Page 38 of House of Ydril

“But you know why they keep their little club exclusive.”

“Sure,” I say, but I’m still not turning to face her. “They play dirty or they team up. Or both.”

“But they could also want you and everyone else to get the wrong impression about their powers,” she says, stopping to huff and puff about it all. “You know, to throw you all off or something like that. Something not good.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” I reply, hearing her breathe a sigh of relief as I straighten up and turn on my heel. “Let’s go back to the castle.”

We walk in silence. And only once we’re in the entrance hall, right at the spot where we usually say bye, do I dare to ask. “Do you think theyknow?”

She frowns. “What? You mean what the assignment is going to be?”

I nod.

“I highly doubt it.”

I nod again. I want to say something, but I just end up patting her on the shoulder before I say bye. I just want to go to my room and try to forget about everything.

And I can tell Nuala is a bit worried and a tad disappointed as well, but she doesn’t say anything. She just gives me a hug and heads to the cafeteria for lunch.

When I finally bolt the door of my room behind me, I let out a deep sigh and head straight into the bathroom. There I have one of those old-fashioned tubs, with brass legs and everything, that I would’ve killed for growing up.

I fill it with scalding water and throw in some bath salts as well. Shea butter and wild rose, just my kind of thing. And as soon as I strip off all my clothes and lower myself into the fragrant water, the knot that’s been sitting high in my throat starts unraveling, for better or worse.

Now that I’ve seen what I’m up against, I’m once again sure that I’m going to die tomorrow. And I’ve only gotten to use this tub a handful of times, I say to myself, trying to keep it light.

But it doesn’t work. BecauseI’m going to die tomorrow.

That’s what my mother’s eyes have been trying to tell me. When they appear in my nightmares, they usually just stare at me. There are shivers in the air all around them, muffled sighs and flashes of menacingly red light. But it’s the eyes that make me scared shitless.

I can’t even close mine for fear of seeing them again, looking too much like the ones I’ve seen laid out in front of that bust. Bloody and unmistakably dead. So I push my body under the surface of the water, trying to find comfort in its warmth.

Chapter seventeen

Iwakeupfromthat same nightmare in which my mother haunts me, but I remember something else as well. For the first time ever, Faust appeared in my dreams.

I was in the bath when he showed up, the water reflecting off him in the near darkness, revealing glimpses of his beautiful, expressionless face. He slowly walked up to me and crouched, resting his arms on the side of the tub and his chin on his hands. He didn’t say anything and he didn’t look me in the eye once, no matter how much I wanted him to. Tilting his head, he just slowly dragged his eyes up and down my wet, naked body. When they locked with mine and I saw the intensity in them, my nipples hardened and I let out a quiet moan. He didn’t acknowledge it. He slowly reached out his hand and dipped his fingers in the water, making my legs spread for him of their own accord. The next second dragged out in anticipation of his touch with such intensity, it was bordering on painful. And just as I thought I could feel him brush my knee, he disappeared. When I looked down at the water, it had turned into blood.

It’s actually great, at least that’s what I think as I drag myself out of my bed. Now I don’t just wish for the Trials to start because I can’t stand the anticipation of my own death any longer. I also can’t wait for them to start because, well, at least death should get that asshole out of my head once and for all.

Conflicted and grumpy, I get dressed and throw a glance at the clock on my wall. It’s the entrance hall that all of us Chosen are supposed to meet in, so if I leave now, I’ll be early.

Why the fuck did I forbid Nuala to come see me off? I guess I didn’t realize that going alone would feel even more shitty than saying some awkward goodbye.

Fuck it. I’m too nervous to just sit and wait. So I draw in a deep breath and start for the door.

It’s at that exact moment that I hear a knock at the door. “Miss Longborn,” I hear an unfamiliar male voice call out.

I open the door to see the prince’s stout vampire minion, who I’ve heard goes by Max, blinking at me. “Yes?” I ask.

“I’m sorry to disturb you,” Max starts, “but His Majesty asked me to make sure you got to the entrance hall in time.”

I inhale deeply, fighting not to let this insult get to me. I win. “Thanks, Max,” I squeeze out. “You can tell him that Idefinitelywill be there in time.”

“You misunderstand me,” he says, looking at me with sorry eyes. “I’m to escort you there.”

“What the…” I just look at him for a second, but then I just shake my head and motion for him to move out of the doorway.

And I’m gritting my teeth the entire way down, but I let him. I let him escort me like some lost little puppy that his control freak of a master wishes to have brought to him.

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