30. Chapter 30
Arwen
Two weeks since I told Maddox I was leaving. Two weeks of careful smiles and careful words, of navigating around each other like there isn’t something fractured sitting in the middle of every room we share. He hasn’t come to sleep in my bed since.
And now Cleo and Tabby are leaving. I wrap my arms around both of them so hard that I think I might bruise someone.
“This isn’t goodbye forever,” I say, forcing brightness into my voice even as tears sting behind my eyes.
I’m not sure that is true, but I have to stay positive.
“Atticus is on my side. He’s working to get me back into the academy.” I pull back enough to look between them. “I have a power now. They have no reason to say no.”
We all know they have plenty of reasons to say no.
Cleo’s mouth tightens like she knows it too, but she just reaches up and squeezes my hand. “Promise you’ll call us every day.”
“And Holly wants a call every day too,” Tabby adds.
I let out a watery laugh. “Got it. Multiple hours of phone conversations are in my future. Understood.”
Cleo’s smile softens. “Brix?”
My smile falls apart as I shake my head.
“No. He said he wanted to stay out of it,” I murmur. “And he hasn’t reached out since, so…” I shrug, though it feels brittle. “I think it’s better if I leave it alone.”
“Ugh,” Tabby groans, throwing her hands in the air. “Men are the biggest idiots in the entire universe.”
As if summoned by the insult itself, the door opens and Maddox steps inside, right behind Tabby. She startles so violently she squeaks, causing Cleo and me to snort.
Tabby whirls, grabs Cleo by the wrist, and starts dragging her toward the door at alarming speed.
“I mean, except for you, Maddox.” She pats him on the arm as he just stares.
“Call you as soon as we get home, Arwen! Bye!” she yells over her shoulder. The door slams behind them before I can even respond.
Silence settles over the room as Maddox stands just inside the doorway. My heart does the traitorous thing it always does when I see him. He’s disappointed with my decision to leave, but I wish I knew where I stood with him.
Our short, polite conversations have revealed nothing.
His gaze drops to my crossed arms before returning to my face as he clears his throat. “My father sent word,” he says. “We apparently have guests.”
“Guests?” I repeat, tension spiking. My entire body goes rigid as my mind jumps straight to Amaya.
Maddox must read it on my face because his expression softens a fraction.
“It’s not Amaya,” he says before I can ask. “It’s not Teeth, Kael, or Vex either. I have eyes on all of them. They’re in their territories.”
I release a breath as he gestures for me to follow.
We walk in silence through the endless maze of corridors that make up this monstrous hotel.
My nerves build with every step. Maddox gives me no hints how he is feeling, and by the time we stop before a pair of massive oak doors flanked by armed guards, my stomach is in knots.
A guard opens the door, and I freeze in place. My breath catches so hard it hurts.
“Atticus?”
His face breaks into an immediate grin, blue eyes zeroing in on me.
Before I can think better of it, I run. He catches me when I launch into him, arms wrapping around me as he lifts me off the floor and spins me once in a circle.
“Easy there,” he laughs, squeezing me tight. “Missed you too.”
He sets me down but keeps his hands on my shoulders, looking me over like he is checking for damage.
“How are you?” he asks. “I heard you used your power. What happened?”
A pointed throat clearing interrupts him.
Atticus looks over my head, and his smile drops into a scowl. I glance over my shoulder to find Maddox still standing in the doorway, arms folded, wearing nearly the exact same scowl.
The sheer hostility radiating between them could power my hometown.
Honestly. What is with these men? I know they have history, but damn.
“I know you two missed each other,” I say dryly, “but can we maybe sit down if this staring contest is going to take all afternoon?”
Both of them blink and reluctantly move toward the table arranged in the center, sitting as far apart as possible.
Children. Both of them. Maddox wastes no time.
“Why are you here?”
I roll my eyes so hard it nearly hurts.
Atticus ignores his tone and looks at me. “I came to tell you everything has been handled.” His smile softens. “The Council has approved your return to SinVail Academy for the coming semester.”
“Seriously?” My chair scrapes against the floor as I launch up. Atticus laughs just as I throw my arms around him.
“I’m going back?!"
"Eeeeeeek!” I squeal so loudly that both men wince.
Atticus grunts. “Universe, Arwen—are you trying to burst my eardrums?” He laughs and wraps his arms around me anyway, hugging me back.
Relief and joy explode through me so fast I could cry.
I’m going back.
I pull out of his hold enough to look up at his face…
Only to find him wearing an unbearably smug expression directed across the table. Straight at Maddox.
I immediately drop my arms and step away.
“Tabby is right,” I mutter, returning to my seat. “Men are stupid.”
Both of them look at me. “What?” they say in unison.
A knock sounds behind me before I can answer.
The door opens, and every instinct in my body tightens.
A tall, familiar blonde woman strides into the room with a smile.
Her golden hair falls in perfect waves past her waist. A white fur coat drapes over her shoulders despite the fact that it is absolutely not cold enough for that.
Massive sunglasses cover half her face, and silk gloves sheath her hands as she glides inside on heels that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe.
His sister Paris.
Right… Maddox said 'guests'. Plural.
I tense, preparing for the worst. She wouldn’t just outright attack me in this room? Right?
“I’ve been waiting forever,” she drawls dramatically, shutting the door behind her. “But I assumed you might need saving from that ghastly screeching. What was that?”
She slips off one glove, finger by finger. I dislike her instantly.
I have no legitimate reason outside of the fact that she called my excitement ‘ghastly’. But something about her makes every hair on the back of my neck rise.
Maybe it is the arrogance. Or just the fact that she is one of them.
I glance at Atticus and find his face bright red.
His eyes stay glued so aggressively to the table I think he might be having a stroke.
I look toward Maddox… He somehow looks even angrier than he did five minutes ago.
Oh.
Ohhhh….
This must be the history.
“Atticus!” Paris sings, her face lighting up. “I didn’t know you were visiting. What a sweet surprise! I have missed you.”
I glance at Atticus, who has somehow turned even redder.
“Paris,” he says, still staring at the table. “Didn’t know you were here...”
My eyes flick between them all. Maddox looks one second away from strangling someone.
I wait for literally anyone to explain.
“Well,” Paris says, removing her sunglasses and tossing them onto the table, “I came to check on my brother and his little alliance quest to avenge his bonded.”
She pours herself a drink like she owns the place. Which, given the family… I guess she sort of does.
Her fitted dress hugs every curve; heels so tall I am honestly impressed she can walk in them.
My bond flares hot in my chest. I could totally take her.
“Interesting,” Maddox says, finally speaking. “Considering you haven’t chosen a side.”
Paris pouts. “Do I need to choose a side to check on my little brother?”
She circles the table. My shoulders stiffen when she trails her hand across Atticus’s shoulders as he flinches away.
I suddenly want to rip her arm off.
Which is deeply inconvenient, considering I recently vowed not to remove any more limbs.
She sips her drink, gaze sliding from Atticus to Maddox to me. “Well,” she says with a wicked smile, “this is cozy.”
“Why are you here?” I ask her, arms crossed.
“Why don’t you grab a drink, Arwen?” she purrs. “We can swap lover stories about little Atti here.”
My entire body goes rigid.
Atti?
They have nicknames?
“Shut up, Paris,” Atticus snaps. “That was ages ago, and you know it.”
“Oh, relax,” she says. “Just thought I could give Arwen a little background since I’m assuming neither of you have filled her in?”
My head whips toward him.
“There is nothing to tell. You know nothing about me,” Atticus grits out.
“Testy, testy,” Paris croons. “We always brought out white hot rage in each other, didn’t we?”
She leans down. “Especially in private.”
Nope.
Absolutely not.
This woman is determined to test my restraint over my power, and I refuse to let my chaos loose over a little petty jealousy. I stand up so fast that my chair almost topples backward.
“Well, I’ll just leave you all to... whatever this is. I know my way back,” I say strained.
“Absolutely not,” both Maddox and Atticus say in unison. It’d be comical if my bond wasn’t bloodthirsty.
Atticus recovers first, glaring at Maddox. “I’ll take her back to her room,” he says. “Paris came here to talk to you. I don’t need to be part of this conversation.”
Maddox’s jaw grinds. For a second, I think he may refuse out of spite. Then he gives one sharp nod.
“Fine.” His eyes find mine. “Straight back to your room. Please.”
I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from saying something I’ll regret.
The walk back to my room is painfully awkward. Gone is the easy warmth from when Atticus first arrived. In its place sits a thick, uncomfortable silence that stretches all the way down the hall. I can only stand it for so long.
“So... you and Paris?” I ask, trying for casual and failing miserably.
Atticus exhales sharply through his nose.
“That feels like a lifetime ago,” he says quickly. “It was brief, and I was young and stupid enough to think she was anything close to what I wanted.”
“…So not serious?” I ask.
“Absolutely not.” He grimaces. “I’m pretty sure she was using me, anyway. To get under Maddox’s skin.”
“Oh.” I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “It’s none of my business, sorry. I’m just...” I gesture. “Trying to understand this family and failing spectacularly.”
“There is no understanding. They are all insane,” he mutters.
We reach my door and he turns to face me. “It is your business, Arwen.”
Something in his tone makes me go still.
“I know I may not have your full trust yet,” he says quietly, “but you can believe me when I tell you I have absolutely no feelings for anyone else. And I never will.”
Heat rushes to my face so quickly that I am certain he notices. I glance away, clearing my throat.
“Well,” I say, unable to look at him, “you know... maybe now that we’re both going back to the academy...” My fingers twist together. “We could spend more time together. Talk. Get to know each other.”
The lingering silence makes my heart drop into my stomach. I look up and immediately wish I hadn’t.
The look on his face is devastating.
“Oh,” I say, panic rising. “Or not. Sorry! That was awkward. I don’t know why I assumed you had feelings for me just—”
“No.” He steps forward and grabs my hand. “No, Arwen, it’s not that.”
“Then what is it?”
His face shutters, the warmth in his eyes snuffing out like a candle in a sudden breeze. I brace myself.
“There’s something I need to tell you.”
My chest constricts as he painfully explains the deal with his father. The condition for my return to the academy. The distance we’ll have to keep.
“It was the only way,” he whispers when he finishes.
I stare at him. There’s no mistaking the despair in his eyes. I understand that this is him trying to protect me. That almost makes it worse.
My throat burns. “So it’ll be just like last year,” I mumble.
His face falls.
“You pretending not to know me in public.” My voice cracks despite my efforts to keep it steady. “Keeping me at arm’s length. Acting like I’m the scum on your shoe.”
“No Arwen. I promise it won’t be like that—”
“How can it not?” I whisper.
I’m just tired. Tired of being something people have to hide. Tired of being the complication.
My heart breaks a little, even though I know he is doing this for me. I can’t bear to continue this conversation, so I squeeze his hand and give him a small smile before stepping into my room and closing the door.