Twenty-Two
SCARLETT
A nother two weeks go by, thankfully nearing the end of the month’s festivities. With a party every weekend, an infinite number of homework assignments during the week, and still finding the time to hang out with the guys, I’m honestly exhausted.
After that night at the beach, Drake and I have agreed to take a break and press pause on our relationship. We moved too fast and realized that maybe starting a relationship at the same time we entered a new school, in a new home filled with privileged assholes wasn’t the smartest idea. We’re dooming our relationship before it can even really begin.
We need some distance to figure out what we want and need from a relationship. It also helps that the Horsemen have been MIA for the last week and a half, apparently some family emergency that required all of them to miss school for an entire week. Oh, to be wealthy and powerful.
Stella said she wasn’t sure why, but her uncle and the guys, along with their fathers, were all gone. She went to visit her aunt last weekend but learned no new information.
Now it’s the Friday before Halloween and we’ve come into town to grab our gowns for the masquerade ball tomorrow night. Tomorrow night is All Hallows’ Eve, and therefore the last of the Halloween parties this month. I swear I feel like there has been a party or school event every week since we arrived here. How these kids manage to keep up their grades is beyond me.
The masquerade ball is a black-tie, formal gala that is being held at Servite Manor, the Servite’s estate at the top of the highest hill in Hillcrest Hills. Stella’s only been a handful of times recently but was always there as a child.
“It’s dark, I know that for sure,” she says about the manor as we enter a dress shop at the promenade, the indoor shopping center in the town square.
“It’s like some old Victorian castle that’s been in the Servite family for generations. Like centuries ago, old. It’s kind of always reminded me of Dracula’s castle.”
“Dark, old, and creepy. Got it,” Jade says, sipping on her iced coffee.
Ruby skipped out on dress shopping today to hang out with Jax, so I told her I’d pick something out for her. The dress shop is full of extravagant dresses made from the softest, most lavish fabrics ranging in many colors. But according to Stella, wearing a dress of this quality is a requirement.
As students of Servite Academy, we represent the school wherever we go, that requires always looking our best. We look through the racks of dresses and I can’t seem to decide which one I wouldn’t mind wearing. I’ve never been a dress and heels kind of girl, always preferring jeans and hoodies or sweatshirts. Especially no dress this expensive.
I turn to Stella and see her eyeing a pink lace dress with a heart-shaped neckline and full tulle Cinderella style skirt.
“That one’s cute,” I say to her and she smiles shyly. I turn and find an off the shoulder silver beaded gown with small crystals embedded in its flowing chiffon skirt. “But this one’s perfect for you, Stella.”
She turns to me as I hand her the dress.
“Hell yes! That would look amazing on you, Silver. I swear I don’t know why you don’t play off your name more often. If my last name were Silver, that’s literally the only color I’d wear,” Jade jokes but I think she’s actually serious.
“It’s too flashy and attracts too much attention,” Stella answers softly.
“Stella, you’re meant to be seen, not hiding out in the shadows,” I say.
“But I prefer not to be. Besides, it’s not like anyone would even notice me.”
“Stella Ivy Silver!” I shout, remembering her middle name. I grab her shoulders, turning her body to face the full-length mirror in front of us. “You are absolutely stunning. You have the most beautiful strawberry blonde hair, literally flawless, porcelain skin, the biggest eyes in the prettiest shade of gray. You are gorgeous, never let anyone make you feel otherwise.”
She blushes lightly as I tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear.
“But I’m not like you, Scarlett. You’re a different kind of beautiful. A kind that demands attention, demands to be seen. You’re perfect. Beautiful, sexy, and every guy with eyes falls in love with you with just one look.”
“But I know of one that has his eyes on you,” I answer and her skin flushes brighter. “Kai is gonna die when he sees you in that dress,” I say, winking at her.
“I thought you said I shouldn’t.”
“I said you needed to tread carefully. Kai is amazing. Like I said, he’s loyal, protective, fierce but damaged beyond repair. He’s had to deal with some tough shit growing up and it’s only made him jaded and left to feel unworthy. We get it, we’re all the same. But you, Stella, I think you have more in common with us than we first believed. I see in you the same sad, lost look I see in him. I think you’re what he needs,” I say, smiling softly at her.
“And in that dress, there is no way he won’t be able to see it too,” Jade adds.
“Yeah, well, what about the two of you? I see the way my cousin looks at you, Jade, and I’ve caught you losing your composure around him, which is something you never do.” Jade’s jaw drops open and I can’t help but laugh. “And you too, Scar. You are hot and heavy with Drake, but I’ve seen, hell we’ve all felt the sexual tension when you and Ace are in the same room. It’s an undeniable pull you two have, like two magnets drawn together. I’ve known Ace for a long time and have never seen him have that connection with any girl.”
“Wow, Silver, so it’s true you hide in the shadows but see everything.”
The three of us laugh loudly but our fun is cut short when Carrington and her posse of spoiled skanks come by.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the dirty little orphan girls and their newest charity case. Or is it the other way around? The orphan and her two charity cases?” Carrington spews out. I swear nothing but venom comes out of that woman’s mouth.
“I guess it works both ways, Carrie,” Kinsley says as she takes her place beside her.
“Wow, how original Carrington. We literally have never been called orphans before,” Jade mocks, but I refuse to give her the attention she so desperately craves. Instead, I keep looking through the racks of dresses.
Carrington rolls her eyes, flipping her bleached blonde hair back. “Just came to warn you girls about tomorrow night. It’s a classy event being held at a very prestigious location. There will be some particularly important people in attendance so don’t make fools of yourselves.”
This time Wynter Servite chimes in, and I think it’s the first time she’s ever spoken to me. “In other words, don’t embarrass the academy or my family. The gala is being hosted at my family’s mansion and well, unfortunately, I couldn’t convince daddy to keep out the trash.”
Unlike Carrington or Kinsley, who both run their mouths every chance they get, Wynter has always stood back. She seems to be more the moody and silent type and has more of the pretentious, better than thou attitude of her brother and the males of her family.
“Don’t worry, Servite, we will be on our best behavior. Well, as best as us lowly orphans know how,” I sneer back.
She rolls her eyes and turns around heading for the door, Drea close on her tail.
“Just watch yourself, skank, and stay away from my man and out of my way.” Carrington scowls before turning away and heading for the door.
Kinsley grabs a hold of Stella’s silver dress and starts laughing maniacally. “Like you could ever look good in something this beautiful, Stella. Keep dreaming,” she says before following Carrington out of the shop.
“Ugh, I fucking hate those bitches,” Jade shouts before she continues to look through the rack of dresses. Stella suddenly puts the dress back on the rack.
“Oh no, no, no, you don’t,” I say, handing it back to her. “Don’t you dare believe anything that bitch Kinsley says. She’s just still pissed that your cousin gave her the boot.”
“But she’s right, I can’t pull this off,” Stella says nervously.
“Stella, don’t make me slap some sense into you,” I say, causing her to laugh.
She grabs the dress from my hand and turns to Jade. “We need to find you the perfect dress to knock my cousin off his feet. I can’t let that bitch win,” she says, and we start laughing again.
“He won’t even know what hit him,” Jade answers with a wink.
After another hour at the dress shop, we meet up with the guys for dinner and a movie at the local theater before heading back to the house. Drake and I hang out in my room, while Stella and Jade practice Stella’s hair and makeup for tomorrow night.
“So, what color is the dress you got?” he asks, munching on a bag of chips.
“It’s a surprise, Dragon. You’ll just have to wait and see.”
“Well, just so I know what to wear.”
“Don’t worry, black goes with everything. I got us matching masks, so I’ll give you that tomorrow.”
He moves from lying beside me, to hovering over so he is now straddling me.
“Get off me Dragon, I’m not yours remember?” I say, pushing him off me.
He groans, sitting back on the bed beside me. “You know it’s been good these last couple of weeks with Servite and his boys out of town. But I got a feeling tomorrow’s gonna be a nightmare.”
“Just don’t start any trouble, Dragon. I don’t want you getting caught in my mess.”
“They mess with you, they mess with me, Scar, it’s that simple.”
“I know and I appreciate that, but this is different, Drake, and you know it. I can’t risk losing you. And that’s gonna happen if you interfere.” He shakes his head reluctantly. “Just please promise me you won’t get involved. I’m a big girl and I need you to trust me.”
He nods hesitantly, turning his attention back to the movie on my computer screen.
Two movies later, Drake heads out leaving me alone in the quarter. Jade and Stella are on their way back from her aunt’s house, having gone to pick up a few extra pairs of shoes and accessories they need for tomorrow. I pick up my phone and start messing around with one of the social media apps installed on it. I’ve never had a phone before which means no access to the internet so my social media presence is non-existent .
Opening up Swapp, a popular app similar to Instagram only dedicated to the students from the academy, I create an account and browse through for a while before coming across Carrington’s profile.
For the most part, she’s mainly posted photos of herself in bikinis and lounging by a pool, or with her besties at the private strip of beach. But as I keep scrolling through, I come across a few of her and Ace. In almost all the pictures of them together he’s turned away from the camera, never looking at her either.
To anyone they’d look like the picture-perfect couple. Both beautiful, blonde and blue-eyed. There’s one that catches my eyes from just about six months ago. The two of them pose side by side at a wedding, but what catches my eyes is that Ace hardly has any ink, meaning the ink on his sleeves and torso are all recent additions.
Irritated by seeing them happy together, I close out of the app just as my phone suddenly vibrates alerting me of a new text.
I open the message from a blocked caller and cringe at the sight of the words that follow.
Unknown: It’s time little angel, the devil calls upon his most loyal servant.
My fingers tremble as I type out a response although I’m almost certain I already know who it is.
Me: Who is this?
His response comes in almost immediately.
Unknown: Don’t play coy little girl. I'm in no mood for games. Meet me at the Auditorium. We need to talk.
Me: I’m not going anywhere with you.
Unknown: Come now little lamb I hate making threats, but need I remind you what will happen to your friends if you disobey me.
My body physically doubles over in pain at the memory of his vile threats against my friends. He’s quick to remind me why I agreed to his demands, promising to help him find Lilith in exchange for him backing off and leaving my friends alone.
Knowing I have no other choice but to comply, especially since Drake is doing a hell of a job getting into trouble on his own, I text back letting him know I’m on my way.
Me: Give me ten minutes.
I quickly throw a hoodie on and sneak out of the room heading over to the school auditorium where that first assembly was held. The night is dark and misty so I blame my incessant trembling and teeth shattering on the cold weather and not the fear creeping up my spine at the thought of what I might walk into.
Agent Servite is not to be trusted, and that he needs my help to find Lilith doesn’t mean I’m safe. If anything, I’m worse off because if I can’t figure out a way to give him what he wants, I’m afraid of what he’ll do.
I make it to the auditorium finding the door unlocked and head inside. The door creaks as it opens slowly and I’m met with complete darkness. Pulling my phone out from my back pocket, I use the flashlight to light my path.
Looking around the room, I can’t seem to find Agent Servite anywhere, so I continue to descend, my body shaking as I arrive at the center stage. As I step up on the stage a loud sound startles me and a bright spotlight above the stage turns on blinding me.
“I’m not in the mood for your tricks. Can we just get this over with?” I shout, my voice echoing in the empty room. “What do you want from me ?
“Such an eager little girl,” Agent Servite says as he appears from the shadows.
He stands at the top of the steps by the front door where I just entered and I wonder if he was there the whole time.
“So much like her,” he says, walking over to me, his gaze following the staggered movement of my breathing.
“I’m nothing like my mother.”
Servite laughs lightly, a wicked grin creeps across his face and it baffles me how truly handsome he is beneath all the evil. It’s truly unfair how much beauty runs in the Servite gene pool.
His frame towers over me, not as tall as Ace but still tall enough that I have to crane my neck back to look up at him. Wearing a dark navy suit with a crisp white shirt, and not a hair out of place, he’s intimidating. But I know the vile monster that lives beneath the coat of beauty.
I see the hatred he feels for my mother and me behind his deep blue eyes.
“I see the same snarky attitude. She was a fighter, you know. Always had to be right, the one in charge. Didn’t turn out so well for her. Lilith should have learned early on she had no actual power. I hold all the power.”
My breath hitches at the mention of my mother and how he speaks of her like he knew her more than he ever let on. “How do you know her? What do you want with her?” I plead.
“Not so fast Scarlett. The answers you seek will come in time. Right now, there’s only one thing I need from you,” he says, leaning forward so he’s directly in front of me. He reaches a hand out to cup my cheek, his thumb slowly grazing my chin before gripping it tight.
“What?” I spat out at him.
The edges of his mouth curve upward with precision. “I need you to lure her out tomorrow.”
“What!?” I cry out but I’m unable to pull away. His fingers press deeper into my chin as he leans in, the stubble on his jaw rubbing against my flesh as he whispers in my ear.
“I have some very reliable information confirming that she will be in attendance tomorrow,” he says, clarifying his earlier remark.
I swallow hard before clearing my throat. “How do you know she’ll show?”
“Lilith’s running out of money which means she’ll be desperate enough to get in touch with you. Besides, the masquerade ball was always her favorite.”
I’m stunned and silent by this admission. Does he mean to say my mother was a student at Servite Academy? I know nothing of her background so it’s not entirely far-fetched to believe she could have lived here at one point, but this place is nothing like where I imagined Lilith ever growing up in. “My mom came here?”
Servite releases his hold on me but doesn’t pull away. “No time for answers. Tomorrow when you arrive at the manor for the party, you will need to find a way to sneak away from your friends and up to my study. It’s on the third floor at the end of the right corridor. You can’t miss it.” He pauses as he paces around me, his hands folded behind his back. “You will wait for her, however long it takes. There will be a package inside the left drawer of my desk. Pretend to go through my things until you come across the yellow envelope. Inside will be ten thousand dollars. Once she sees you’ve procured the money, she will come for it, and I will be close by ready for her.”
“What if she doesn’t show?”
He reaches his hand toward me again and I avoid looking him straight in the eye, afraid of what he’ll do. Once again, his hand grips my chin, and he pulls it forward forcing me to look up at him. My eyes meet his, a cloud of something I can’t quite figure out covering his blue and green marbled eyes.
“She will. You’ll make sure of that.”
I look deeper into his eyes and see that same look he gave me when he first came to the mobile home, then again at the foster home, and every time I’ve seen him since. Lust. Desire. Anger. He licks his lips, making me shiver.
“You fear me, genuinely scared,” he says, sounding amused. “Good, you should be. You have no idea the things I’ve done, what I’m capable of should you cross me. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir,” I whisper.
“Good little angel,” he says, releasing my chin.
I turn away about to step off the stage and get as far away from him as I possibly can when he grabs me by the arm and turns me toward him. My chest collides with his as he places both his hands on my lower back.
“One more thing,” he says, bringing a hand up to tuck a loose tendril of dark hair behind my ear. “You need to stay away from my nephew. I’ve seen you have that Drake boy to keep you warm at night. Stay away from Ace. I recognize the way he looks at you.” Servite looks down at me licking his lips once more. “And I can see why. You and your mother are like a deadly disease. Quick to catch, impossible to cure, and leave a large amount of destruction in your wake. Regardless, you’re a distraction and my nephew cannot afford any of those. He has such a bright future ahead of him. You must avoid him tomorrow as well. I’ll admit when it comes to you, he’s reluctant to act on orders, but even he needs to learn that being near you can be a dangerous thing.”
I’m appalled by the insinuation that Ace feels anything more than hatred and spite toward me, but worse that he’s so subtly threatened to hurt him if I don’t keep away. “Are you threatening him? Your own blood?”
“Of course not, dear. I’m not a monster,” he says with a wicked grin that scares the hell out of me and proves otherwise.