Page 71 of House of Mages and Raven

“Stop Barbie! Stop evil Barbie!” the crowd chanted, countless fingers thrusting at me.

It’d almost be comical if I wasn’t annoyed that they had interrupted my meal.

“Bow to your betters and repent,” Grace demanded.

“How old are you, five?” I asked.

I knew that she wasn’t that dumb, but she was speaking the mob’s language to get them worked up, just like when she was with the heirs, she spoke their vernacular.

“You think this is a joke?” Grace’s lips tugged up in a mocking smile. “You’ll pay for what you did. Beat one of us, you beat all of us. As the champion of the underprivileged and less fortunate, I challenge you to a duel. I won’t allow you to hurt anyone anymore.”

Her followers hollered with righteous fury.

A feeling of formidable presences crept into my awareness while an ache vibrated in my chest. I swept my gaze to the source. Killian and Queen Lilith were strolling toward the heirs’ table on this floor instead of going upstairs to their royal table, so they could watch this conflict between Grace and me.

This was staged.

Grace had pulled the rug from beneath my feet, but it wasn’t enough. She needed to beat me in front of everyone to displayher power and dominance over me. If she proved me to be an utter loser, the other heirs would follow the chaos prince and abandon me without blinking twice.

And after all the princes withdrew their support, Headmistress Ethel would be more than happy to kick me out of Shades Academy and the realm once and for all. Then it would be open season for anyone to hunt me. I bet the druid and his Legion of the Brotherhood cult would pick up where they’d left off and come after me with a vengeance.

Pucker had warned me in advance that Grace would try to drive a wedge between me and the other heirs, and winning a duel would be the quickest way to achieve her goal while keeping her claws on Killian. Every supernatural respected power, and if Grace made me look powerless, I’d have no footing in Mist of Cinder.

As I looked on, the other heirs arrived as well, joining Killian and his betrothed.

My mouth tasted of ash and my stomach fluttered with anxiety and rage as I saw Killian and Queen Lilith cozying up. The other heirs chatted with them easily and casually, laughing at some inside joke as if there had never been a divide between them.

The ongoing conflict between Grace and me only added spice to their lunch.

The servants hurried to their table, putting down drinks and numerous delicious dishes specially made for the royals.

Queen Lilith leaned toward Killian, whispering something to him with a knowing smile. Then suddenly, Killian turned to me. Instead of locking eyes with him, I trained my gaze on the heirs, who were now all looking in my direction.

Rowan nodded at me while studying me sharply, wanting to peel away my secrets that concerned Sy. Silas raised a glass of red tea, wishing me luck. The shifter prince wasn’t a coffeedrinker. Louis smiled at me hungrily, wrapping his lips around a straw in a tall champagne glass full of crimson liquid. I knew it was blood. The vamp prince mostly drank from a glass instead of from veins these days because of me.

Cade frowned as he looked on. He wasn’t his usual lighthearted self. He studied the room but didn’t chat with the other princes. I was a new member of his house. Now a new member of the House of Underworld had issued a challenge toward me. Cade didn’t like drama, but he was once again dragged into it.

“Can’t believe we get to see a duel between twins,” someone said.

“They aren’t twins,” Bellona scoffed. “Make no mistake. They have different eye colors. Princess Grace is superior to her pale copy, and today, the imposter shall know her place!”

The demons surrounded us in a ring to cut off my exit. Everyone else had their tablets trained on me, ready to record my ass getting kicked.

They wanted a show? I’d give them a shit show.

“A duel? How delightful,” I said, and propped my feet up on the table while winking at Grace, careful not to touch the food plates. “But your timing sucks. So, you’ll have to wait until I finish my meal. I don’t like to waste food. Do you have any idea how many people, especially children, still go hungry globally? I used to be one of those underfed children.” I gestured at the mob. “Do any of you ungrateful little shits know how lucky you are?” I returned their glares with a smirk. “You’ve never experienced hunger and thirst, have you? They can crush one’s spirit.”

I chanced a glance at the heirs’ table. All of them were watching with rapt attention. Louis gave me a thumbs-up. He always thought I was entertaining. I swept my meaningful glance back to the mob, not wanting to leave anyone out. “Let’sbe our better selves, shall we? After today, I’m going to open a GoFundMe account and save the wild lions. There’re less than twenty thousand lions left in the world now. I wish those who cage and abuse animals and kill lions for fun and money all go to the seventh circle of Hell to be tortured by demons for eternity.” I ignored the demons’ glares. “First step, please go to my Spinchat page to find the link and join me in rescuing lions from Ukraine.”

Everyone looked angry and confused at the same time. Fine, they needed a role model for this type of selfless act. I fumbled in the hidden pocket I’d made in my academy uniform and found the pink diamond that Sy had earned from Rowan. It was difficult for me to part with the diamond, but I was committed.

“I’ll start,” I said. “I’ll donate this valuable diamond as the base fund. Who’s with me? After we save the lions, we’ll go big and feed the homeless. What say you?”

No one responded. The harsh reality was that no one cared about lions and the homeless. But everyone stared at the pink diamond that I twirled between my thumb and my forefinger, probably wondering whom I’d gotten it from.

The most intense, predatory stare came from Killian. His storm-blue eyes burned with icy fury. My jaw clenched at his disapproval.

Grace lunged at me. “Here’s your pathetic crowdfunding!”

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