15. Loveleena
LOVELEENA
Loveleena left the tour feeling better than she had felt in Trivium.
If there was any way she was going to find out what happened to Park, it was within these walls, she reminded herself.
She made it here, despite it happening on a complete whim.
Despite having little to no training. And despite her better judgement. That was something.
She went for a long walk around the grounds, wandering up the streets of Defender Village.
She watched other students pour in and out of buildings, speaking excitedly in groups, learning the grounds on foot.
And after getting lost on her way back to the main castle, she finally found her dorm in the first-year wing.
She swung the door open, her optimism immediately dissipating. “You can’t be serious.”
Kumani sat on the bed to the right, her bag’s contents spread out over its surface. Out of everyone in this school, she was placed in a dorm with Kumani. Was this some sick joke Ren was playing on her? Her face heated.
“Oh.” Kumani’s face fell when she registered who it was.
Loveleena stood in the doorway, frozen in place. “This is not happening.”
“It’s not ideal for me either, Leena.”
Kumani took inventory of her belongings, sorting them into the adjacent armoire. She seemed to be just as annoyed as Loveleena was about the situation. Ren had dragged her here with nothing but her name, so, with no bag to unpack, she flopped down on her bed and watched Kumani work.
Loveleena knew that, to Kumani, the wound of their breakup was still fresh.
They met one night when Loveleena and a couple noble friends tried to disguise themselves and sneak into a popular wine bar.
Kumani was their bartender, and she recognized them right away.
But unlike most Jarrians, Kumani seemed to have no interest in being associated with them, which was what attracted Loveleena to her in the first place.
But the truth was that they came from very different worlds, her noble family a stark contrast to Kumani’s common one, and their relationship could never last. Nobles were expected to marry nobles or other high-ranking members of society.
And, of course, she was expected to marry a man.
So, they never fully committed to each other.
Kumani fell hard. And Loveleena… well, in the wake of Park’s disappearance, she just couldn’t deal with it all, so she fell into someone else’s bed.
Technically she hurled herself, legs tangled with a very attractive man from east Jarrah, onto the bed.
And technically, she didn’t do anything wrong because her and Kumani weren’t in a committed relationship. But that didn’t make it sting any less.
Plus, Kumani was headed to the Academy, so a long-term relationship wasn’t possible. Their breakup was inevitable, but Kumani openly gave herself to Loveleena anyway. Loveleena knew it wouldn’t end well, so she drove a wedge between them that they couldn’t repair.
The worst part was that even though she felt guilty, she didn’t regret it.
Escaping into someone else’s arms was intoxicating.
It was the only time she got a break from the constant pain inside.
Admittedly, she could have waited just a few weeks longer for when Kumani left for the Academy.
She wasn’t always the best at restraint, if she was honest.
And maybe, deep down, there was a part of her that thought if she ruined their relationship, it would make saying goodbye easier.
Not in her wildest dreams did she imagine ending up here, sharing a dorm room with Kumani at the Academy.
“We should set some ground rules,” Loveleena said, eager to create as many barriers between her and Kumani as possible.
Kumani eyed her from the other side of the room. “Okay.”
“I don’t want to get in the way of your… studies.”
Pain from their breakup shadowed Kumani’s eyes, and guilt for what Loveleena had done cinched her chest. She continued, ignoring it. “So, let’s just stay out of each other's way.”
Kumani glared at her for a moment, her eyes drifting off somewhere else, before she nodded in agreement. “What are you even doing here anyway?” Her accusation filled the room.
“What do you mean?”
“You never wanted to come here, to learn, to train, to be a Defender?” She bunched up her sleeping gown and threw it on the bed. “So, why are you here? To torture me?”
“I… I guess I changed my mind.” Loveleena suddenly felt hot. It wasn’t a complete lie.
“You changed your mind?” Kumani’s words were slick, dripping over her.
She crossed her arms, grimacing. “Yes.”
Shaking her head, Kumani picked up her nightgown and folded it. She didn’t believe her.
“And honestly, I think it’s best we don’t talk to each other.” Loveleena’s words were cruel—she knew it even as they left her mouth and hurt registered in Kumani’s eyes—but being cold was the only way to get Kumani off her back.
Kumani’s eyebrows twisted slightly. “Fine.”
“Good.”
After Kumani finished unpacking, she went into the attached washroom to freshen up. While Kumani bathed, Loveleena stared up at the ceiling, her mind running through all the possible ways to track down more information on Park.
“Aren’t you going to get dressed?” Kumani said, returning from the washroom.
She wore a two-piece silk gown in lavender purple with silver embroidery.
Delicate straps hung on her shoulders, the gap in between the top and skirt showing off her toned midriff.
Her wrists were decorated with matching silver bracelets, and her right ankle held a delicate sapphire chain.
She looked beautiful.
And lethal. She had been training for this. Loveleena’s gaze dragged over her collarbone, shoulders, and abdomen, all defined as if she were a marble statue. Of course, Loveleena wasn’t a stranger to Kumani’s body. But here, at the Academy, she looked like she belonged.
“I thought we weren’t talking,” Loveleena said, averting her eyes.
“Right,” Kumani said, adjusting her skirt. When she looked up at Loveleena again, her eyes posed the question.
“Ughhh.” Loveleena threw her arms up in the air. “I don’t have a gown.”
Kumani’s eyebrows raised but she stayed silent.
“I don’t have a gown because I decided to come here… last minute and didn’t pack anything.” She chose her words carefully.
“You can’t just come here last minute… That’s not—you need to be accepted. How is that—”
“Nevermind,” Loveleena cut her off, avoiding any further questions. “We’re not talking anyway, right?”
Kumani’s stare was piercing. But after a moment, she sighed, and pulled out a folded emerald green silk gown and handed it to Loveleena. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to.
Fifteen minutes later, Loveleena had squeezed into the gown.
What was loose on Kumani’s petite frame hugged every one of Loveleena’s curves.
But the fabric was stunning, adorned with pear beading and gold flower stitch patterns.
It somehow still looked perfect on her. She threw her thick black hair into a high pony just like Serena’s had been earlier.
When she emerged from the washroom, Kumani had disappeared. Off to the Gala already, Loveleena assumed.
She poked around Kumani’s toiletries for her classic red lip stain and rubbed it onto her lips with her finger. Kumani would be annoyed that she used it, but she would get over it. She finished the look by decorating her neck, wrists, and ankles with some of Kumani’s gold jewelry.
By the time she arrived at the Gala, the Academy’s courtyard was packed and she set out to make some friends. She was an Alva after all; most people would kill to even be associated with her. And maybe, just maybe, one of them would lead her to Park.