Chapter 55 Alaric
Alaric
My father stood with Montgomery, talking quietly while checking out the females in the vicinity.
To my surprise, Brianna, my stepmother, hadn’t come with him.
I’d not bothered asking why. Honestly, I didn’t care if she’d died in a magical accident or a hellhound had eaten her.
The witch was an evil bitch who’d made my life hell since the minute she ensnared my father in her lust spell.
I couldn’t prove she’d used black magic to trap him, but it made more sense than the idea of him falling madly in love with her.
My father was powerful, but also overly confident. He’d never expect a witch to enthrall him. The stupid old goat would assume she’d fallen for him.
They were a match made in hell.
The ballroom hummed with power. Almost every student was here, most of them dripping in jewels and other valuables. It was a chance to show off their family’s wealth and privilege.
Servers moved through the crowd like wraiths, carrying silver platters of drinks and small pastries. I didn’t care for the food, but I snagged a goblet of wine when a server slid past.
Music washed over me as I stood with my back to the wall, partially hidden behind a tall vase of impossibly lush, frosted white flowers. Definitely not natural.
The mages and earth witches on staff had used their magic to transform the ordinary ballroom into a magical winter wonderland, complete with snowflakes tumbling down and stars twinkling high above in a fake night sky.
It looked stunning. If I hadn’t been in such a shit mood, I’d have admired the skill that went into producing such complex magic. But the whimsical winter wonderland theme rolled right over my head. The sooner the speeches were over, the better. I planned to leave immediately after.
When my father finally moved away from Montgomery to talk to Demelza’s odious father, Linus Pettifer, I fled into the crowd.
I’d have to return when he made his speech later, but for now, I wanted a fucking drink.
Kinara would be here soon, if she hadn’t already arrived, and without a few drinks under my belt, I might lose my shit.
The last semester had been bliss with Kinara away completing a coven internship in Europe, leaving me free to play without worrying about her going berserk every five minutes.
The last female who’d dared flirt with me while in her presence ended up permanently losing her hair.
Kinara was crazy powerful, with the emphasis on crazy. No wonder, given who her mother was. The Blake family was well-known for its unhinged tendencies, and some suspected the roots of their madness dated back to early experiments in black magic.
My father expected me to wed Kinara to cement our power base, but if I could find a way out of the arrangement, I would. Murdering the stupid little bitch wasn’t off the table. I just needed to ensure no one could link the crime to me.
A sudden movement to my left caught my eye. When I turned, Zane had blinked into view behind a tall pillar, with a familiar little witch in his arms.
My jaw dropped as she stepped away from him with a pissed-off expression on her lovely face. The witch always looked like a million dollars, even if she had no awareness of how beautiful she was, but tonight, she looked ethereal.
Otherworldly.
Like a queen among peasants.
Her lilac dress complemented her golden skin and brought out the blue tints in her hair. Small gems sparkled in the light cast from magical stars glowing above her head.
Everything in me wanted to be with her. My magic tugged me closer, and before I could stop myself, I took a step in her direction.
“Alaric?” Her sweet voice rolled over me, dousing the anxiety thudding in my chest. Being in her presence both calmed and riled me. I could never decide which.
“Witch.” My lip curled as I shoved my true feelings down. Tonight was not the night to reveal how I really felt about the witch. If my father or Kinara got wind of our soul-bond, all hell would break loose.
Ignoring her shy, almost hopeful expression, I arranged my features into a sneer.
“That color doesn’t really suit you. Makes you look ill,” I lied, while hating myself for the hurt I saw in her eyes. Dammit, she needed to hate me. Did she not see how much danger being with me could put her in?
The incubus looked unamused for once. “Let’s leave the asshole mage to stew in his own misery,” he murmured to the witch.
She threw me a disgusted look before allowing Zane to lead her away.
I watched as the crowd parted around her, every student staring at my soul-bonded mate, captivated by her beauty.
Just like me.
Only I could never escape her. Not even if I traveled to the far reaches of the Arctic Circle. The magical bond between us would wither if I tried to fight fate, and eventually, one of us would die.