Chapter 15
“T his is literally perfect for you. On the downside, you definitely won’t be as popular as the athletes.” Yas’s voice echoed in the grand hall’s high vaulted ceilings.
I snapped a picture of the papers overlapping on the wall of missions. The wall of missions was a place where extracurricular activities were listed, allowing students to participate in competitive weekend events, primarily sports competitions that would grant points for the House Cup. Payers of papers, sign-up sheets, and advertisements were scattered on the board. It also allowed us to explore various opportunities like internships or conferences with world leaders.
That one mission caught my eye: “Mystery and Legacy—how well do you know Pantheon?” It was exclusively for first-year students, and our house headmaster would select his champion to compete against the three other houses at the opera house next Saturday at two o’clock. The prize was five house points for the winner.
“I’m taking this one. It has to be a quiz,” I mused. “You?”
She opted for the essay writing contest, and I shot her a knowing glance; she wasn’t exactly stepping out of her comfort zone.
“What?” She crossed her arms, and we swayed to the common room for Sylas’s almost-win party. “Baby steps.”
I smiled. Tonight, we’d promised to be daring. We were going to our first Pantheon party—my first ever. Yas donned a snug burgundy dress, accentuating her curves, while I opted for knee-high socks, a ruffled skirt, and the pinkish long-sleeved top Grandma gifted me. Dad would 100 percent disapprove of it because it was baring my shoulders.
“Don’t you think my thighs look huge?” Yasmine fretted as we reached Unifiers territory.
“No,” I said firmly, raising my chin. “You are feminine, sexy, and stunning. The ghosts of my family would be awestruck by your beauty.”
“Thank you… I guess?”
I cleared my throat. “Or perhaps that ‘fae king’ of yours might propose a fake marriage because he’s instantly obsessed with you.”
A smile crept onto Yas’s face. “That was sweet.”
I pushed the common room door open, expecting the party to be as Dad had described it—students drinking, puking, dancing to the beat of the devil’s music, and having orgies. But instead, students took turns at the karaoke machine singing anime songs. A group huddled around a table, engrossed in fantasy board games. A circle formed around Sylas, engrossed in conversations, holding vanilla beer, the amber liquid glinting in the warm glow of the room’s green lights.
For the next few hours, I wanted to revel in the moment and not think about Levi and the way he seemed to occupy my every waking thought.
Sylas strolled over to us with his charming, regal smile, wearing a classy beige ensemble. His approach was cut short by a group of women vying for his attention.
“You drink?” Yas asked.
“Oh no.” I shook my head. “Never in my life, ever again.”
“You both look great,” Sylas said as he finally joined us. “We never see you both during parties.”
“That’s because we’re like Wulver and Medusa,” Yas commented, probably referring to all the nights we spent reading, binge-watching a series, or studying. “Insociable beings.”
“Am I the folklorish wolf that wants to be left alone or the man-killer?” By sticking with Yas, I’d developed the ability to understand her references.
“Definitely the man-killer because of your big eyes,” Yas said. “On the contrary, I’m the one who only thinks about food.”
Sylas’s furrowed brows deepened.
“Um, Sylas…” I switched the subject. “I just saw this mission, and I’d like to participate.”
I showed him the picture of the “Mystery and Legacy” mission.
“You’re the only one who has asked me about it. The Unifiers’ fate lies in your hands.” Sylas’s eyes lingered on my lips. Perhaps I overdid it with my strawberry gloss, which was my mom’s favorite. “You’ll ace it, Dalia. I believe in you.”
I swallowed, my cheeks heating. “Thank you.”
“Can I get you a drink or—”
Suddenly, Sylas’s rowing teammates hugged him from behind, urging him toward the karaoke stage. As the crowd gathered around, Yas was swept into their dance circle. I laughed, clapping my hands for her, when my phone buzzed with a FaceTime call from my father. Panic climbed its way up my throat. This was the worst timing ever. He couldn’t know I was at a party.
I signaled to Yas that I’d be back and retreated to our dorm, snapping the door closed behind me. Quickly, I wiped off my gloss with my sleeve and tried to cover my shoulders by adjusting my top. “Hi, Dad, I’m so glad you—”
“Why are you dressed up at this hour of the day?” Dad interrupted, his stern face scrutinizing me through the screen. “Is that music in your dorm? Are you at a party, Dalia?”
My heart sank. “It’s not what you think, Dad. It’s just a small gathering with our house, and—”
“Did that roommate of yours drag you into this?” he accused. “I looked into her background, and she’s on scholarship. Not the best company you could keep.”
“Yasmine is great,” I defended. “She’s smart, and she’s a great friend. Being on scholarship is an honor.”
I sat on the bed, but my father remained silent. Disapproval was etched on his face, in the stern set of his jaw and the furrowed lines on his forehead.
“Look, Dad, I’m doing well here. I’m happy. It was just a gathering with the Unifiers to celebrate Sylas’s almost victory.”
His face softened. “Sylas, yes, he’s a good kid. Serious and respectful. I heard you’re spending quite some time with him?” When I frowned, he added, “Sylas’s father and I are close friends, and his son tells him everything.”
Everything? I gulped. Did Sylas tell my father about Levi? Was that why he was calling me? But if he knew, why was he so calm?
I displayed a faint, weak smile. “Yes, we’re friends.”
“And he also informed me of something rather concerning. It’s why I’m calling you,” my father said, and I held my breath. He knew about Levi and what happened on Hazing Night. Oh no—“Your choice of club. You’re not in the choir.”
He didn’t know. A wave of relief washed over me.
“I’m sorry, Dad, about the choir, but there was no place left, so I picked fencing and—”
“And you lied to me.” My father cut me off in his authoritative voice.
I had failed to tell him about it; that wasn’t lying.
“What about something like modern Greek or religion?”
“I picked fencing for Mom. Remember that picture you have near your bed? You kept telling me how amazing she was and—”
“I lost her, Dalia,” my father said, his voice breaking. “Going to Pantheon will never make her come back, you know.”
I clenched my jaw. He’d never understood why I felt the need to come here in the first place.
“I don’t want you to do this sport. It’s for those who want to be visible and seek power, not you. Maybe it’s not too late to change your—”
“I’m not a child,” I whispered, my voice trembling. I didn’t need his protection. I was tired of being his weak, afraid little girl. “I like it. Can’t you just be happy for me that I’m happy?”
“Not if you’re making the wrong decisions,” he responded firmly. “One wrong move from you, and you’re coming back home. Do you understand?”
“Right,” I replied tersely.
One wrong move and I’ll be a stay-at-home daughter, seeing the world through the safety of my phone screen, kissing all of my dreams and hopes goodbye.
“I want what’s best for you because I love you. You know that, right?”
My grandmother intervened, slapping my father on the head with a kitchen napkin. “Loving someone isn’t an excuse to act like a jerk. You’ve wiped the beautiful smile off her face! Are you happy now? Give me that phone!”
Grandma took the phone, and Father rolls his eyes. She was the only one who could get through to him.
My dad kept trying to talk. “We should invite Sylas for dinner when you—”
She stepped outside, cutting off my father’s speech, and whispered, “How is the situation with your dear nemesis? I thought of other tricks. We made a list at church with Bernard and Roger and look—”
She displayed three pages filled with suggestions on the topic of “dealing with a nemesis without commiting a crime.”
I laughed. “It’s okay, Grandma. I think I’ll handle him my way this time.”
She pouted. “Boring. So how’s the party? That top looks beautiful on you. You look just like your mother.” My stomach warmed at her compliment. “Do you have time to talk with your old grandma, or should we reschedule?”
“I always have time for you.”
“Tell me all about school, and don’t leave out any details. I’ve even opened the hundred-year-old bottle.”
I shared my excitement and all of my adventures with Grandma. It made me feel like maybe Mom was listening too, and the guilt of lying to Dad eased with every smile Grandma gave me. But as the clock struck midnight, I knew I had someplace else to be.
“I’ll update you soon, okay?”
Her eyes shone as she winked. “Take care, my flower. And show that arrogant prick how strong you are.”
I didn’t know if she was referring to Mr. Delgado or Levi. Returning to the common room, I found Yasmine engrossed in a card game with a group of girls, effortlessly acing it, and Sylas putting a drunk student on the couch.
I left them and decided to make my way to the library. On my tiptoes, I avoided the librarian, who was engrossed in some fiction monster’s book in her office, and snuck through the door with a forbidden sign that Levi had indicated. It led to the roof. I took the spiral staircase, realizing I’d never done something forbidden before. I was exploring a place no one was allowed to go, and I couldn’t help but smile at the adrenaline rush.
I pushed open the door with a stained glass with doves on it. I was greeted by the vast expanse of the night sky, where stars twinkled like guarded secrets. The fall air carried a brisk chill, brushing against my skin and sending a shiver down my spine.
Taking a confident step onto the balcony, I found Levi leaning against two gargoyle statues like they were his own demons under his command. His hair danced in the breeze, and his hands rested casually in his pockets. He exuded a dark allure that quickened my heartbeat, drawing me in like a magnetic force. Perhaps because I didn’t feel as breakable and weak as paper by his side.
Behind him was the opera house looming in the darkness, like a somber memory. I locked my fist. Grandma called me her flower because she believed a woman was just like one. We could bloom under the right circumstances but also falter if not being taken care of, suffocating in our flower pots. Flowers needed freedom to grow.
Maybe Grandma was right.
Having a nemesis would help me grow out of my pot.
“So you finally came,” Levi’s velvety voice rasped.