Chapter 32
CHAPTER 32
Ivy
“Are you sure it’s okay we’re here?” I ask Océane while I tug on my yellow dress to try to keep it in place. “It looks like a frat party.”
She nods and leans in to yell through the noise. “Talon’s a Phantom.”
“Oh, really?” No wonder he didn’t like Felix and Heath.
“They know me,” she adds. “Besides, the Phantom Society throws amazing parties.”
She turns around and nudges me with her ass, so I do the same and we dance back-to-back to the music, vibing away. It’s been a long time since I last let myself go like this, and honestly, I could do this more often if it wasn’t for the cost.
But I’ll pay Mrs. Schwartz all the money in the world for just a night of this.
Nothing feels better than shutting off my brain and letting the music take over, even if we’re forced to wear these white half-masks that remind me of the Phantom of the Opera . The Phantoms think it adds an element of danger to the excitement, but all it does is confuse me.
“Ivy?” Aspen’s voice makes me stop and do a double take as she peeks beneath my mask. “Wait, it really is you. You’re here!”
Guess I’m not the only one who’s confused.
She throws her arms around me. “Eep, I’m so glad you’re here!”
“Hehe, yeah, I just thought, why not?” I reply. “Wait, I thought you weren’t supposed to be here? Something about homework.”
She shushes me. “Don’t say that out loud. I’m not here, so if anyone asks, you didn’t see me, okay?”
“Right.” I wink.
“Just don’t tell anyone.”
I make a key-turning-in-a-lock motion near my mouth. “My lips are sealed.”
“You should’ve told me you were coming, dude, I would’ve waited,” Océane tells Aspen, sighing.
“And risk my brother finding out I was going?” Aspen snorts. “He definitely would’ve told my parents.”
Océane raises a brow. “Which brother?”
Aspen shrugs. “Both.”
“But Xavier isn’t even in the Skull and Serpent Society …” I say.
With her lips smashed shut, she just eyes me and then averts her gaze to a bunch of muscled masked dudes standing near the door, chatting with new guests.
“Is it Levi?” I mutter.
Aspen smashes her hand in front of my mouth. “He’ll hear you. Don’t summon him.”
I laugh when she finally removes her hand. “Over this noise?”
“You don’t know him. He has ears like a hawk.”
I glance at the boys, who sometimes glance back, and every time they do, Aspen disappears either behind me or behind Océane.
“Why don’t you just talk to him?”
Her face turns white as snow beneath the mask. “Ha-ha, absolutely not.”
“They used to be best friends,” Océane says. “Or so I’ve been told because I see none of it.”
“We grew apart.” She shrugs. “Doesn’t matter. As long as no one draws attention, he won’t notice me, and I can just enjoy the night.”
But I can’t stop staring at the three dudes in the doorway, with their lean-cut muscles and olive skin. One has short pitch-black hair and icy-gray eyes, while the other has curly blond hair and such an androgynous-looking face, I’m mesmerized. The third has black hair, a middle-parted fringe, and a scorpion tattoo. Levi . But I don’t recognize the others.
“Who are those other guys?” I ask.
Océane throws her arm over my shoulders. “The blond guy with the curly hair, the sharp cheekbones, and the bushy brows, that’s Orion. He’s in the Tartarus House, though. The guy standing next to Levi, the one with the broad shoulders and that blackout tattoo on his neck and arms, is Apollo. He’s in the Phantom Society.”
“Apollo?” I snort as I take a look. “What kind of a name is that?”
“Oh yeah, it gets worse,” she says. “His younger brother’s name is Atlas, but he’s not here at the university yet. Their parents obviously went with a theme.”
“Greek gods?” I make a face. “Cringe.”
“They act like they are, though,” Aspen says, ogling her eyes out. “And look at those muscles. I can’t remember Apollo being this … well-endowed.”
“Girl, you grew up with them. What do you even mean?” Océane jests. “Your parents are friends.”
“That doesn’t mean I saw them every day. Maybe every other month. I’m just saying … he filled out.” Aspen bites her lip, then looks at us, giggling. “What? A girl can fantasize about anyone and anything.”
“Right.” Océane rolls her eyes. “You just can’t stop drooling over those Torres boys, can you?”
Aspen’s jaw drops. “I am not drooling.”
“So wait, those Torres boys, are they all related?” I ask.
“No, Apollo and Atlas are Levi’s cousins,” Aspen says.
“No wonder he’s the only one with a normal name.”
Océane laughs. “Glad I’m not the only one who noticed.”
“I think they’re all fine as fuck,” Aspen says.
“Stop letting those ovaries do the talking.” Océane rolls her eyes.
“Easy for you to say, you already have a boyfriend to jump,” Aspen replies.
“That’s not important.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“I know how to appreciate a nice physique without lusting after it,” she says.
“Appreciate a nice physique?”
Talon’s stern voice makes us all look over our shoulders with dread.
He’s standing right behind Océane and looking madly obsessed. Or borderline psycho, I can’t tell.
“Don’t tell me you were ogling those Tartarus and Phantom Boys. They like the attention too much. Especially from pretty girls like you.” He grips her shoulders and leans in. “I might have to break their legs to take them down a notch.”
“What?” I gasp.
“He doesn’t mean it,” Océane says.
His fingers dig into her shoulders. “I don’t?”
She sighs out loud and says, “Talon’s gonna go grab me a drink. See ya, guys.” She grabs his hand and leads him through the crowd, but his gaze seems fixated on her.
“He’s madly in love with her, isn’t he?” I mutter.
“He’s something all right.” Aspen snorts. “Anyway, I’m gonna go find the bathroom. You coming too?”
I shake my head. “No, I actually wanna look around for a bit. See if I can find more familiar faces among the sea of white masks.”
“Oh, well, good luck then. I’m going to go find Mavis after this, so if you need me, call me, okay?”
We hug and each head in a different direction.
But I’m not interested in finding anyone in particular.
In fact, where I’m going, I’d rather not anyone recognize me at all.
Heath
We pick up the white masks lying near the entrance of the Phantom Society building and put them on before heading inside. The building is huge, and the glass dome in the middle of the roof lets in an eerie light from the night sky. With its wooden paneled walls and tapestries, the place itself looks haunted by ghosts of the past. A perfect place for someone interested in the occult, and I smile at the thought of digging in to all the books this place has to offer. Mavis would have a field day.
“Now I remember why I never came here,” Silas scoffs, looking around. “All these fucking creeps.”
“Like you’re any better.” I snort.
“What? They’re all liars and cheats.”
“And the Skull and Serpents are killers. We all know the gossip.”
He tilts his head and smirks. “It’s not gossip if it’s true.”
I roll my eyes and take two champagne glasses off a server walking around with a tray, and I shove one into Silas’s hand. “Here. You need to relax.”
“I’m calm.” He looks around like he’s trying to find someone.
“You don’t look calm,” I reply.
“Where is she?” he mutters.
“We have plenty of time for that later,” I say, whisking him away from the stairs and into the crowd. “Let’s mingle first.”
“We can’t catch her if we’re not there to witness it,” he grits.
“Don’t worry about it. I got it covered.”
“How?” He frowns. “What the fuck aren’t you telling me?”
“Well, hello to you too.” Two strong hands land on each of our shoulders, forcing us to turn around and face the giant with his scarred-up face partially hidden behind a mask. “If it isn’t my two favorite Serpents.”
Apollo Torres. A monster so cruel he might even put Silas to shame. Both of them have no conscience, but Apollo? He doesn’t even get angry. Zero emotions, ever. And best of all? He’s my goddamn half brother.
He leans between us, a vicious smile on his face just as menacing as Silas’s, if not worse. “And here I was thinking you two hated the Phantom Society.”
“We do,” Silas retorts.
“I’m fine with anyone,” I reply. “As long as there’s a good party.”
“Same, bro,” Apollo says.
“I’m not here for the party,” Silas replies.
“Oh?” Interest sparkles in Apollo’s killer eyes. “Do I smell an ulterior motive?”
Silas knocks his hand off his shoulder. “Another time.”
“I’m bored.” Our other half brother, Orion Navarro, approaches while swirling a glass of wine. “Nothing fun ever happens at these Phantom parties.”
“Oh, c’mon. I know you’re just spoiled with those oversexed Tartarus House parties.” Apollo slaps him on the back.
“There’s girls, booze, music. What else does one need?” I reply, shrugging as we saunter around through the crowd.
Apollo’s smoldering laughter fills the room before he abruptly quiets and whispers, “Murder.”
Silas stares him down, not in a scared kind of way, but in a territorial kind of way. And I don’t like it one bit.
“Okay, why don’t you two just go in different directions,” I say, pushing Apollo toward the five girls in the back, who were all gawking at him and chuckling to themselves at the sight of his thick muscles.
“Why? You don’t wanna hang with me tonight? Heath …” He pretends a fake knife stabs him as he slowly walks backward into the girls. “You wound me.”
“Don’t hurt my brother like that, Heath,” Orion says, throwing his arm around Apollo.
I snort. “You act like he ain’t my brother too.” I make a heart with my hands, and Apollo winks and turns around to head to the ladies.
“Jesus Christ, I can’t believe you’re all related,” Silas says.
“Don’t offend me. I’m nothing like him.” Orion takes a sip of his wine and licks his lips. “He wishes he could be me.”
I roll my eyes. “You wish.”
“You three are fucking weird,” Silas says.
I raise a brow. “Unlike you?” I laugh. “ All our fucking families are weird, Silas.”
Silas shrugs and strolls off. “Whatever. I’m going to throw out my hook. See if the fish take the bait.”
“Fish?” Orion frowns. “What kind of nasty girls is he into?”
I snort. “Metaphorically.”
“Oh …” Orion’s voice suddenly gets all dainty as he runs his fingers through his wavy dark-blond locks. “So he’s not into girls at all?”
“Oh, he is. But mostly for other kinky stuff,” I reply, clearing my throat. “It’s not my business.”
I’m not about to tell the fucking world what it is we like to do.
Orion chuckles and puts his wine down. “Well, I don’t blame him. So much pleasure in this world, yet we all hunger for more.” He sighs out loud, like he’s languishing in these bright strobe lights that flash through the dark rooms. “Man, these lights are giving me a headache. I’m going to find a private room to rest. See you later.”
“Bye,” I say, and he walks off, rubbing his forehead.
But my eyes immediately fall on the figure walking through the hallways with a giant bouquet, his brown, side-swept hair peeking out from the mask. My eyes narrow. That looks like …
Max .
Ivy
I take off this damn mask, chuck it aside, and sink to my knees in front of the mini vault in this bedroom.
Jackpot .
I slowly begin to roll the buttons around to find the combination. I don’t care how long it’s going to take me; I am going to open this thing and get ahold of the money.
Sweat rolls down my forehead, and I pray no one will come inside. The party downstairs provides so much background noise that it’s hard to focus on the task, but I refuse to give up.
This is my life.
Not just my livelihood.
My actual fucking life is at stake. And not just mine, but Cora’s too.
I have to get this money, no matter the cost.
I wipe away the sweat and keep turning the buttons.
However, a sudden squeak in the back of the room makes me turn my ears like a goddamn cat, and I shimmy away to the desk, rolling underneath it before whoever it is sees me.
“Ivy? I know you’re in here.”
That sounded like …
Frowning, I crawl out from underneath the desk. “Max?”
Like all the other guests, he’s wearing an eerie-looking white mask that belongs to the Phantom Society house, which covers only half his face. But it doesn’t suit him at all.
He shuts the door behind him. “What are you doing here?”
It’s only after I said the words that my eyes slide down his body, and I notice the giant bouquet in his hand.
Oh God.