Page 27 of Faerie Trials

“Are you sure you want to go to Coral’s party, Tavi?” Mike shot me a pleading look. “Isn’t there anything else we can do instead of socializing?”

“What do you mean? I thought you wanted to go.”

He bit the inside of his lip, tapping his fingers against his hips. “I mean, we haven’t really seen each other. I kind of thought it would be nice to stay in and have a little time alone. We could watch a movie, eat whatever we wanted. You don’t even have to cook,” he offered.

Yeah, it sounded amazing. I wanted nothing more than to do everything he said. Still, I had to deal with Coral because I’d given her my word.

I had to wonder why I’d agreed to something so stupid instead of telling her to back off. Definitely must have been temporarily out of my mind. “Let’s compromise,” I said. Mike didn’t need to know how I’d already told Coral we couldn’t stay long. “We’ll go to the party just for a little bit and then we’ll spent the next three quarters of our evening alone. Doing whatever we want.”

He looked pretty pleased with the idea, which warmed my insides further as a smile formed on his lips. Wow. Justwow. No matter how hard I tried to stay away from him, he drew me in every single time.

Mike held out an elbow for me to take, and we walked down the hall together talking about classes. Coral didn’t live too far away from the castle, he told me as we walked. Her family owned a place a few blocks outside of the main courtyard with a view of the castle at all times. It suited her, honestly, because she’d always given me the impression of being a social climber. And that was putting it nicely.

Coral and her family were among the wealthier citizens of Eahsea. A step below the toadying courtiers who frequented the palace always on the lookout for more. Wealthy enough to have some control but not royal enough to hold an official title.

God, like Coral needed a title to lord over the rest of us.

“The Coldwaters are the same way,” Mike was saying.

Ah, he was talking about the leader of his little band of fake friends. Arlyss Coldwater, who thought his friendship with the crown prince put him above others.

“Social climbers?”

He nodded. “Arlyss is the youngest of five boys, all of them having attended the Elite Academy. He and I grew up together, in a way. I remember most of the Coldwaters being present and accounted for during every ball my parents threw. Every dinner, every occasion. They were first in line.”

I chided myself for feeling a trifle miffed at the way Mike knew exactly how to get to the Ferenze mansion. I reminded myself that he grew up here. These were his peers, his playmates. I was the new kid on the block, so to speak. He led the way, chatting merrily about our classmates, and knocking once on the large black door before pushing inside when no one answered. Once the door was open, the sounds of the party assailed us, voices raised in chatter and laughter, and flute music the likes of which I’d never heard before.

The place was full of people, close to a hundred faces and none of them familiar to me. The moment we stepped inside it was a different world, one I wasn’t completely prepared for and one I didn’t really want to be part of.

Great. We were the last to arrive and everyone noticed Mike instantly. We wouldn’t have gathered more attention had a spotlight fallen on us.

“Michael! It’s good to see you, buddy.” Arlyss the boy wonder separated himself from the crowd, a drink in hand, and clapped Mike on the shoulder. His habitual smarmy smile was in place, his dark hair perfectly styled and the rest of him starched to perfection. When I drew in a breath, I smelled nothing but elderberries.

Classic Arlyss.

I hated it.

“Where have you been? I thought for sure you’d be here when I got here.” Arlyss broke off on a laugh before Mike could answer. “You just wanted to make a grand entrance!”

I was ignored entirely. At least it didn’t bother me anymore. His initial ridiculing of the “half breed” had slipped into neutral indifference territory, which to me was better than hostility so I was fine with it.

Mike, surrounded by his full-blood social elite friends, seemed to grow broader, stronger. His shoulders puffed out and even his hair seemed a shade darker, like burnished gold. “No matter what time I arrive, I always make a grand entrance,” he boasted.

Arlyss laughed. “Took your time about it tonight.”

Mike grinned, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “I didn’t realize anyone was keeping tabs.”

Arlyss of the dark wavy hair was a stark contrast to the golden prince at my side. I narrowed my eyes and noted Lane in the crowd along with several others of the inner circle. The ones who constantly crowded around Mike at school. Good to see he’d fit right in at the party. At least Lane was civil. He spoke to me face to face without anyone having to bribe him. One of the nicer students at the academy but still far from being a real friend. Best of the Fakes wasn’t a title to aspire to.

I tried to catch Mike’s attention to tell him I was getting a drink. But I couldn’t compete with Arlyss without jumping up and down and screeching. So I made my way through the packed hallway and into the heart of the home. The room opened up into a cathedral-like living space with flames roaring in the depths of a fireplace even larger than the king’s own. The mantelpiece alone must have weighed a thousand pounds, carved from stone quarried directly out of the surroundings mountains if I had to guess.

I veered right, toward the massive display of faerie and elven delicacies laid out. A fountain of ambrosia trickled down in three layers at the center of the table. Might as well. I mean, I’d take whatever I could get to soothe these nerves. I didn’t do well with large crowds and I never had. There must be more people packed into this house than the entirety of the Elite Academy enrollment.

I helped myself to a glass of ambrosia and the first sip warmed everything inside of me. Ten more minutes and I’d grab Mike. Long enough to put in a proper appearance as I’d promised. And then he was all mine…

My mind conjured a picture of the two of us snuggled together—anywhere, it didn’t matter—his arms around me. When I turned around, still clasping the glass in my hands, I saw Coral like a bright beacon in the center of the room. So much for me feeling comfortable and appealing tonight. I’d way underestimated the dress code. She’d gone to the extreme and clad her perfect form in a dress the same gold color as Mike’s hair.

My face twisted into a scowl. Coincidence? I didn’t think so.

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