Chapter 14
Sophia
If anything, the party is even more raucous than Drake's first one. I'm surprised, but mostly because I didn't think it would be possible.
I sip on the sparkling wine, being careful not to drink it too fast. It's giving me a pleasant buzz that's enough to distract me from some of the thoughts of Lucas and everything we lost with his lies.
There's a temptation to drink more in order to forget, but I know that's not the right thing to do, especially when I don't want to drink too much.
The last time I did that I ended up by the pool and meeting the person who broke my heart.
I'm not ready for a repeat.
Charlotte waves at me from across the room, but I shake my head. No way am I playing beer pong again. It got me too drunk, too fast, and I don't want to take the risk of a repeat if I don't have to.
She shrugs and turns back to the game, throwing herself straight into a heated match with Archie on her team, and two of his friends against them.
I sigh and turn around to scan the faces of the other people at the party to find someone to hang out with.
While I wouldn't class most of them as good friends, we all know one another well enough to be able to strike up a casual conversation.
It still amazes me how easy it was for both me and Archie to slip into the world of Rosewood.
This is what I wanted to happen when I came here, but I'm still in a little disbelief that it actually did.
I thought it would be much harder to become part of the Rosewood life.
I finish the rest of my glass and head to the bar section for a refill.
It amazes me how well-equipped the secret rooms at the academy are, though I assume it's because of the generations of students who have called this place home.
It would be easier if the academy gave us socialisation spaces that aren't heavily monitored by faculty.
There's a large range of drinks available, which I've come to realise is just something that Drake does. Lottie says that his family runs a restaurant so he can get all of it cheap, but whatever the reason, I'm grateful. Quality is preferable when I'm drinking slowly and for the taste.
The drinks area is strangely empty, but a lot of people are currently playing games or dancing, so it's nothing too strange. Besides, I don't need anyone to top up my glass, I can do it myself. I locate the bottle and tip my glass so the bubbles don't get too excited and overflow.
I set the bottle back down and take a sip from my now full glass. I close my eyes and let the bubbles tickle my tongue. I've loved that feeling ever since the first time I tried sparkling wine.
A smile tugs at the corners of my lips as the memory rushes back to me.
It had been my mother's birthday ball and everyone was in a good mood, I must have been ten at the time and wouldn't stop bugging her for a taste of what all the grown-ups were drinking, especially as they'd given it to Florian who was still underage at the time too.
She'd finally caved and let me try a sip of hers. And I'd loved it.
It's my favourite brand of sparkling wine, even to this day.
I sigh and open my eyes, surprised to find a demon from the realm beside ours standing in front of me. His skin was closer to blue than purple like mine, but other than that, we share a lot of the same qualities, including the tail and horns, though their wings are different.
"Hi," he says.
"Hello." I offer him a tight smile while trying to remember if I've met him at any point. I don't think so, but I haven't had a chance to meet many people who aren't in my classes, especially those from other years.
"Good party," he observes, stepping towards me.
No. Probably not me. I imagine he wants to get to the table laden with drinks. The only problem is there's no way for me to get out without pushing past him.
"It is," I respond, trying to keep my cool. "Do you mind if I squeeze past? My friend is waiting for me." It's partly a lie, but I know where Lottie is, and it's not like she wouldn't welcome my company.
Instead of stepping to the side like most people would do, he moves so he's completely blocking my path.
Should I put my glass down so both of my hands are free, or should I keep it so I can throw it in his face if I have to?
I opt for the first choice, but keep it within reach if I want to change my mind.
"I just need to get past..."
"Rumour has it you're a princess," he says, a note of interest in his voice.
I swallow hard. "Rumours say a lot of things."
He laughs, the sound harsh and grating.
My gaze flicks around the room, trying to work out where everyone is. It's strange to have no one here.
"I need to go find my friend now." My voice wavers and I hate it.
My family is one of the most powerful in the demon realm, and yet here I am trapped between a table and the wall.
I glance upwards to see if I have enough room to fly out of this situation, but I don't think the ceiling is high enough for that.
I'm starting to see why my parents decided to have someone watch over me and Archie while we're out of the academy grounds unofficially.
"Agree to a date with me and I'll let you pass." His lips curve up into a smile, but it's not in a way that's fun.
"No, thank you. I need to go, my mate is waiting," I lie.
"You said it was your friend."
"And I thought I said no," I say firmly, almost instantly regretting the decision. I know I shouldn't, but there's something so off-putting about how close he's standing to me.
And then he gets closer still.
I have no choice but to reverse until my back hits the wall. My heart pounds and my head feels much clearer than it did a few minutes ago.
My ankle twists and a sudden snap almost makes me close my eyes and groan in frustration.
But now isn't the time to pay attention to anything other than what's happening, even if I've somehow managed to ruin another pair of shoes.
If this were any other situation, I'd at least take them off so I'm not teetering on one functional heel and one broken one.
"Leave me alone," I demand through clenched teeth. I know it's pointless to try and reason with him, but I have to try.
"You'll like it, I promise." He reaches out.
I bat away his hand before it can touch me. "Don't do that."
Someone clears their throat from behind him. "I think she said no."
Drake steps into view, a tense expression on the red scales of his face.
"This is none of your business," the demon in front of me growls.
"It became my business the moment you didn't listen to her," Drake says.
The two of them square off against one another, but I still can't get free. I look around, hoping to find something that I can use, only for my gaze to catch on the one person I least want to see.
Unfortunately my heart doesn't seem to have got the message, and I can feel it skip a beat.
"What's going on?" Lucas asks, his gaze flitting between me, the other demon, and Drake. The latter of whom seems to have smoke leaking out of his nostrils.
A torrent of emotions flood through me at the sound of Lucas' voice.
Part of me doesn't want to see him at all, but I'm also relieved.
And hurt. Though, despite everything that's happened, the main emotion seems to be hope that I can see him.
I hate myself for it. He broke my trust along with my heart, I shouldn't be feeling like this.
I didn’t even know he was at the party, let alone near enough to notice what was going on. Maybe he's a better spy than I first thought.
"This asshole isn't listening when Sophia says no." Drake's expression reminds me of thunder. He's not happy at all.
"Sophia, is that true?" Lucas asks.
I glance between the three of them, then nod my head.
"Out," Drake demands, not letting it go on any longer.
For a moment, I think he's directing it at me, but then it becomes clear that's not his intention.
"You can't make me." The demon in front of me folds his arms and refuses to move.
"This is my party, so you'll go if I tell you to," Drake says, a hint of menace in his voice.
"We're all students at Rosewood," the demon responds. "So what are you going to do?"
"I'll call the castle security if I have to, Leonard," Drake responds.
"You'll have the party shut down," Leonard protests.
Drake shrugs. "If it comes to that, then that's what I'll do. But I doubt it will. No one here is doing anything illegal. We'll all be fine."
I frown. It almost sounds as if he's thought all of this through, and knows exactly what to say if things go awry. Maybe he does.
"Fine. I'm going. But don't expect me to be back."
"That's fine by me," Drake responds. "You're not welcome back anyway."
Leonard huffs and storms off in the direction of the door.
"I'm going to make sure he actually goes," Drake says, disappearing after him.
A wave of gratitude towards the dragon passes through me.
"Are you okay?" Lucas asks, hesitating before he comes towards me. Unlike with the other demon, I don't flinch at the prospect of his closeness. There's a part of me that craves it even if a small voice in the back of my head is telling me that I should avoid him.
"I'm fine." The words come out a little more forcefully than I mean them to.
"Can I get you anything?" he asks. "Do you want me to get Charlotte? Or your brother?"
I shake my head, not wanting to see any more people than I have to right now. "Just take me back to my dorm," I whisper. "Please?"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Okay, I'll get you back. Do you have everything?"
I nod, finally slipping my feet out of my broken shoes. "You're really bad luck for footwear," I mutter.
A small smile twists at his lips. "I'm sorry."
"Not your fault. But can we go? I don't want to be here any more." Coming was a mistake, that much is clear. Especially when I've still somehow failed at keeping away from the one person I'm trying to avoid.
Despite that, I'm glad he's here. I know he'll help me without making a big fuss. That's what I need right now.