Chapter 16 - Marco
I woke up at exactly six in the morning.
I didn’t have to drag myself out of bed at four.
Alexei had been picking me up every day, and even though it still made my stomach twist with nerves every time his car pulled up, it meant I could sleep a little longer.
I wasn’t sure how long this arrangement would last, but I wasn’t going to complain about the extra rest while it was here.
I was just starting to sit up when someone knocked on the front door.
My heart jumped straight into my throat.
It had to be Alexei. He was early. He usually came around seven, but maybe something had changed.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed and padded down the hallway.
My parents were still gone so the house was quiet except for the sound of my bare feet on the floor.
I unlocked the door and opened it, already halfway through saying, “You’re early—”
It wasn’t Alexei.
A delivery guy stood there, looking impatient, with several large paper bags balanced in his arms. The logo on the bags was from some fancy breakfast place I had never been to.
“I didn’t order anything,” I blinked, confused, rubbing sleep from my eyes.
“The order was already paid for,” he said quickly, already pushing the bags into my hands. “Signature not required. Have a good day.”
He turned and practically bolted down the path toward his van like he was late for something important. I blinked after him, standing there in the doorway with my arms full of bags.
Weird.
I shut the door and carried everything into the kitchen, setting the bags on the counter. Curiosity got the better of me. I started unpacking them one by one.
The first bag had a stack of warm, fluffy strawberry pancakes, golden and drizzled with fresh strawberry syrup and powdered sugar.
The second had a big container of strawberry yogurt parfait layered with granola and sliced strawberries.
There were fresh strawberries in little clear containers, still dewy and perfect.
A carton of strawberry milk. Strawberry muffins.
Even a small box of chocolate-covered strawberries and a thermos that smelled like strawberry tea when I opened it.
Everything was strawberry-themed. Bright red and pink and sweet. My eyes went wide as I took it all in.
Joy hit me so fast and so hard I nearly squealed out loud, clapping a hand over my mouth to muffle the sound. It was too much. Way too much. But it was also perfect. I loved strawberries more than almost anything, and someone had clearly known that.
My phone buzzed on the counter.
I picked it up and saw the notification.
A: I can’t pick you up today, but I will send someone over to do it. I will come to school a bit late. Make sure you eat.
Of course. Of course it was him.
Marco: You don’t have to do this. I can cook myself breakfast.
A: And risk cutting yourself? No.
I bit my lip, staring at the message. He remembered what I told him about being clumsy in the kitchen.
Marco: It’s too much. There is enough here for three people. And I’m not that hungry this early.
A: Then save some for later. Or give it to your brother when he gets home.
I couldn’t help the tiny smile that tugged at my mouth even as my face flushed. He was so bossy but somehow it didn’t feel as terrifying as it used to. Not right now, at least.
Marco: Okay… but you really didn’t have to. Thank you. The strawberries are perfect.
A: Good. Now stop arguing and eat. The driver will be there in forty minutes. Be ready.
I set the phone down and looked back at the spread on the counter. The smell of warm pancakes and fresh strawberries filled the kitchen. My stomach actually growled. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until now.
I grabbed a plate and started piling on a little bit of everything - two pancakes, a scoop of the yogurt parfait, a handful of fresh strawberries, and one of the muffins.
As I sat down at the kitchen table and took the first bite, the sweetness of the strawberries burst across my tongue.
It was perfect. Way better than anything I could have thrown together in a rush.
My phone buzzed again while I was eating.
A: Oh and Marco?
Marco: Yes?
A: Sei bellissimo
My cheeks turned redder than a strawberry.
I stepped out of the house at exactly the time the text said the driver would arrive, my backpack slung over one shoulder and a small container of leftover strawberry pancakes tucked inside for later.
A sleek black car was already parked at the curb. I assumed it was the driver Alexei had mentioned. I walked toward it, adjusting the strap of my bag, when the back door suddenly swung open.
A blonde guy stepped out.
I froze mid-step.
I had never spoken to him before, but I knew exactly who he was.
Ilya. One of the three Void Kings. The shortest of them, with that wild energy that always seemed one second away from exploding into something chaotic.
Out of the three, he intimidated me the least, which wasn’t saying much, because the other two were Alexei and Dimitri.
Still, he was dangerous. Everyone knew that.
I had seen the way people scattered when he walked down the hallways at school.
“Mario!!!” he called out, loud and cheerful, like we were old friends.
Mario???????
I blinked, completely thrown off. My name wasn’t even close.
“Umm… my name is Marco,” I said quickly, trying to sound polite. I didn’t want to be rude. He might not have been as terrifying as the others on the surface, but he was still a Void King. Offending one of them felt like a very bad idea.
Ilya waved a hand like he was brushing away a fly and strode toward me with a grin that was way too bright for this early in the morning.
“Mario, I came to drive you! Aren’t I nice?” he said, already closing the distance between us. “I brought snacks. Well, I ate the snacks on the way here, but the thought counts, right?”
I just stood there, listening, a little overwhelmed. His words came out in a rapid stream, barely pausing for breath. I nodded once or twice because it felt like the polite thing to do, but my brain was still catching up to the fact that Ilya, actual Ilya, was here to pick me up.
Before I could say anything, he grabbed my wrist and started pulling me toward the car.
“Come on, come on! We’re going to be late if we stand here chatting all day.”
I stumbled a little as he dragged me the last few steps, nearly tripping over my own feet. He opened the back door with a flourish and basically shoved me inside like I weighed nothing. I landed on the leather seat with a small oof, clutching my backpack to my chest.
Ilya slid in after me and slammed the door shut, already talking again as the car pulled away from the curb.
“Buckle up, Mario! Safety first and all that. Not that I usually follow rules, but y—”
I finally found my voice, cutting in before he could keep rambling.
“Did Alexei send you?”
Ilya waved a hand again, completely unbothered, and grinned at me.
“Sure he did. I’m his most trusted. Obviously. Who else would he send for something this important? Me. The reliable one. The charming one. The one with the best driving skills. Well, maybe not the best driving skills, but definitely the most enthusiastic.”
I stared at him, not entirely convinced, but I didn’t push it. Something about the way he said it felt a little too smooth, but I was too overwhelmed to question it out loud.
Ilya kept talking the entire drive, jumping from one topic to another without any real pause.
He told me about some prank he pulled on Dimitri last week, complained about how boring the academy was getting, and at one point asked if I wanted to see a knife he kept in his jacket “just in case.” I politely declined.
By the time we pulled up in front of the academy gates, my head was spinning a little from all the words. Ilya leaned over and opened the door for me with another bright grin.
“Thanks for the ride,” I said quietly, clutching my backpack a little tighter as I stepped out.
He slid out right after me, slammed the door shut, and fell into step beside me. I blinked, a little thrown off, but I didn’t say anything.
We started walking toward the main building together.
The morning sun was already warm on the stone path, and a few students glanced our way as we passed.
I tried to ignore the stares. Walking next to one of the Void Kings was bound to draw attention, even if Ilya wasn’t actively threatening anyone at the moment.
“Maybe I should have enrolled in the art campus instead. But then again, that insect goes there, so no thank you.”
I glanced sideways at him, confused. “Insect?”
Ilya stopped mid-step for half a second, then kept walking, his grin turning a little sharper.
“Yeah, Kento. Your bestie’s brother. That smug, pretentious whore”
He kept going without missing a beat, waving his hands around as we walked down the hallway. Students moved out of our way without us even having to ask.
“I’ll get rid of him one day, I just have to convince Dimitri to let me.”
I tried not to laugh, but a small, nervous smile tugged at my lips anyway. Ilya’s energy was overwhelming, but there was something almost funny about how seriously he was taking this feud with someone I never met. I of course knew Rei had a brother but he was mostly absent.
“He sounds… intense,” I offered politely, keeping my voice soft.
“Intense?” Ilya repeated, scoffing dramatically. “Intense is putting it lightly. That insect will—”
He cut himself off with a bright laugh, like he remembered he was talking to someone who probably didn’t want to hear about murder plots before first period.
“Anyway,” he said, waving it off again, “that’s why art campus is off-limits for me.”