Chapter 4
Sophia
The party is in full swing by the time we get to the secret room, and I'm only half-surprised to find that one of my flatmates' friends has gotten someone to rig up some lights, and they're flashing around the cave, illuminating the faces of partygoers.
The atmosphere is buzzing, and I have to admit that even if this is only the second party of the year, things are looking good at Rosewood.
"You weren't joking about Drake's parties," I say to Lottie. I'm lucky that the moth fairy seems to know a few of the people at the academy already, especially those who are throwing parties. This is the kind of experience I'm looking for by being here.
My new friend chuckles and brushes her hair away from one of her antennae. "You haven't seen anything yet. Wait until we're inside. Did you bring a bikini?"
"Erm...no? Was I supposed to?" Why didn't she tell me that before we left our flat? That would have been helpful.
She shrugs. "Depends on what the royal protocol on skinny dipping is."
I snort. "What my parents don't know about isn't going to hurt them," I respond. "And I have no intention of telling."
"Me neither," she promises.
"Probably because you want to sneak off and make eyes at my brother."
She clears her throat and her antennae bob as she looks away from me, confirming what I've been suspecting. There is something going on between them. It might not be anything concrete yet, but it's certainly at least a crush. And from the way I've caught Archie looking at her, it's mutual.
"It's fine, you know," I say. "I don't mind if you decide to date him, or whatever it is you have in mind."
"I didn't really have anything in mind," she responds. "I wanted to come to Rosewood to be a lawyer. I wasn't planning anything other than that."
"He's over there, you could go find out." I nod to where my brother is leaning against a wall. He sees us looking and waves his tail in Lottie's direction.
Her wings flutter in response. "I don't want to leave you on your own."
I shrug. "I'll be fine. There are a lot of people I can hang out with. Anja and Nati said they were coming too." I'm not sure if our other flatmates are here yet, but if they are, then I can easily spend time with them.
"All right, but I'll be back soon."
"Mmm." I'm not going to hold her to that. It's only been a week, but I've not been oblivious to the way she and Archie keep looking at one another. I'm sure there's something more to it that neither of them has told me. Maybe he's the one that has caused mate to sound in Lottie's head.
I push that to the side and wave her off, looking around the room for one of our other friends. I know it's early to be calling anyone, considering it's only been a week since I started at Rosewood, but bonds are created fast when everyone is in close proximity to one another.
There's a flash of purple to my left, and it makes me turn to try and find the demon it belongs to, but I don't manage to spot anyone. How odd.
"Sophia!"
I turn to find the nixie from my divination class approaching, and I smile at her. "Hi, Lexi."
"You don't have a drink yet," she says, looking down at my hands.
"I haven't had a chance to," I respond.
"Well, we should change that. I heard that Drake got some of the best sparkling wine in."
"For a student party?"
The nixie shrugs and flicks some of her long green hair over her shoulder, flashing her gills as she does. "I'm not about to ask questions. I'd rather drink the good stuff rather than the cheap bottles of vodka we used to have at parties back home. You probably don't know about that."
"Not really," I admit. "But I'd be willing to try it."
"Don't," she responds instantly. "You're lucky that you've never had to drink it, don't go assaulting your taste buds with it now."
I laugh. "All right, then lead the way to the sparkling wine."
She leads me over to where a large table is groaning under the weight of several cases of sparkling wine, along with top-shelf spirits and a lot of different choices of mixer for those who don't drink.
It's quite the assortment, and it only proves that Lottie is right about the calibre of Drake's parties. This isn't any student party.
I pour myself a glass and turn to look around the room, taking it all in.
Music fills the room, and many of the guests are already dancing, swaying in time with the beat and looking like they're having a great time.
I'm tempted to go join them, but it doesn't seem like Lexi has finished getting her drink yet.
My attention moves on, and stops when it falls on a demon with a similar purple skin than mine. He's leaning against the wall without a drink, and not looking like he's drunk anything either.
He looks up, and even though it's impossible given that we're this far apart, it feels as if we lock eyes.
Mate.
I let out a gasp as the word registers, and blink a few times as if to try and clear it away. But it doesn't go anywhere, the single word just continues to bounce around my mind.
"Sophia? Everything okay?" Lexi asks.
I turn to the nixie and give her a weak smile. "I'm fine."
"You look like you just heard a mate reaction for the first time."
I frown. "How..."
"I've had one before," she responds.
"I didn't think you were seeing anything."
"I'm, er, not. It freaked me out so badly that I ran away and I haven't seen him since. I doubt it would repeat for us if we saw one another again." A note of sadness enters her voice as she says it, and I wonder if she wishes that could be different.
"Maybe next time it'll be for the right person."
From Lexi's expression, she's not convinced. "So, who set it off?"
"The demon over..." I trail off. "He's gone. Looks like you're not the only one who runs away."
She gives a soft laugh. "He might not have heard it. Not every species always does."
"I suppose." About ninety percent of demons hear it, so while it's unlikely, it's not impossible that he's part of the minority of demons who don't hear.
Or maybe I imagined it.
"You know what, it doesn't matter," I say to Lexi. "If it's meant to be, then I'll run into him by the end of the night, right? The party isn't that big."
"True."
"Shall we dance?"
The nixie nods her head and the two of us take our drinks to the dance floor, but even that doesn't take my mind off the way it felt to lock gazes with the other demon.
I hope fate is on my side.