Chapter 23 Never Stop Dreaming
Never Stop Dreaming
ANNA
“Hair and make-up time!” Isabella called.
She began rattling orders off before running into her room and returning with her arms full of bags and styling tools.
She covered the table with them, then placed her hands on her hips and looked it all over before glancing at the two of us.
She looked at us both from one to the other, a plan forming in her mind as she assessed every feature of our faces.
“Okay,” she said, “I've got it.”
“I think I’m going to need wine for this,” Roslyn said.
Isabella rolled her eyes. “Just for that, you’re going first.”
I watched Roslyn’s expression change from bored to assaulted. I couldn’t contain a triumphant chuckle, but Isabella was oblivious as she fiddled with something when suddenly pop music started blaring from behind her.
“What is that?” Roslyn asked, trying to see around Isabella.
When she moved, I saw a small battery-operated speaker with a digital screen.
“How did you get one of those in here?” I asked, shocked to see anything electronic inside Nightfall’s walls.
“My dad,” Isabella said, smirking. “He let me borrow it.”
I stared at the older-style MP3 player as if it were some witchcraft from the future.
“Awakened Adepts are allowed things like that?” I asked.
“Well, no, but some things get overlooked,” she said, grinning as she shrugged.
We listened to Isabella’s playlist, gushing over our new dresses and discussing what the ball would be like.
I heard several songs I recognized and sang along with Isabella and couldn’t help but notice Roslyn’s utter failure to so much as hum along to any of them the entire time.
I recalled the harp in her room and wondered if her family was wealthy enough to be oblivious to pop culture.
Still, even the British Royal Family knew pop stars.
But seriously, how could such a famous pop song come on, and you don’t at least bob your head?
“I can’t believe I missed Caelan asking you to the ball,” Isabella said, glancing at me as she did Roslyn’s hair in a gorgeous updo of fiery curls.
“You didn’t miss much,” I said. “We’re just going as friends anyway.”
“Friends?” Isabella said in disbelief. “I’ve seen you two sparring. You’re his favorite Initiate. He didn’t ask you as a ‘friend’.”
I blinked a few times. Was she right? Caelan and I had bonded but his feelings for Saryna had been there from day one. I’d never thought about him from a romantic standpoint after that.
“It doesn’t matter,” I muttered.
Isabella pulled one of several bobby pins out of her mouth and stabbed it into Roslyn’s hair. “Doesn’ madder?”
Isabella’s words spoken through the bobby pins made Roslyn snicker as she cast a curious look my way.
She knew something.
“I just, I don’t know, I guess I was hoping someone else would ask me,” I said.
Isabella dropped Roslyn’s hair and looked at me.
“Oo?” she demanded, the muffled sound making me giggle.
“Look, seriously,” I said. “It doesn’t matter. Besides, you haven’t even told us who you’re going with.”
She jammed the last bobby pin into Roslyn’s fabulous updo and crossed her arms. “Now I’m not going to. You’ll have to wait and see.”
Roslyn glared at both of us. “Can we get this finished?”
Isabella ignored her. “I suggest you think about what you’re going to do when Caelan makes a move tonight.”
My cheeks burned. I hadn’t thought about that at all. Surely, he wasn’t thinking that. Caelan was a gentleman and I thought of him and Saryna’s bizarre behavior at the brunch. They weren’t on good terms lately.
“Done!”
Isabella backed up and put her hands on her hips, admiring her work.
Roslyn looked stunning and nearly unrecognizable with makeup.
“I didn’t realize how good you were at this stuff,” I said.
She twisted playfully, still holding the comb. “Your turn!”
I gave myself over to the powers that be. “Have at it.”
When she’d finished my makeup, I didn’t recognize myself.
Roslyn nodded with approval. “It’s perfect.”
“Alright,” Isabella said. “Now that you two are all dolled up, it’s my turn. We have a few hours. Try not to mess it up.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I said. “I think I might rest until it’s time to change, though.”
Roslyn nodded, “Me too.”
Back in my room, I noticed my window was open, letting in the cold. I snapped it shut, feeling the chilled air bite at my skin. Where was my sweater? I sighed, seeing my breath form before me.
“Damn,” I muttered, picturing it thrown over the back of the couch in the hall.
I slipped out of the dorm and headed down the corridor to retrieve it.
Snapping it up and pulling it on, I crossed my arms and rubbed them briskly to warm up.
As I turned to leave, I paused. Was that someone crying?
Peering behind me and around the corner, I saw someone alone in one of the armchairs.
“Hello?”
I moved closer, worried someone was hurt, when long, straight locks came into view.
“Saryna?”
Quiet sobs sounded from beneath her hands as she hid her face.
I hovered there, unsure whether to approach her. I was probably the last person she’d want to see in a situation like this and I nearly turned and left, but something stopped me. It was uncharacteristic for her to be alone. How could I walk away when she was like this?
I sat beside her, unsure of what to say. She glanced at me before looking away and wiping her eyes.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“Nothing,” I said. “I’m just going to sit here in case you need anything.”
She glared at me and looked away again, leaning back in the chair and staring straight ahead.
“You do not have to act like you care,” she said.
I pursed my lips, withholding a retort.
She’s crying and in distress. Keep your cool.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked, drawing patience from deep, deep, down.
“No,” she snapped, then buried her face in her hands again, fresh sobs piercing my ears.
I nodded once with curt finality. I’d tried.
“I hope you feel better,” I said, getting up.
“Wait.”
I stopped; my eyebrows arched in surprise.
“I want to talk about something else,” she said quietly.
“Okay.”
She wiped her eyes again and looked at me seriously, the redness around her eyes making me worry.
“I have a sister and she has never once done what you are doing now,” she said.
I wasn’t sure what I’d thought she was going to say but it wasn’t that. I opened my mouth to speak, but she continued.
“I know Caelan has been training with you and that he asked you to go to the ball,” she said. “And I know you must think that is why I avoid you. But that could not be any further from the truth. I have never had a problem with you.”
I couldn’t believe what she was saying. “I… well, yeah, I did think there was something between you two but I never thought you had a problem with me. I just thought you were awkward because of Caelan’s feelings for you.”
A troubled look flashed across her face.
“It was Caelan that I had a problem with but not because of any feelings he may or may not have for me. I thought he was overstepping.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What do you mean, ‘overstepping’?”
She shook her head. “I disapproved of what he was doing, is all. What he was doing with you. But it was not what it seemed like. I was not jealous.”
I wanted to believe her but nothing added up. What was with everyone’s cryptic bullshit? “He was just training with me. Helping me improve. What’s wrong with that?”
Her expression wasn’t irritated or angry but worried. “It is critical you find your way on your own. He should know that.”
It felt like she’d delivered a blow to my stomach. Everyone had said something like this to me at some point or another.
“What way? What’re you talking about?” I asked. “Why’s it a problem if he helps me train?”
“It is not specifically about the training—look, he and I disagree on fundamental ideas for Initiates that come to Nightfall,” she said. “But that is the least of my concerns now. Did you get my note?”
My jaw slacked. “You left that note? Beware the raven. What does that mean?”
“You know what it means,” Saryna said. “You needed to be warned.”
“Away from who?” I asked, my voice wavering as my body trembled in shock. “Malakai? Ezreal? Blake?”
“All of them,” Saryna whispered.
“But why? Why not just tell me? Why play this game with secret notes?” I snapped.
“I am sorry,” she said, her voice strained. “I was directed not to engage with you. But you needed to be warned.”
I sat down at the edge of the seat, leaning towards her. “Saryna—warn me about what?”
“Saryna!”
We both snapped up.
The warmth drained from my face as I saw Malakai strolling across the room.
Great.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, his annoyance evident as he watched Saryna.
My hands started shaking at the sound of his tone. Who did he think he was to talk to her that way? He was dressed in a dapper suit, his dark hair slicked back.
“We need to get ready,” he said.
I turned to Saryna, seeing her shocked expression.
“Yes, sorry, I wanted a quiet moment before the ball, that is all.”
She stood up, and I glared at Malakai. When had they become friendly? And going to the ball together?
He threw me an arrogant nod, his brows raising briefly.
“See you tonight, Anna,” he said.
I cocked my head but ignored him as they walked off. I felt weird letting Saryna walk off with him, but what was I going to do?
I sat there for some time, alone, wondering if I should bring this up to Roslyn or let it play out until I could get Saryna on her own again.
Best friend or not, Roslyn was an Aurkai, and she’d never break rank and divulge sensitive information.
Saryna, however, was about to tell me something.
She’d been trying since leaving that note in my room, but I’d kept misreading her odd behavior.
I needed to talk to her again.
Alone.