CHAPTER 11
Aelys
I wake up with a splitting headache from all the tears I shed the night before. I immediately look at the other side of the bed and exhale in relief when I see it's empty. The sheets aren't wrinkled or torn on that side, and I deduce that he hasn't been back in the dorm since he left.
I'm safe for now.
I get up and go to the bathroom. I wince at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes are puffy and my cheeks are stained with dried tears. I look like a zombie. My hair is tangled, and I sigh at the thought of untangling it.
This is going to be fun.
I splash water on my face, enjoying the coldness on my skin. I grab my hairbrush and begin to detangle my brown hair. A knock at the door freezes me, and I don't move, afraid that Mattheo is back and is kind enough to knock before entering, even though this dorm is also his.
“Baby? Are you there?”
I start breathing again, relieved, I put my hairbrush on the counter, walk over to the door and open it. Nancy immediately engulfs me in a hug, squeezing too hard and forcing the air out of my lungs.
“Too tight, Nance!” I cough and she lets go, mumbling an apology.
I chuckle softly and we go sit on the bed. She places my hand in hers and smiles softly, though I can see the worry in her eyes.
“Are you okay? What happened with Rigast? He eventually came back to the party, but he seemed angrier than when you left with him.”
“He asked me why I kissed Tom, but he scared me, and he noticed... When I admitted I was scared of him, he broke a glass and left. He didn't sleep here.”
She nods before frowning and nervously scratching her neck.
“What's wrong, Nance? What happened when he came back to the party?” I ask softly, fearing the worst.
“He hit Tom and left. Don't worry, Tom's fine,” she quickly adds when she sees the panic on my face. “His nose was broken, but Enzo healed it with a spell. Mattheo had already left, and we didn't see him again for the rest of the night.”
I frown too.
Where could he be?
The bedroom door suddenly opens, and my eyes widen when I see it's Mattheo.
I look him over from the waist down, immediately noticing that his shirt has blood splattered across it, and his lower lip looks injured.
His knuckles contain dried blood, undoubtedly Tom's.
His hair is a mess, and he looks like he dressed in a hurry.
That's when my attention falls on the collar of his shirt and the trace of feminine lipstick staining it. Looking closer, I find a second one at the corner of his lips. I feel a pang in my chest.
He was with another girl.
He got angry because I kissed Tom and had the audacity to sleep with another girl?
I feel anger and sadness flooding through me, I look down at my hands, my fists clenched in my lap.
My cousin places her hand on my knee and squeezes it tenderly, silently supporting me.
She then informs me in a small voice that she's leaving and will come check on me later if that's okay with me.
I look at her and nod. She's right, Mattheo and I need to talk.
In private.
She kisses my cheek and stands up, bumping Mattheo's shoulder hard as she walks past him. His jaw tightens and his gaze hardens further as he snarls.
“Be careful, Hewloc.”
“I don't fucking think so,” she retorts, gritting her teeth and turning toward him, her index finger pointed at his chest in an accusing, threatening gesture.
“On the other hand, I advise you to watch your back if you harm my cousin again, Rigast. Son of the great Darkvis or not, I'll kick your ass if I find out you've laid a hand on her again.”
She glares at him before storming out of the dorm, slamming the door behind her. As for me, I get up from my bed and head to my closet without saying a word, determined not to start the conversation.
I grab some clothes and disappear into the bathroom, closing the door behind me.
I place my clothes on the counter and turn on the shower.
I take off my shirt, leaving me clad only in my bra and shorts.
Just as I'm about to pull my shorts down, the door opens and Mattheo walks in.
I freeze and glare at him as he begins to undress as well, clearly unfazed by the fact that I'm in my underwear.
“What are you doing?” I ask through gritted teeth, feeling my anger growing at his audacity.
“I'm going to take a shower,” he answers in a monotonous voice as if it were obvious.
My anger only increases and my nostrils flare.
The nerve of this bastard who can't even look me in the eye!
Yes, we're not in a conventional romantic relationship, but we're getting married in a few months. So we're a couple, except for the fact that we don't have feelings for each other. We're supposed to stay faithful. That's the whole point of marriage.
Loyalty.
I know he's mad about my kiss with Tom, but in my defense, the alcohol definitely influenced my decision. And besides, I only did it for that stupid game we were playing. I wouldn't have done it without the influence of the vodka I consumed or that damn bottle that pointed at Tom when I turned it.
It meant nothing and I certainly didn't fuck Tom afterwards!
“Get out of here.”
Finally, his chocolate eyes meet mine, amusement and anger swirling inside.
“No,” he finally growls.
My hands drop my shorts, letting them fall to the floor as I clench my fists. His irises sweep shamelessly over my body and darken. I giggle in disbelief at how filled with desire they are.
Oh, the fucking nerve of that man!
In a few strides, he's in front of me, our chests practically touching as he looks at me intensely. I frown, silently daring him to try anything. The fear he inspired in me last night vanished the instant I realized where he'd spent the night, rage taking its place.
I'm officially done with his bullshit. I won't let him treat me like shit or humiliate me with his deception anymore. If he wants to play this game, then we'll play.
We'll see who laughs last, Rigast.
His hand pushes a strand of hair behind my ear, then he cups my cheek, brushing his thumb against my skin in a surprisingly tender gesture. I immediately curse my body for the way it reacts to his touch.
How I shiver after just a touch. His dark eyes are still full of desire, but something else shines in his irises, and I can't place what it is.
Vulnerability? No. Probably not.
Slowly, his thumb strokes my lower lip as his gaze follows the movement, and that's when I snap back to reality. I'm not going to let him touch me when just hours before, he was touching someone else.
I may be a surrogate for the Rigast heir, but I'll never be his fucking toy.
I push his hand away, watching in delight as his face contorts in confusion. He opens his mouth, ready to speak, but instinctively, my hand lands on his chest and I push him, so hard that he flies out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. He lands on his back with a groan of pain.
He lifts his head to look at me in utter disbelief as I quickly shut the door and lock it this time.
I rest my forehead against the wooden door as I take a shaky breath.
I don't know where this reflex or this strength came from.
The the words of my blood in the silver cup from yesterday come back to me.
Your lineage is interesting. Really very interesting.
A wizard and a shapeshifter…
I jump when he starts to bang aggressively on the bathroom door, ordering me to let him in.
I tell him to fuck off in a voice more cheerful than how I’m feeling and strip off my underwear before running myself under the hot water.
I push back my now-damp hair and grab some shampoo.
I can still hear him banging on the door as I wash my long brown hair and my body.
‘Darling, are you okay? Nancy told me he's back. Please tell me he didn't touch you…’
I smile as Tom's voice echoes in my head.
‘I'm fine. Don't worry, he didn't do anything and he'll never get the chance to do it again, I guarantee you.’
I hear his sigh of relief in my mind and I laugh softly, amused by the telepathic magic. I've read all about how it works, but I've never had the opportunity to try it before. It's fun.
I rinse off and then step out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my body.
I ignore Mattheo, who is still knocking on the door, and begin drying myself off before putting on my clothes.
I put on a black skirt and white blouse, the typical colors of the Academy's required uniform.
I tie the gray tie my cousin gave me the day before so that my uniform is complete.
She also explained to me that boys wear black ties—as I noticed with Mattheo the day before—while girls wear gray ones.
“Open the fucking door, Aelys!”
“Fuck you, Mattheo,” I reply in a sing-song voice.
“I swear I'll break it down if you don't open the door!”
It took him a while to think of this solution.
I roll my eyes, brush my hair and teeth. I head to the door after. I open it, seeing him ready to deliver a hard kick that would likely have shattered the door, as he'd threatened. He fumes, his jaw clenched so tightly it hurts me, his eyes darker than ever.
Within seconds I am pinned hard against the wall, his hand around my throat and his wand pressed painfully against my stomach. His face is inches from mine, his eyes burning with rage never leaving mine as he seems to be watching me curiously despite his anger.
“What was that?” He thunders, his voice vibrating with rage.
“I don't know what you're talking about,” I reply calmly, knowing that this only increases his fury.
He squeezes my throat tighter, and I feel proud when I don't flinch. I'm not afraid anymore, it's over.