Chapter 13 Elodie
THIRTEEN
ELODIE
“Are you sure you have to leave me?” Rion murmurs, his lips brushing against mine as he strokes his thumb across my cheek, crowding me with my back pressed against my bedroom door.
I consider my options as I feel myself faltering under his salacious stare, but I definitely need some solitude before I get sucked up into his orbit completely.
“I’m sure,” I murmur, reaching up on my tiptoes to press against his lips. He matches me with just as much passion, and I already hate myself for sticking to my decision.
“I’m going to be thinking about you,” he breathes, and I hum in agreement as our lips caress once again. “Am I forgiven?” he asks, leaning back enough for me to peer into his eyes as I nip at my bottom lip.
“I think so,” I confess, unable to recall a reason for me to be mad at him at all.
Satisfied and accomplished, he winks, taking a step back, and I already hate the distance as he edges toward his room, but before I can change my mind, I spin to my own door.
Thankfully, when I twist the door handle, it opens before me.
I rush inside, swinging it shut behind me before using the wood to prop me up.
My eyelids fall closed as I take a deep breath.
“Well, you look thoroughly fucked,” Ocean hollers, making me giggle as I grasp at my torn shirt and pry my eyes open.
“Stop,” I warn, cutting the distance toward my bed, flopping down on the mattress. Ocean ignores me as she wags her eyebrows with a smirk spread across her face. “You're an idiot,” I insist, making her beam brighter.
“And you're a lot less tense and snarly. Post-sex glow looks good on you,” she fires back, her amusement evident, and I plaster my hands over my face, hiding my embarrassment.
“Someone please save me from the insanity of this woman,” I call out, making her laugh louder.
“You love it. Now, do you want to get changed?” she asks, and I pry my hands from my face as I cock a brow at her.
“Into what? Another uniform?” I retort, still aware of the torn shirt barely covering my chest, despite my best efforts to salvage some modicum of modesty, and she rolls her eyes.
“I can lend you some of my clothes.”
I give her a pointed look. “You already did that this week, remember?” A shudder burns down my spine at the memory of why I had to wear her clothes and what happened when I did, but she quickly pulls me from my thoughts as she proceeds.
“Then we're going to head into The Vale right now to sort it out,” she states, swinging her legs over the side of her bed as she turns to face me head on.
“We are?” I repeat, uncertainty starting to war inside of me as she stands with a nod.
“For sure.”
“I don't have any money,” I admit, watching as her brows furrow together.
“None?” she repeats for clarification, and I shake my head. “Did you check your card in your introduction paperwork?” she pushes, and I frown.
“I don't remember a card,” I confess, climbing off my bed just as quickly as I got on it. Opening the top drawer of my nightstand, I rummage through the few measly belongings stacked on top before pulling out the paperwork in question.
I spy the sheet of rules on top.
Rule one: No tardiness.
Rule two: Beds must be made and rooms must be tidy at all times.
Rule three: Always be presentable.
Rule four: Take pride in your institute.
Rule five: Respect everyone in The Vale.
Rule six: Know your place in the hierarchy of the institutes.
Rule seven: Do not use your magical abilities on another student or staff, whether intended for harm or otherwise.
Rule eight: Strive to excel.
Rule nine: Do not steal.
Rule ten: Do not enter the institutes you are not assigned to.
My eyes glance over each one, counting how many I've broken as I go.
Rule one: No tardiness.
Rule two: Beds must be made and rooms must be tidy at all times.
Rule three: Always be presentable. Not based on my current state.
Rule four: Take pride in your institute.
Rule five: Respect everyone in The Vale.
Rule six: Know your place in the hierarchy of the institutes.
Rule seven: Do not use your magical abilities on another student or staff, whether intended for harm or otherwise.
Rule eight: Strive to excel.
Rule nine: Do not steal.
Rule ten: Do not enter the institutes you are not assigned to.
Running my hands through the packet, I pause when I feel something firm between the sheets. Flipping through them, I pull out a piece of paper with a card stuck to it.
Name: Elodie Blackwell.
Address: twenty-seven sixteen Cherry Blossom Lane, Lot two-one-three.
Account balance: Twenty-five thousand dollars.
My eyes bug out of my head as I gulp in a breath. My fingers tremble. “Twenty-five thousand dollars,” I breathe. “How?” I rasp, glancing at Ocean, desperate for answers, but she shrugs.
“I don't know. My parents finance mine,” she states, and I scoff.
“My parents wouldn't even spare a quarter for me, not that I imagine they know I’m here,” I offer, my stomach churning.
Ocean cuts across the distance, glancing at the paperwork beside me. “Well, that definitely says twenty-five thousand dollars,” she confirms, and my blood runs cold.
“The job,” I whisper, my tongue heavy in my mouth.
“What job?”
I gulp. “The reason I'm here.” My emotions threaten to floor me, but if Ocean notices, she pays no mind as she links her arm through mine.
“Exciting. It sounds juicy. Get changed and you can fill me in on the way.”
“So, to clarify, you were with your friend, the guy that brought you back, in a skimpy silver two-piece, winning at poker when it all went to shit?”
“Well, I was the distraction. I wouldn't even know how to deal a card for a game of poker,” I mutter, and she waves me off as we make our way toward The Vale.
“Regardless, that's some gangster shit right there,” she insists, and I shake my head.
“You're insane.”
Her eyes widen as she gapes at me. “Are you serious? That's straight out of the movies.”
“If you say so,” I say with a snicker, and she nods vigorously.
“I do. Hats off, my friend. You're a badass.”
I roll my eyes at her insanity as The Vale comes into view. Taking the pathway down, Ocean links her arm through mine, squeezing tight.
“Luckily for you, I'm determined to give you a proper tour of The Vale. Otherwise, I'd want some other details on your crazy life,” she admits.
“There's not much else to say,” I insist, but the pointed look she gives me tells me she doesn’t believe me.
“I’m sure there is, but for now, let’s find everything you need.
” Her pace slows as she points to the left.
“The Hut is on the far left, the dining hall is in the center, and the academy is in the distance, which is all the things you know already. The fun is all at the back, over toward Institutes Six and Seven.” I follow her lead, keeping pace with her as the paved streets turn to cobbled stone and carless walkways.
“The library is that way and there's a gym over here, but it’s not as good as the one inside our building. We also have clothing stores, coffee shops, restaurants, bakeries, a small grocery store, electronics, and even a place to pick up some goodies. Where do you want to start?”
She aims her finger from one end of the street to the other as she talks.
It almost reminds me of back home, of the one little street in the center of town, but everything feels a lot more expensive here in comparison.
A warm sensation blossoms in my chest, unfamiliar and scary, but what leaves me stuttering for words is the weight of the card in my hand. “Honestly, I feel like I'm too scared to spend it,” I admit, and her eyebrows pinch.
“Why?”
I dip my head, embarrassed. “I don't know. Is there a thrift store somewhere?”
She rubs her lips. “Is that where you would usually go?” she asks, and I nod.
“Well, there's not one here, but even if there was, you deserve a moment to sort yourself out for real. You deserve to put yourself first and give yourself the care you need. It just so happens right now that those things come with a price tag,” she insists, and nerves clog my throat.
“I don't know.”
She gives me another pointed look and it renders me speechless. “What use is the money just sitting in the bank if the Institute won't even let you leave?”
She has a point. I can't say I like it, but she has one. When I don't give her an answer, she takes control as she claps her hands together excitedly. “We're hitting them all.”
The lilt to her voice ignites something inside of me and an exciting tingle runs down my spine. “We are,” I agree, and she nods before dragging me along.
One store leads into another, and another, and another, and another, our bags piling up high with every scan of my card. My bank balance drops, and I all but sag in my seat at the little Italian restaurant Ocean decides on at the thought of it.
I feel like I could sleep for a week. I'm more tired from this than I am from a combat class.
We take a moment after we order our food to just sit in silence and watch the world go by.
It's surprising how many students are down here, but what's more noticeable is that none of them are wearing a purple emblem. They’re all from much higher Institutions than our own.
My thoughts are cut short as plates of food are brought to the table and my stomach grumbles, confirming just how hungry I am.
“I’ve got a meat lover's pizza and a blanco pizza with prosciutto,” the waiter confirms, and Ocean nods.
“Thank you so much,” he murmurs, and I smile my gratitude too as I stare at the deliciousness before us.
A glass bottle of water sits on the table.
It feels criminal not to just have it from the faucet, but after my first sip, I all but travelled to Heaven.
I was back to being out of my depth a moment later when Ocean explained that the bottle came directly from Italy.