Chapter Nine
Nala and I are back in our dorm room. She is spinning out because she has no idea what to wear and wants to look good for Charlie tonight.
“This is gonna be the first time he will see me in actual nice clothes, not combat sweats or crappy taming gear. I just want to make a good impression, you know?” She looks at me hopelessly, waiting for me to say something reassuring back.
“You’re sex on legs, Nala. He would fancy you in a bloody bin bag!” I encourage. “Plus, something tells me he’s going to care a lot more about what’s going on underneath your clothes,” I playfully remark, and she giggles.
“But seriously, which one?” she questions me while holding up two dresses, one short and black with a bow on the front and the other a dark green tight-fitted bodycon dress. I compare the two for a minute before replying.
“Definitely the black one. The green one looks like you’re trying too hard,” I reply simply and start looking through my wardrobe.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking… thanks, roomie.”
Dresses aren’t really my thing. I shuffle through my clothes hanging up and pull out a red cropped top that accentuates my cleavage and a pair of black leather-look skinny jeans. This will do. I slide the top over my breasts and check them in the mirror.
“You look amazing!” Nala compliments me with bright eyes. “Woah, where have you been hiding those?” She looks at my chest and giggles.
“Is it too much?” I look down at my outfit.
“No, River’s gonna love it!” she replies.
But I wasn’t thinking about River.
I put on some last-minute blush and some red lipstick.
I like to smudge a little, so it isn’t so bright.
My fingers toy with my curls and plump up their volume as I examine my reflection.
I do look nice, though I couldn’t hide the dark bruise around my eye though, so I guess it’s just joining me tonight.
I do my best at styling my hair so the curls partly hide the bruise.
The door knocks twice.
“Ooooo, that’s Charlie!” Nala shouts and runs to the door.
Before she opens it, she turns to me. “How do I look?”
“Like you’re gonna get some tonight!” I smirk at her, and she opens the door.
“Wow! You look beautiful,” Charlie says, gesturing at Nala, making her blush. He smiles in my direction and nods his head in greeting. “You guys ready to go?”
“Yeah, I’m right behind you, just need to grab my bag,” I lie as they walk out the door arm in arm. I quickly stoop underneath my bed and grab Ryder’s hoodie. Can’t forget to bring this. I drape it over my arm and run to catch up with the lovebirds. It’s almost ten p.m. now.
The corridor is quiet. We sneak our way down to the second courtyard, which wasn’t hard. Charlie knew a shortcut down the stairs at the end of Solaris Hall. It’s big and empty. Nala looks at me concerned.
“Are you sure he said to come here?”
I look around and shrug my shoulders.
“I’m sure he did,” I reply, but it seems awfully quiet for a party.
A voice emerges from behind one of the viewing benches.
“Ahhh, glad you could make it!” River smirks as he ushers us to come to where he is. “Follow me.” I sigh a small breath of relief. He’s here.
He leads us past the third row of benches and pauses. “This is where the magic happens.” He gestures towards the bench and lifts a wooden hatch that is almost invisible to the naked eye. The thump of bass fills our eardrums, and a steep staircase beckons us.
“Come on.” River grabs my wrist and leads the way.
The stairs are narrow and steep. The floors are stone brick like the castle walls, and the sound of bass vibrates through me, drawing louder and louder with every step.
River is still holding on to my wrist, occasionally looking back at me to make sure I am finding the steep stairs okay.
We make it to the bottom, and he leans close to me.
“Red looks good on you,” he smirks, clearly looking at my cleavage. I feel my cheeks tint, and a slight chuckle escapes my lips.
“Thanks,” I say simply, looking around the room.
So, these are the archives. It’s huge. A room the size of the castle looms before me.
There are old bookcases scattered unevenly around the area, like everything had been uprooted long ago and then left in a hurry.
I wonder if I can find out more about my mother down here.
There has got to be something in one of these books.
I scan around the room, but it’s hard to focus when there is a sea of third years blocking the shelves.
They are staggering all over the place. It’s not hard to single out the ones who are wasted; they are stumbling and slurring their words, hanging off each other like monkeys on branches.
River wasn’t joking when he said the liquor was lethal.
“Come on, let’s get you a drink,” River says as he leads me through the crowds to a long stone table at the far end of the room.
On top of the table, there are three large bowls filled with different coloured neon liquids, all with ladles dunked in them.
The rest of the table is filled with metal chalices that look older than me.
River takes three chalices and fills them with the liquid from the second bowl.
He adds three ladles full of orange liquor to each cup, then hands them out.
One to Nala, one to Charlie and then to me.
“For the lady,” River says, bowing his head slightly as he gives me my drink.
I giggle and take a sip. It’s fruity but strong and burns the back of my throat as it goes down. I clear my throat.
“Anyone would think you were trying to get me drunk!” I smirk in his direction.
“Well, if you can handle your drink like you can handle your knives, I don’t think we have anything to worry about.” He laughs.
I take another gulp and cringe as the liquid claws down my throat.
“What’s in this stuff, anyway?” I ask, examining the orange liquor swirling in my cup.
“Is it bad that I don’t know?” he says, taking another sip. “I just know it gets you fucked up and that’s good enough for me.”
“To getting fucked up…” I say, raising my chalice towards his and he clinks it in response.
“Come and meet my friends,” he says, taking my hand again.
I look to my right, and Charlie and Nala are making out in the corner. I nod my head and trail behind him.
He leads me to a bookcase on the left side of the room and places his index finger over his mouth in a ‘shhh’ gesture, pulling a book from the case ever so slightly.
I hear a faint click over the thumping sound of the music, and a door opens behind us.
River winks at me and pulls me through. Another room.
What is this place? Seems to be an old office.
There is a man sitting on a large, decorative wooden chair with his feet propped up on a long desk.
He has chocolate brown hair and piercing blue eyes.
He is smoking something and laughing with a blonde girl, who is perched on the corner of the table next to him.
He puffs on the smoking stick and asks for a light.
The blonde girl conjures an orb and relights it for him.
There are two more guys sprawled out on a huge burgundy sofa.
Like complete opposites, one has dark curly hair and the other is platinum blonde.
They are taking shots of a neon pink liquid and laughing with each other.
A large rug smothers the stone floor in the middle of the room, and two matching armchairs sit to one side.
They all look around at us as we enter the room
“Picked up a stray, have ya?” the man smoking directs to River with a smirk on his face.
“Everyone, this is Asha,” River replies proudly, shooting the man a playful look.
I give a wave and follow River to the sofa.
“Don’t worry about Tyler, he’s a dick,” the curly-haired guy says, handing me a shot of the pink substance. “I’m Jaxon, and this is Isaiah.” He points at the blonde boy next to him, who simply smiles.
I take the drink and neck it, shuddering at the tingly sensation that rises up my body.
“Hey, I can hear you!” the desk guy remarks, but I know he knows they’re joking.
“That’s why we said it!” Jaxon counters, forcing a laugh from him.
“You know you love me,” desk guy taunts.
“Like a Sun loves a Moon,” Isaiah banters while pouring another shot of the pink liquid.
I let out a chuckle at this. Desk guy stands and approaches us, swiping the shot out of Isaiah’s hand and swigging it in one gulp. He wipes his mouth with his sleeve before extending it to me.
“Don’t listen to them. I’m lovely, really. Tyler, but you can call me Ty.” He gives me the smoke as a peace offering. “Do you smoke?”
“It depends. What’s in it?” I ask innocently.
“Char root. It grows at the back of the school, between the valleys and the meadow. Totally safe. I’m a potion student. It gives you a slight buzz,” Tyler says, whilst River gives me a look of reassurance.
I take the smoke and bring it to my lips, inhaling deeply and watching the embers crackle and burn. I exhale and cough a little, passing the smoke back to Ty.
“Thanks,” I smile, and River’s eyes fall on me.
“You smoked before?” River asks, sounding even more surprised by me.
“In Penn school, but I didn’t make a habit of it.”
My body starts to feel heavy, and I sink into the sofa. Wow, that stuff is potent. I brush my fingers through my hair as I submit to the feeling. I haven’t been drunk since I got my acceptance letter from Sun Sovereign.
“What else don’t I know about you?” River asks, intrigued.
“Well, what do you wanna know?” I smile cheekily in his direction.
“What happened to your eye?” Isaiah questions, interrupting mine and River’s gaze. I realise that the hair disguising my bruise has become misplaced.
“One word. Alex Rotherman.” I wag my index finger in the air.
“That’s two words,” River laughs, pushing my hand back down. He offers me another shot, and I slosh it down me.
“Are you the one who snapped that kid’s leg in two?” the blonde girl asks with wide eyes. “I’m Hayley, by the way.”