just been a few days, and you’ve already got color in your cheeks!
” She paused, long enough for me to look up.
“Or maybe… It’s because of your gigantic new crush on a certain Greek grump. ”
I may have kept quiet, but the hot flash that spread along my skin spilled every secret I possessed. I tried to swallow, but the piece of bread in my mouth had turned into lava and burned all the way down.
Vallon continued. “Rox, I know you’re confused. This place will do that to you when you’re an outsider. Now I’m not going to say anything further, but trust me when I say I think you should give him a chance. Go with your gut, and I think your gut is telling you, you belong here.”
I didn’t know how to respond. So I smiled at her and Vallon had the look of satisfaction one gets when they know they’ve hit every single nail on the head.
We made it back to the castle, which was pretty much in the same state of disorder as I had left it. We parted but not before Vallon said she’d come by later to help me choose an outfit and get ready.
Back in my room, I sat on the sofa with my dream journal, sniffing the jasmine bud pressed into its inner cover, my fingers twisting into my hair.
Today’s entry was going to be different than the rest, and while this day of all days was supposed to be a happy occasion, writing something new brought with it a feeling of foreboding.
I tried not to think too hard about it, keeping myself as detached as possible from the words I was writing.
I rested my head on the back of the couch and closed my heavy eyes when I was done.
A loud knock woke me up from my uncomfortable but luckily dreamless nap. It was hours later and nearly dusk. I hurriedly opened the door and saw Vallon smiling up at me, looking done up in cherry-red lips. Her skin and eyelids glowed with a pearlescent shimmer.
“Sorry for barging in. I know I’m early.”
I invited her in and noticed she had a large trunk and a bag in one hand.
“What’s all this?” I asked, following her into the bathroom.
She filled the counter with hair and makeup products. “This,” she said, pointing to her arsenal, “is me saving you from Penelope.”
She dragged a chair from the bedroom and began with my hair, doing things to it I did not have the patience or dexterity to do myself. By the time she had finished with my skin and was working on my makeup, I was unbelievably relaxed. She had a soothing touch and talked while she worked.
“I love Pen,” she said, smearing my face with a concoction that smelled expensive and felt like luxury, “but she doesn’t hold back sometimes.”
I grinned. “Yeah, I noticed.”
“She wanted to make you over, but I didn’t think you in tears would be a good look for the party.”
I laughed, thanking her profusely for coming to my rescue from Penelope’s fashion critiques. She swiped something sparkling across my lids and smiled in satisfaction.
Considering how long it had taken, I got worried, time-wise and because I knew she was dealing with a less-than-stellar canvas.
She fluffed my hair and looked at her work proudly. “Ready?”