Page 31 of Violet

The peace shatters, and my nerves jump.

“Hey, you’re like ice,” he says, not using the voice this time, but the memory of it envelops me. “Relax. I just wanted to ask you for a dance.”

Somehow, I unstick my tongue. This is ridiculous. He’s just touching me.

But we don’t even know each other.

“I have my mini tablet. You can use yours to pencil one in,” I reply, and curse myself for opening my mouth. That sounded so forward.

He doesn’t laugh. “I don’t have a…a mini tablet. But I’ll get one.” He looks past me, something catching his attention, and straightens. “Save a dance for me, okay? But first I have to go see the ba—the Monarch.”

Shock slaps at me. “No one can do that.”

“Trust me, I don’t want?—”

“Mr. Ashford?” The male Omega in blue appears, the one I’d seen at the interview with the Monarch. It must be who he’d seen. “The Monarch wishes to see you. Now.”

That’s his name? His last name at least—Ashford.

Next to me, Mr. Ashford sighs.

“She can wait,” he tells the man, and I nearly choke on my next breath. No one makes the Monarch wait, not even for a second. He leans in. “I’ll see you soon, Violet.”

A new wave of panic washes over me full force. The world’s too big, too small. And my skin’s hot on my chest and face, while my hands and feet are like blocks of heavy ice.

As if sensing my distress, Iris and Dahlia join me.

“Fresh air. That’s all you need,” Iris says. They lead me to the courtyard door where the breeze wafts in, and I stare out, longing for the dark quiet of the huge expanse of the estate grounds. The glittery lights make it a fairy land.

I draw in huge gulps of fresh night air.

“Okay, I got you some dances.” Iris scrolls through the mini tablet. “Who was that you were talking to, the big bad wolf? I said mingle, not lurk.”

“Sorry.”

Iris snorts. “If it was me, there’s no way?—”

“Iris.” Dahlia’s voice is both soft and hard. “Stop.”

“Fine, we’ll get you another glass of wine.” Iris stomps off once more.

Dahlia fixes my hair. “You’re going to be great. Just be you. Oh, Jenkin Bader is heading over. He asked about you at the refreshments table. Harmless from what I hear, so he’d be a good first dance.”

And then she goes, too.

The panic rises tsunami high, and the guy I’ve never really thought about since the time he knocked my books from my arms in sophomore year heads my way.

Someone steps in front of him, a red phoenix-masked girl, and she whisks him off. I think it’s Jade.

Alicia, in a dazzling white and gold dress, swoops in and gives me a withering look through the mask that covers half of her face. “I’d tell you hands off Stephan?—”

“Who?”

“—since he’s mine, but why bother? He’s so out of your league, it’s laughable.” Another girl in a gown of shimmery colors like a butterfly comes to join us. “She’s supposed to be the Monarch’s Luxe, but look at her,” Alicia tells the newcomer. “What a pathetic outfit.”

“Oh,Violet?” She turns to Alicia with a scoff. “She’s nothing to worry about.”

Alicia eyes me. “You’re right. She’s just an ugly little weed in the Gardener family.”

---