Chapter 14
“M r. Delgado hated almost everyone’s project. The only people he passed were Gunther and Maria, but he told me, ‘at least you traded mediocrity for pungent boringness, so I guess there’s an improvement,’” I mimicked my teacher’s perched voice and disdainful eyes, seated in the bustling chappel amid the clatter of trays and the aroma of gastronomical dishes prepared by the future culinary masters.
“Teachers can be the biggest bullies, but mine love me—probably because they always see me buried in books at the library,” Yas chimed in.
If only they knew that behind those cute book covers, she was reading fairy porn, occasionally disguising them as classics. It was pretty ingenious.
She smiled at her phone, and I couldn’t help but ask, “Is it a boy?”
“No, just a meme. Many have tried to date me and failed. The last guy I dated received an alert on his phone when I weighed myself on the scale at his house. Worse than that? I had gained two pounds, and his app told him I should go for a run. It was humiliating,” Yasmine said.
“I hope you egged his car.”
“Worse—I sent him to my sister.”
I smiled. Tara was terrifying, and the bruises I had on my shoulder from our fencing club was the reminder of that. Sylas, on the other hand, insisted that I wasn’t that bad, just not as vicious as the other students—probably referring to Levi, who didn’t even bother showing up to class this week.
A jarring crash shattered the air. My muscles tensed, and my heart raced within the confines of my chest. The tray hitting the ground had transformed into a deafening explosion, each clang reverberating in my ears.
I was transported back to the gunshot, to the last time I saw Mom’s face. The air grew thick, and my breaths quickened into shallow gasps.
“Are you okay, Dalia?”
I forced air in and out of my lungs in ragged inhalations.
“Just startled,” I managed to say, swallowing my crystal glass of water in one go.
“You’re ghostly white. Are you sure—”
“Yes,” I cut her off, my knuckles white from gripping my fork tightly. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m the one who’s sorry. I abandoned you on Hazing Night, because I couldn’t stand up to my sister. I’ve been a terrible friend, but I’ve made a list of how I could make it up to you. First—”
I turned around to see who had caused the commotion, and I wasn’t surprised to spot Levi next to the person whose tray was now in pieces, a first-year Tactician student, as the majordomo was cleaning the mess. Levi’s eyes were fixed on me. Did he do this? Was it some kind of test? It reminded me of the day after the hazing when two second-year Tacticians quit on their own, which caused their house to lose five points; it could only be the handiwork of this bully. Yet he had left me alone since then, only stalking me, watching me, as if he wanted to strangle me.
I turned back to Yasmine, who was still listing off items on her phone. “Fourth, because I’m socially anxious but a gifted academic nerd, to be more involved in our House Cup. Five—”
I chuckled. “Don’t worry, Yas, you have nothing to feel bad about. We’ve both come a long way from being scared little mice hiding in our holes. Now, we’re more like mice ready to face their hunters’ cats.”
“More like you’ve got a predatory eagle eyeing you down, ready to snatch you. And I have a whole family of Komodo Dragons breathing down my neck, waiting to roast me alive,” she quipped—meaning Levi and her sister.
As we spoke, a man stepped onto the long table, the blue Guardian’s emblem painted on his cheeks. “Go, Guardians!”
Yasmine and I exchanged glances and exited the cafeteria to make our way north along the riverbank, the orange leaves crunching beneath our steps. The first rowing competition of the year, pitting the four houses against each other, was about to start.
The sun hung low in the sky, casting long, slanting shadows across the riverbank. The coxswains, perched at the stern of each boat, awaited the sound of the starting pistol. The grassy field lay divided with students sporting dark gray tweed blazers accented by stripes of blue, purple, green, or yellow along the collar. Most Pioneers clutched Pantheon’s renowned vanilla beers, a traditional drink before a sporting event. Reaching our spot among the Unifiers, we settled onto the damp grass. I loved that rainy smell.
Tara, not surprisingly, was the leader of the Pioneers. The Guardians chanted their anthems—they were unbeatable on the water. Tacticians were led by Kay—one of Levi’s friends—who was gunning eyes at Sylas as if he wanted to sink his canoe.
“Go, Sylas!” Yas waved.
Sylas didn’t get the chance to wave back because the pistol fired. The rowers dug their oars into the water with synchronized precision, their shells slicing through the waves. The first leg of the race was a grueling straightaway as each team fought to take the lead.
Guardians took the lead first, their powerful strokes propelling them forward, followed by the Pioneers—led by their coxswain Tara, barking commands, urging her team not to “be pussies.” The Unifiers gradually closed the gap, and the Tacticians fought on their boat, showing no team spirit.
“Go, Unifiers,” Yas and I cheered, our voices drowned out by the loud cheers of the Pioneers.
Hardly any Tacticians bothered to show up. But one unmistakable figure among them didn’t bother to sit on the grass like the rest of us. Levi stood aloof and gazing in the opposite direction of the race, utterly unconcerned that his posture was obstructing the view of the people behind him.
My phone beeped.
Unknown: I hope you didn’t think I had forgotten about you, little thief?
I ignored his message and focused back on the race.
“Go, Sylas!” I rose on my feet, clutching my gray skirt firmly to prevent it from billowing in the wind.
The race entered its middle stretch. The river’s placid surface churned into frothy turmoil, the coxswains’ voices ringing out over the water.
Unknown: Cheering for another man? Aren’t you bold?
An amused smile tugged at my lips.
Me: You should focus on your team. You’re losing.
I tucked my phone in my skirt pocket. In a heart-pounding climax, the Unifiers’ and Guardians’ shells raced side by side toward the finish line, oars flashing in the waning light, the boats crossing the line almost together.
“Guardians for the win!” the announcer’s voice boomed, met with calm applause from the Guardian students. “Unifiers, second!” Yas and I hugged each other. “Third, Pioneers!” Their response was mixed, but most of them were arguing loudly. “Fourth and last, Tacticians, who still haven’t crossed the finish line.”
Yasmine squeezed my hand. “Let’s go see our team!”
We strolled toward the water’s edge, the wooden walkway creaking underfoot as the teams disembarked from their boats. Tara stormed along the path, fists clenched.
“How does it feel to lose, big sister?” Yas grinned.
“Don’t start with me.”
“You did great out there.” My smile dropped when I met Tara’s narrowed eyes on me. “I mean, you’re scary; you’re a tough opponent in every area.”
“You’re such a sucker,” she scoffed, nudging my shoulder as she passed by.
“I was being nice,” I muttered to Yas.
“She’s a sore loser.” She shrugged before turning her attention to Sylas. “Congrats!”
“Thank you.” Sylas’s gaze lingered on mine. “I heard you both from the sidelines. Celebrations tonight?”
“Only losers celebrate coming in second.”
I couldn’t be more convinced that Levi was like an unsummoned demon, always breathing down my neck.
“You Tacticians aren’t into team sports, so you wouldn’t understand,” Sylas retorted sharply to Levi.
“That’s right, we aren’t cowards who hide behind others.” Kay arrived alongside us, soaked from falling into the river. “Sometimes you have to take responsibility for your actions, but what do I know? I’m just a rich fucker who fucks around and is in need of a shower and a blow job.”
Kay squeezed between us, pushing my shoulder roughly and shooting me a glare.
“Well, Sylas, tell us all about the race!” Yas changed the topic.
Sylas draped his arm around her shoulders. “Over coffee? My treat.”
“Hell yes, I like generous men.” Yas smirked. “Dalia?”
“She doesn’t drink coffee,” Levi interjected, and I forgot he was still lingering nearby. “But matcha, with oat milk and a bit of honey.”
I gritted my teeth. “You should get yourself committed.”
“I was merely being observant. It’s not my fault that every time you order, you ask the server to see proof that the honey is harvested without harming the bees.”
“Because I have a soul, and stop stalking me!”
“Sure, I can do that.”
I blinked. “Really?”
“Of course not. I just didn’t think I had to hide my stalking from you.”
I shook my head. “Let’s go, guys—” I realized then that Sylas and Yasmine had already left without me. I pursed my lips. “You’re scaring off my friends!”
He shrugged. “I haven’t done anything.”
“Your presence is enough,” I shot back, brushing a stray strand of hair from my face, the wind tousling the rest of my hair around me. “What do you want?”
His eyes gleamed with something sadistic inside. “You.”
I instinctively took a step back, a strange fluttering sensation twisting in my belly. “You’re joking, right?”
He tilted his head to the side, a faint twisted smirk playing on his lips, and he advanced toward me, hands casually tucked into his pockets. “I never joke.”
“You said you’re disgusted by me.”
“That’s my concern.”
I chortled. “How romantic.”
“You should be flattered.”
“I’m offended,” I quipped back. “I’m pretty sure no woman here would want someone like you to chase them.” Especially since if Levi caught you, your prayers wouldn’t stand a chance against him.
“It’s noble of you to sacrifice yourself to save all of them from me, then.” He leaned in close, his breath hot against my ear, as if about to share a secret. “Have you ever thought that maybe I didn’t want you… that way?”
The wind bursts became violent, and the next thing I felt was a hand. Levi’s hand. On my butt cheek on top of my skirt. I didn’t think twice before I slapped him. I slapped Levi in his perfectly handsome, cruel face. In the middle of a crowd. Oh dear God.
“What are you doing?” I panicked. “Your hand is on—”
“Yes, my hand is resting on your ass, but there is a perfect explanation to that,” he rasped yet still did not withdraw his hand, even as a group of Pioneers cheered for me to slap him again from the grass.
My cheeks were burning. “Everyone is staring.”
“Let them.” On that note, he pulled his hand away.
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, seeing the red mark of my hand on his cheek. “I panicked, and you were touching me. In public.”
“So you prefer it in private?”
“No!” I defended myself before mumbling, “Maybe I should have punched you instead.”
“Charming. It’s not like I was trying to have sex with you. I was doing something chivalrous such as not letting your butt be exposed in front of those assholes because of the wind.” He massaged his cheek. “You have strength. That was a good slap. You should—”
He stopped speaking, his eyes assessing me. I was probably as red as a tomato. Levi had never touched me directly. He either kept his distance from me or touched me only if it got him something he wanted. Here, he did it genuinely, and the thought of that created a staccato note that punctuated the rhythm of my heartbeat.
“Did you think I was—”
“No!” I screamed, folding my arms. “Just forget it and leave me alone.”
I was about to leave when he captured my arm, his hand brushing on the white lace fabric of my dress shirt. “I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
“Levi.”
“If you struggle, I’ll have no shame but to throw you in the river caveman style.” He retreated his hand, his fingers curling for a moment. “Seeing you all wet and furious is a taunting sight.”
“You’re a psycho.”
“Only for you.”
“Great, so I’m the lucky one.”
“Exactly,” he said, slanting one of his artificial fake smiles. “Meet me tonight at midnight in the library. Take the door with the forbidden sign. It will take you to our meeting place.”
He had to choose midnight, not surprising. It sounded like the perfect hour for monsters to wake.
“It sounds prohibited,” I argued.
“You’re afraid.”
“I’m not!” I lowered my voice. “What for anyway? I won’t do stuff with you.”
“Stuff?”
“Yes. Stuff you may be into.” I made my eyes look bigger, insinuating what he probably thought of.
“Such as?”
“Sexual stuff.”
I didn’t know why I was staring at his lips. He had nice lips. Kissable lips. Kissable lips I would never kiss again. So why was I clenching my thighs and pulling my knees together? I should stop reading Yasmine’s books.
“Ouch.” He didn’t seem offended, his lips tugging at one corner. “I bet the sound of your orgasm would be a beautiful symphony to my ears, but as amusing as it sounds, it wasn’t for that.”
My cheeks burned. “Why then?”
“You’ll have to come to find out.”
“I don’t trust you.”
“It’s nice you think you have a choice.”
“I do.”
“No, you don’t because you have something to lose. I could make life infuriating for your friend, Yasmine, and I’d be willing to do all that for you… Or worse, team up with your daddy dearest to push you out of Pantheon. So you don’t really have a choice.”
“You have a black soul.”
“Then you’ll pray for my soul like the good obedient Catholic church girl you’ve been raised to be.”
“Or I’ll curse you so your soul ends up in hell.”
He smirked. “That’s more like it. I look forward to playing with you tonight, my little broken doll.”