Page 28 of House of Mages and Raven

“On me,” she said as we embraced in a corner. “I’m your best friend. You aren’t alone. No matter how everyone turns on you,how the world turns on you, I stand with you. I vow it, and you know I’ll die for you.”

The fire cooled in me as I fought it back with sheer will, not wanting it to burn my friend, my only friend.

“Don’t let anyone get under your skin,” Bea said. “They don’t matter. They’re not worthy. None of them are worthy.”

What had I done to deserve such loyalty? I would not abuse this friendship. I grasped my control, my rage cooling, and let the dangerous wave recede and return to the safe shore.

You’ve never been alone,Sy seethed. Haven’t I always been with you? I’m your best friend, not that witch. Not anyone else. Aren’t we two peas in a pod?

Sy was being territorial. But both she and Bea had just helped distract and calm me. My breath evened. My dark flame subsided into embers.

“The new girl lies,” Bea whispered. “She wants what you have, but she can’t take it from you. No one can take what’s yours.”

But whatdidI have?

15

Barbie

Iwas late for lunch, which was out of character. Despite my hunger, I didn’t have an appetite. Grace had gone to every class I was attending and never stopped yapping about the chaos prince and his demon queen’s epic love, and the prince’s interest in her as well.

In every class, everyone worshiped the ground she walked on. The underdogs had shifted to her side. Even our tight circle of underdog geeks joined her. Bea was giving them evil eyes all morning.

“I can’t believe it!” Bea said as we traipsed along the cobbled path toward Jubilee Haven. “You were gone only a week, and they abandoned you just like that.”

“People are fickle,” I said. “A week is a long time, my friend. And I wasn’t just gone. I was tossed into the dungeon, worried about being assassinated. Then I was kicked out of the House of Chaos. Everyone now sees me as a sinking ship and anundocumented immigrant and criminal, who is out of favor with the heir of the House of Chaos.”

Bea’s jaw clenched. “You still have the other princes’ support.”

“Do I?” I laughed without mirth.

Most likely, they’d all started to chase Grace while I was in the dungeon. She had my looks minus my bad attitude.

At least we got attitude,Sy objected.

“Let her have all of them,” I said. “Let her take all the responsibility and see how long she lasts when they crash down on her.”

I’d started the underdogs campaign in the spur of the moment. I’d never meant to set myself up as a leader. I wasn’t its owner, though I’d vowed to protect the realm. So why did it matter who was leading the underdogs? As long as the underprivileged were treated fairly, I had no issue with handing the reins over to Grace.

Congratulations, Grace, you’re popular.

You don’t congratulate our enemy!Sy said.

Beaand I stepped into Jubilee Haven side by side. I took in the scene right away. Grace was at the table next to the heirs’, surrounded by elite students and some of my geek friends, enjoying being admired. I had to give it to her—she’d done the impossible by uniting the two classes under her banner.

As soon as I strolled in, the crowd stopped their chatting and turned their heads toward the entrance, as if they sensed a predator walking in. A flash of guilt passed over Jinx and Wyatt’s faces when they spotted me. The next moment, they’d already turned back to gaze upon Grace, eagerly waiting for a nod from her.

They’d openly chosen the Princess of the Underworld over me. She was their security blanket, and with her, even the underdogs had leveled up. In Mist of Cinder, gaining more power was everyone’s unending pursuit. I’d thought that I couldn’t care less, but the betrayal still stung. But what else did I expect? From the moment I’d stumbled upon this realm, I’d learned that the foundation of this place was to pursue power at all costs, and the strong had every right to stomp on the weak. I’d once dreamed of shaking up their system and defending those who couldn’t defend themselves. I was naïve. In the end, only power had changed hands.

You can’t save everyone,Sy said, crossing her claws over her big boobs,and not everyone is worth saving. People are stupid.

Bea glared at our former geek friends, but they didn’t even see her. They were hungry to hear insider tales from Grace’s mouth. When the underdogs were with me, I’d never shared any bits of info regarding any heir, not even to Bea most of the time. Despite constantly running my mouth in serious settings, I was a private person.

“She doesn’t care about those spineless, faithless fools,” Bea said bitterly. “She’s only using them so she can turn everyone against you. When she doesn’t need them as pawns, she’ll toss them away like bags of garbage, and they’ll deserve every bit of it.”

“What else can she do to me?” I asked. My friend was overprotective. “It’s not like others haven’t tried to put me in my place, or kick me out, or even kill me.”

“You don’t understand,” Bea said. “They’re now trying a different strategy. This is a PR war. When she’s done with you, no one will remember all your good work. And you’ll be an utter nobody that no one will glance at twice.”

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