CHAPTER 21
Aelys
My eyes open slowly and I notice I'm lying on top of Mattheo.
My head is aching like crazy, and I frown as I remember why.
I lift my head to inspect my fiancé's injuries and feel a weight lift from my shoulders when I notice the cream has worked.
The scars on his knuckles are less pink since yesterday, slowly turning silver, and his nose is definitely no longer swollen.
My movements must have disturbed him because he’s beginning to stir. His eyes flutter open and his pupils meet mine.
“Hey,” I whisper.
“Hello.” His voice is still hoarse from being sleepy, and shivers run down my spine. His hands, which are on the small of my back, right next to my skin since the T-shirt I'm wearing has ridden up, gently stroke my skin with his thumbs.
A smirk tugs at his lips as he blinks, trying to banish the sleep completely from his system. “I'm going to take a shower. Are you coming?
I roll my eyes in mock annoyance before lightly patting him on the shoulder. He chuckles and kisses my temple before removing his arms from around my waist, leaving the bed. I already miss his warmth, but I watch him disappear into the bathroom with an amused pout.
I quickly hear the water running and I also leave our comfortable bed, picking up the bloody towel I used to clean his wounds the day before and placing it neatly in the laundry basket. I open my wardrobe and take out my uniform and clean underwear so I can take a shower when he's finished.
I approach my snake's terrarium, immediately noticing her coiled around a hanging branch. Her head swivels in my direction, her small forked tongue meeting the air before she crawls along the branch, exploring further.
I'll have to go get her some food this weekend.
I cringe slightly at the thought. She's still young, so she's allowed one meal a week. The only problem is, she doesn't like her meals if they're not alive.
We learned this quickly when Mattheo tried to feed her the first night we brought her back to Leroi Manor.
She barely glanced in the direction of the poor, freshly thawed mouse he waved under her nose.
However, when he asked the elves to find a living one and they managed to bring one back to us about thirty minutes later, the poor creature didn't have time to run far before the reptile grabbed it and bit it in the neck, its long body wrapping itself around the rodent in order to suffocate it so it could devour it.
A knock at the door startles me and snaps me out of my reverie.
I frown as I walk over to open it, wondering who it could be.
My eyes widen in shock when I see who it is and I try to close the door as quickly as possible.
He blocks it with his hand, pushing it open while I put all my weight against the wood to force it shut instead.
“Aelys-”
“No,” I cut him off. “No! You can't be here. Just… Go away!”
He frowns, annoyed by my refusal, and pushes harder against the door, which gives way and opens.
He steps into the dormitory, closing it behind him.
I back away, trying to get to the bathroom door, hoping to get Mattheo's attention because I'm pretty sure he can't hear anything since he's standing under the water.
After all, I don't know why he's here, and I don't know what he's capable of.
However, Tom grabs my arm, stopping me in my tracks.
He pulls me towards him with a firm but strangely gentle gesture, his hand moving to my bruised eye.
I flinch, instinctively expecting another blow.
Sorrow fills his features as he notices it.
I try to wriggle out of his grasp, but his grip tightens on my arm, a desperate expression on his features.
“Aelys…”
“Let me go, Tom,” I order in a voice I hope is confident.
I hear the shower stop and I breathe a sigh of relief. Mattheo will most likely hear our voices and realize something is wrong.
“Aelys, I'm sorry…
I place my hand on his chest and push, finally escaping his grasp.
I recognize the same unknown force that allowed me to escape Mattheo last time, and I make a mental note to find Professor Hicks later today to ask her the questions that have been plaguing my mind since I discovered I have shapeshifter blood in my veins.
Tom's eyes widen in surprise, not expecting me to push him away so easily.
“That's enough!” I snort, my frustration growing. “Now get out of here before I throw you out myself.”
“You and I both know you can't physically kick me out, darling,” he replies softly, stepping forward and brushing the back of his hand against my cheek.
I push his hand away and glare at him. He's technically right. Unless I figure out how to activate my supposed shapeshifting power like I unconsciously did a few moments ago.
“Get out of here,” I repeat through gritted teeth.
He doesn't move, he just continues to look at me with saddened eyes and his lips pursed in a thin line.
Just as I'm about to take matters into my own hands and test if I can once again use my shapeshifting abilities, which I didn't even know existed until recently, the bathroom door opens and Mattheo walks into the room, dressed in his uniform.
I immediately step back and approach him, without taking my eyes off Tom.
“Get out of here before I take you out myself, brother,” Mattheo spits venomously as he positions himself in front of me.
Tom snorts and runs his hands through his hair before laughing darkly. He gives me a hard look, not once looking at his brother.
“So that's it. You've forgiven him and you become his little whore whenever he snaps his fingers?”
I frown and take a step forward but Mattheo holds me back, holding out his arm to stop me and keep me behind him.
“How dare you call me a whore, Tom? You have no right to insult me when you didn't think to tell me what your problem is!”
He snorts before shaking his head in disbelief and frustration. “You want to know what my problem is? Fine. He treated you like shit, he choked you unconscious, he cheated on you!”
I flinch as his voice booms, cold and nasty. He notices but continues anyway, even more venomous. “And yet you always go back to him”
“I'm marrying him for the love of the Gods!” I exclaim, throwing my hands in the air, my gesture full of frustration. “Besides, I remember telling you I was his. You even told me you knew it and that it was fine with you. Do you remember that?”
I can feel Mattheo's eyes on me, but I don't move, focused entirely on Tom. He clenches his fists and sets his jaw, his blue eyes, already dark with anger, turning murderous.
“I lied!” He exclaims, furious, running a hand through his brown curls in an annoyed gesture.
“Fuck, Aelys! He apologizes and everything is forgotten?
You two became a cute little couple madly in love with each other?
He only did it so you could pretend the marriage was real in the eyes of the magical world!
He doesn't care about you! It's just business, an order given by our father!
Don't tell me you're too blind to see this!” He growls, his voice getting louder and louder as he seems to be holding back from screaming.
Mattheo takes a step forward, but I stop him by grabbing his bicep, my wide eyes fixed on Tom, stunned. I feel my body tremble with anger and I clench my jaw.
He lied to me.
“You don't know what you're talking about,” I hoist.
“Oh, really? So what, you want me to believe that you're in love?” He snorts, rolling his eyes and shaking his head in disbelief, frustration, and anger.
“And what if I am?” I suddenly cry out, exasperated.
I freeze, my eyes wide in horror as I realize what I just said, my hands flying to my mouth.
I see Mattheo out of the corner of my eye looking at me with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open in shock.
Tom has a similar expression, coupled with pain.
I clutch my uniform tighter to my chest before pushing past the two brothers and running out of the room.
I ignore the chill of the September morning as I leave building G and duck as fast as my bare feet can carry me into building F.
I only stop once I'm in front of Nancy's dormitory, my heart pounding in my chest, my breath coming out of my chest from my frantic run, and my uniform clutched tightly around me.
I glance over my shoulder and feel relief that the two Rigast brothers haven't followed me.
So I take a deep breath and knock on the door, waiting for my cousin to open the door, my brain racing.
Fuck, what did I do…
I stay in my cousin's dorm all day and she doesn't move, staying by my side the whole time. We've both missed our classes, double-locking the door and carefully soundproofing the dorm with a spell. Kiara and Paula join us mid-morning as soon as the boys tell them where we are.
Tom and Mattheo tried to get me out several times, but to no avail. They even sent the other boys, who also failed.
I adore them, but they're also Tom and Mattheo's friends. And let's not forget that Mattheo is their future Master. If he asked one of them to drag me out of the dormitory or let him in, they would obey. Without hesitation and without question.
“I'm never leaving this room,” I whine as I bury my face in my palms.
“You know I don't care if you stay here, but… You'll have to get out at some point,” Nancy replies softly. “You still need to eat,isolating yourself won't solve anything. You still have to marry Mattheo, or the Dark Mage will kill you.”
I take my hands off my face and shoot her a small glare, making her smile with all her teeth in a falsely innocent way.
“That helps a lot, thanks, Nance,” I roll my eyes and sigh.
The girls laugh but get interrupted by someone knocking at the door.
“Angel?”
I freeze when I hear Mattheo's voice. He's tried to get me to talk several times throughout the day, and I kept telling him to go away.
I'm not ready to face him. The situation is too embarrassing, and I certainly don't want to hear his rejection.
I know he cares about me because he told me so himself, but I know he doesn't love me.
After all, he told me the Rigasts couldn't love.
“Open the door, please. We need to talk and you know it.”
I glance at the girls and they are smiling, nodding gently in encouragement.
“You should accept, honey,” Kiara whispers. “You need to hear what he has to say.”
“If I do, I'll have to talk to Tom too, and I don't want to see him. Not after the way he spoke to me earlier,” I shake my head, whispering aggressively and defensively.
“You can always avoid him and talk to him when you’re ready. Let the poor boy suffer,” Nancy shrugs. “But Mattheo is going to be your husband. Unlike Tom, you can’t avoid him.”
I sigh when I realize she's right. I kiss their cheeks and stand up, heading for the door. Mattheo knocks again, and I take a deep breath. The click of the lock being unlocked echoes, and I slowly open the door.
I'm immediately met with two brown orbs looking at me with concern and relief.
He steps back, letting me exit the dorm and close the door behind me.
I cross my arms over my chest and look down, avoiding his intense gaze.
I hear him sigh softly before I feel his warm hands cup my face.
He forces me to look at him, but I don't meet his gaze, too afraid of what I'll see if I do.
“My angel, look at me,” he asks softly.
I shake my head and he sighs before letting go of my face.
He grabs my hand in his, intertwining our fingers before he begins to walk away, pulling me with him.
I don't protest as he leads us out of building F and back to ours.
I tense as we approach the door to our dorm, but I continue to let him pull me along, knowing this conversation needs to happen.
We enter the dormitory and he locks the door before soundproofing it with a spell.
His hands then cup my face again and he presses his forehead against mine.
I close my eyes, trying to calm the anxiety consuming me.
His cologne washes over me and calms me a little.
It doesn't last long because every muscle in my body tenses when he speaks again.
“Aelys.” He calls softly and I hum, letting him know I'm listening even though my eyes are still closed.
I wait for him to continue, but all I hear is him swallowing loudly as he seems to think about what to say next. When he finally speaks, I feel my heart stop for a few seconds and my stomach twists with anxiety while my eyelids remain firmly closed.
“Are you in love with me?”