Page 16 of Petals for Vicious Secrets

A paper appeared on top of her chest, and she picked it up to read it.

10:00 Fifth Ceremony Dress Fitting

01:00 Lunch with special guest

03:00 Curriculum Lesson with Leo Pharlin

“Oh, shut up,” she covered her eyes with one hand in desperation.

“What is it so important that made them cancel training?” Theon said ironically.

Even if her parents had agreed to the sessions, father usually found any excuse important enough to cancel training and add any stupid substitute to her agenda. Lenna knew her father was fully aware of how much she enjoyed her sessions, and she had definitely seen a correlation of pissing-father-off and training-session-canceled over the months. A silent reminder that he still ruled over her life and could take the small things she loved away if she made life difficult for him.

Theon had laughed his head off when Lenna had told him one day their session had been canceled because of some “Teaspoons Selection”. Coincidentally, it had been the night after Lenna spent the night with a blond visitor in her bedroom and had forgotten to shut the doors of the balcony. She guessed the not musical sounds that had come from her room had pissed father more than usual.

Lenna propped herself on the bed with her elbows. “The damn Fifth Ceremony Dress Fitting.”

“Uh, serious fancy panom stuff then.” Theon looked at her, lifting his eyebrows up and down.

Because she hadn’t been in any Fifth Ceremony yet, as only panoms and the people becoming panoms were allowed in the private ritual, she had no clue about what she would have to dress. Everything about the Fifth she had ever asked Leo during her sessions was about the powers themselves, the bit of the Ceremony that she found useful.

“I just hope they don’t want me to wear something ridiculous,” Lenna said, finally sitting on the edge of her bed. She wouldn’t accept being dressed like a puppet. She sighed and tried to remember everything that had happened the day before. It seemed like it had been ages ago. “What did you do yesterday, by the way? I was expecting a full Roix campaign here.”

Theon put a hand on his chest and opened his mouth, pretending to be very offended. “I thought you had more faith in me, Lenna.” He smiled with his full lips closed. “After you almost gave me a fucking heart attack with your sparkly floaty or whatever-that-was message, I would expect some more confidence from you.”

Lenna grinned. “I can’t believe it worked. It was the first time I sent someone ink.”

“Seriously? Well, it did work, and other than scaring the shit out of me, it was interesting to see,” Theon said, returning the grin.

Lenna had always enjoyed practising and experimenting with her magic. She had written golden notes on the wall of her room, but never tried to send ink to a person, or to a place that was not within reach of her sight. Apparently, yesterday she had achieved both.

As if Theon had read the curiosity on her shining-with-pride honey-colored eyes, he said, “I felt a tickle in my forearm and I saw tons of small sparkly things like stars going into my skin, bending together and making shapes and after a moment they were showing your message as if it was written by you but in shiny golden ink. They disappeared as soon as I read it.”

Lenna could remember the message she sent in desperation when she didn’t think twice about going and rescuing Raoul at the West House.

“I asked the housekeepers to take me to Leo, and I told him there was a last-minute Elite meeting in the city and you saw me on your way there and asked me to tell him so he wouldn’t worry,” Theon explained.

Lenna smiled. She wasn’t entirely convinced that wise Leo would have bought such an excuse, but she was thankful to him for not having raised any concerns to her parents. Otherwise, the sisters would have been knee-deep in trouble.

She appreciated Theon not asking what Ayla and she had done to need such a last-minute cover. Despite knowing she shouldn’t, Lenna felt the need to inform him about the entire Raoul situation. She knew it would make her feel better about the knot in her chest.

Lenna took a deep breath. Having the Fifth Ceremony in two days didn’t help. But, on the other side, maybe when she finally learned how to use her panom powers beyond the self-taught very basic stuff she had figured out until now, she would have more resources to help her friend. And that apparently gone mind of his. The knot in her chest tightened.

“Thank you for yesterday. I owe you one,” she said, straightening her wavy red hair with her fingers. She realized Theon was looking at her with attention, trying to decipher her suddenly serious expression. “I need to tell you something, but I can’t be late to the dress fitting. And as much as I am grateful for yesterday, I would appreciate using my bedroom to get ready in privacy.”

Theon stood up. “Sure. And I will enjoy my day off in peace. But expect tomorrow’s session will make up for today, I’ll make you sweat.” He winked, headed towards the balcony and jumped without looking back at her. Lenna exhaled while heading towards the ensuite bathroom that was connected to her bedroom, already dreading what he would come up with in training tomorrow to make up for today. As if it was her choice to do the damned dress thing.

She let the water run in the huge circular bath in a corner of the bathroom while she looked at herself in the mirror. Her fire-colored hair didn’t look as bad as she had expected, and her tan face looked almost acceptable, considering how stupidly tired she felt. The orange satin top and the matching pajama shorts she was wearing, though, looked impeccable and as revealing as usual.

Theon had seen her with multiple revealing dresses on their nights out, and never seemed interested in her how many others seemed to gravitate to her.

He always had a long number of interested young and attractive beings staring at him, from his brown hair to his enchanting smile, and every single muscle of his chest and arms that was always visible through the shirts he loved to wear. Theon wasn’t easily impressed by a pleasant look or a seductive smile.

She couldn’t get the sight of Theon leaning on her bedpost off her mind and knew exactly what types of things he would have thought while she slept with her two orange laced pieces barely big enough to cover some key parts of her.

Lenna felt warmth in the room, surely not only because the hot water was almost filling the bath. She sent some sparks looking to deliver an ink to Theon.

Lenna grinned, thinking he would be cursing right now. She sent the second part of the ink away.

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