Chapter Nineteen

Sara

Sara ignored Ferrin during breakfast and focused on her cranberry orange muffins. She actually enjoyed breakfast in a perverse way because after Ferrin walked her to class she was done with him for the day. Her mother had suggested dinner a few nights a week, but Ferrin said he’d rather eat by himself in his room than eat with her. Like he was punishing her. It was amusing. If her mother asked, she’d say she’d asked him to join her for dinner and he refused. Not her fault and not her problem. Telling Ferrin exactly what she thought of him was the best thing she’d ever done.

The longer she was away from him the more she realized how toxic he was.

When breakfast was almost over, Ferrin said, “Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day.”

“I’m aware,” Sara said.

“I’ve decided not to give you your gift,” Ferrin stated like this was some integral plot point that would ruin her day.

She wanted to mock him by saying, Oh no, whatever shall I do. Instead she said, “Understandable, due to our current conflict.”

“I’ll hold on to the gift for next year or the year after, because eventually you’ll come to your senses and ask for my forgiveness.”

Oh, hell no. She smacked her glass of orange juice down on the table. “I believe you’re confused. I did nothing wrong.”

“We’ll see what the Directorate says about that.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’ve been studying marital law and there have been cases where the Directorate has stepped in to settle arguments. Oddly enough, they always seem to settle in the man’s favor.”

Goose bumps broke out on her arms, but she rolled her eyes to show him what she thought of his announcement.

“Some females have been declared unfit, and their husbands have been given custody of them. There are hospitals where women can be kept under lock and key.”

She leaned forward. “You’re threatening me? Seriously? That is not acceptable.”

“It’s not.” Lavinnea said. “You’re better than this, Ferrin. You’re a Westgate, one of the most respected families within our Clan. There’s talk of you being Speaker one day. Don’t let your injured pride lead you off course and cause you to say things you’ll regret.”

Ferrin appeared confused. “Who says I’ll be Speaker one day?” Like he didn’t quite believe her.

Lavinnea smiled. “Everyone knows how driven you are. Your grades are always at the top of our class. And what really seals the deal is that you were paired with a Sinclair. Together, you two should be unstoppable, but you’re both a bit spoiled and used to getting your way.” She laughed like that would soften the blow of the words.

What in the hell is Lavinnea trying to do? She wanted to tell her to shut up but instead, she said, “Lavinnea, why are you saying these things?”

“Because they’re true. Sara, you weren’t even aware there was a Junior Women’s League or a homework group because you’ve never shown any interest in developing bonds with other females in our Clan. I’ve always been honored that you chose me as a friend, but you’ve missed out by keeping to yourself. I’m so glad you’ve matured and joined us, because you’ve finally discovered what a wonderful network of support we can be. And the reason why I’m doing this should be obvious. It’s the same reason you mentioned the bracelet to Byron.”

Oh dear God. Lavinnea thinks she’s helping me.

“And Ferrin,” Lavinnea went on. “You are prideful, and rightfully so, but you need to realize Sara has only ever tried to help you. She will not be a quiet wife who sits by while you make all the decisions. She will be a true partner, and you should treat her as such. With her on your side, I’ve no doubt you’ll become Speaker one day. I’m sure that’s what Sara wants for you too, but it will happen only if you work together.”

All around them the dining hall had gone quiet. Holy hell, people were listening. If Ferrin apologized, she’d have to accept.

“Sara?” Ferrin said. “Is this true? Do you want to help me become the Speaker?”

No. No. No. I was so close to being rid of him.

She nodded. “Of course. My father even mentioned it at Christmas.”

Ferrin sat taller in his seat. “I believe we’ve had a misunderstanding. I hope from here on out we can begin again.”

She was not going to make it easy on him. “From now on, if you don’t understand my motives, will you ask me, rather than assuming I’m working against you?”

“Yes,” Ferrin said.

“Good. Then I think we should make plans to go to Valentine’s Day dinner with Byron and Lavinnea.”

Murmuring surged all around them.

Lavinnea clapped her hands. “Thank goodness. Now everything can get back to the way it’s supposed to be.”

“Thank you for interceding on our behalf,” Ferrin said. “Sara and I are both stubborn enough that this could have dragged on forever.”

“It’s only fair, since Sara helped me.”

She wanted to cry or scream. No matter what Ferrin said now, he’d researched having her committed, which meant she’d never trust him again. And she needed to make her mom aware of this, in case she disappeared one day, so her parents would know where to look for her. She needed a reason to leave the table.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to run to my room and call my mother. She’s been so worried about us fighting, I know she’ll be relieved to hear we’ve straightened things out.”

Ferrin didn’t object, so she left the dining hall as calmly as possible and forced herself not to run to her dorm room. Once she made it inside she called her mother and relayed Ferrin’s threats and how Lavinnea had smoothed things over.

“I’m so glad you worked things out,” her mother said.

Wait. What? “Yes, but how can I ever trust him? He spent time reading court cases about males who had their wives committed.” Had her mother missed that disturbing fact?

“It’s odd. But there isn’t much we can do about it. Be thankful Lavinnea stepped in when she did, because Ferrin appears to have a vindictive streak and if this had gone on much longer his behavior would have worsened.”

“So I’m supposed to pretend everything is okay, like he didn’t threaten to have me committed?”

“Precisely. There isn’t much else you can do.”

“Wrong.” Sara said. “I’m done. Cancel the contract.”

“That is not an option.”

“I don’t feel safe around him. How do you not understand?”

“He’s a male. Play to his ego and he’ll shower you with gifts.”

“I don’t want any damn gifts.”

“Sara, you need to play your role. Eventually, Ferrin will mature. Everything will be fine.”

Seriously? That’s her advice. Make nice with the psycho? “I have to go to class.” She hung up and went to the bathroom to splash water on her face. This whole situation was insane. Much like Ferrin.

A knock on her door had her heart beating double-time. It was either Ferrin or Lavinnea. She checked her image and called out, “Just a minute.” When she went past her dresser she grabbed the necklace Ferrin had given her and hastily put it on. She opened the door with a smile on her face. And sure enough, it was Ferrin. Let the games begin.

He nodded at her. “I’m glad you put your necklace back on.”

“I wanted to make sure people knew we had ironed everything out. It was sweet of Lavinnea to step in and help.”

Ferrin came into the room and closed the door behind him. She forced herself to stay planted where she was rather than stepping back to put distance between them.

“Do you mean that?” he asked, “because some of the things you said to me were quite cruel.”

She would not let him know he was freaking her out, and she needed to phrase this in some way he’d understand. “We both have tempers, and apparently we’re both spoiled, but we are contracted to marry. Quite frankly, I take pride in coming from the wealthiest family in our Clan. Part of that was made possible by my father becoming Speaker. It only makes sense for me to help you become Speaker, so I can keep my social standing.”

He seemed to be weighing her words and then he smiled. “If you can’t be on the Directorate, you’ll live vicariously through my accomplishments.”

“Exactly.”

“That, I can understand. And I never should have mentioned females being committed. I thought I could scare you into being compliant.”

“And do you know me a little better now?”

“I think I do. It was there all along but I didn’t see it. You crave power and control just as much as I do, but being female, you have no opportunities, which makes you angry.”

“Furious would be a better term.”

“So I’ll earn your loyalty by achieving my goals and allowing you to bask in my success.”

She nodded because if she opened her mouth, bad words were going to fly out.

“Good,” he said. “That’s settled. Now let’s go to class and show everyone what a real power couple looks like.”

“First, I must make one thing utterly clear.” She couldn’t let this go. “If you ever threaten to have me committed again, I will shift and bite your head off while you’re sleeping.”

Ferrin didn’t say anything. He just stared at her.

“Do you understand?”

“Yes.” He gave a slow grin. “I can respect that, because I’d say the exact same thing if someone threatened me. I didn’t know females could be so fierce. Our children will be amazing.”

She laughed because crying wasn’t an option and she followed him out into the hall, down the stairs, and out the door, to mingle with other students. All the while she kept her Blue mask firmly in place. This is how she’d live the rest of her life. Following him and pushing him to achieve, because that’s what she’d signed up for.

Correction, that’s what her parents had signed her up for. Right now, she thought her mom was almost as crazy as Ferrin.

When they walked into class, she sat next to him in her normal spot and made sure to keep all her attention on him so everyone would know they were back together and happy, happy, happy. Because despite what Ferrin said, she now knew how dangerous and deranged he truly was.

…

Ian

Why in the hell had she gotten back together with Ferrin? He’d been in the dining hall when the argument unfolded but he hadn’t been close enough to hear what was going on. One minute they were fighting and the next minute Lavinnea had taken over the conversation and then Sara had walked out smiling.

Now, in class, she was fawning over Ferrin like he was the most important person in the world and she was thrilled to be back together with him. Why would she put on a show? It’s like he’d blackmailed her or something. No matter the reason, she wasn’t being herself. He needed to find out why.

In Econ he dropped his book bag at his normal seat and then went over to sit behind her.

Without turning around, Ferrin said, “Are you lost?”

“No. Just wanted to talk to Sara.”

She turned to look at him, her expression guarded. “Yes?”

“Miss Enid ordered new books from the series we read.”

“Thanks for letting me know. I’ll look for them when I go to the library on Saturday.”

He stood and returned to his seat. Had she said she’d meet him on Saturday, or was he looking for a message that wasn’t there? They used to meet at two o’clock on Saturdays. Maybe that’s when she’d be there. Would it be pathetic of him if he hung out all day to make sure he didn’t miss her? His brain said yes, but his heart didn’t care. If he had the opportunity to make sure she was okay, he’d take it.

For the rest of the day he watched her, looking for some sign she might need his help. He knew he didn’t have to rescue her, but he couldn’t watch her drown.

In Basic Movement, he found Julie and asked for her spin on the breakfast argument.

“Ian, we talked about this.” Julie shook her head. “You need to let it go.”

“I’m trying, but I want to know what happened this morning. She seems scared.”

Julie frowned. “She seems different. Maybe she’s finally committed to her Blue persona—the person she has to be in order to be successful when dealing with her Clan and Ferrin.”

“Can you look me in the eye and tell me you think she’s safe with him?”

Julie put her hand on Ian’s arm. “We both know she doesn’t take crap from anyone.”

“There’s something about him that isn’t right.”

“He’s a jerk,” Julie said. “If I go deeper, I believe he cares more about appearances than she does and deep down he is desperate to prove his superiority. He probably knows he isn’t well-liked but he’d rather be respected. Having a Sinclair by his side gives him an instant leg up in the social hierarchy. Simply put, he needs her more than she needs him, which means he should go out of his way to do right by her.”

That was sort of reassuring. “Thanks. I’m going to go hit something now.”

That night, while they were doing homework in their room, Greg said, “I got the scoop on Sara and Ferrin.”

He didn’t want to appear too eager, so he said, “Really? What happened?”

“Ferrin accused her of breaking some Blue code and she went off on him and refused to have anything to do with him. But Blues being the uptight Clan they are, she still had to eat breakfast with him. The rest of the day she was free to ignore him, which makes no sense. Anyway, with Valentine’s Day coming up, he told her they were stuck together but if she didn’t play by his rules, he could have the Directorate declare her unfit or something.”

Flames roared in Ian’s gut. Smoke drifted from his nostrils.

Greg laughed and pointed at the smoke. “I know, right? That dude is such a dick. What guy says that to his future wife? Anyway, Sara’s friend stepped in and pointed out the only way he’d be Speaker was if he stayed on Sara’s good side, so he made nice and now they’re back together.”

He pushed his fire down. “That’s insane.”

“I know. Blues are strange.”

“Are you sure that’s what happened?” Because he didn’t want to pound Ferrin into the ground without cause.

“Black Dragons sit the closest to the Blues and they like to dramatize things, but a Green overheard them and shared with Erin during Basic Movement.”

Ian cracked his knuckles. “Someone needs to take Ferrin down a few notches.”

“Dude, I know you were friends with Sara, but she can take care of herself. Erin said the Blue females talk about leading the males around by their egos. Compliment a Blue male. Let him think he’s in charge and you can get whatever you want, with a diamond necklace thrown in. A Blue’s ego must be so fragile, which is funny because they have all the money and the expensive cars and the big mansions, but they’re still insecure. I know we’re all Dragons, but it’s like they’re a different species, or they’re from another time or something.”

“I know Sara is smarter than Ferrin, so she should be able to hold her own, but I want to punch him.”

“You should have stepped into the ring with him when you had the chance.”

“I broke his nose on the joust. That was pretty satisfying.”

“Do you think the women in our Clan manipulate us?” Greg asked.

Ian thought about it and grinned. “My mom gets my dad to do yard work and clean the gutters by baking baklava. She claims it’s too much trouble when he asks for it but when there’s a big project she wants done, she offers him baklava and he falls for it every time.”

“Dude, I’ve had your mom’s baklava. I’d clean the whole house for a pan of that stuff.”

“I’ll have my mom send Erin the recipe.”

Joking around with Greg made life feel more normal. Maybe Sara was okay. Maybe she was putting on her ultra-Blue persona to keep Ferrin in check. He still planned on hanging out at the library on Saturday, in case she stopped by, because he missed her. At this point, he just wanted to be friends. No. That wasn’t true but he’d settle for being friends because he needed her in his life.

Ian continued to keep an eye on Sara as subtly as he could. So he was surprised when Ferrin approached him in the locker room before Basic Movement.

“You keep looking at Sara? Why?”

Ferrin wanted to do this with an audience? Fine. “Long story short, she’s nice. You’re not. I consider her a friend, so I was keeping an eye on her.”

Ferrin laughed. “You’re concerned for her safety?”

Ian opened his locker and pulled out his gym clothes. “I’m a Red. It’s what we do.”

“I would protect Sara with my life, so your concern is unwarranted.”

“Yeah, but you two weren’t speaking and now she’s acting strange. So I was concerned.”

Ferrin smirked at him. “She’s finally acting like herself. The girl you thought you knew—the polite, book-reading friend—doesn’t exist. I know the real Sara.”

Ian gripped the door of his locker and squeezed the metal to avoid telling Ferrin how well he actually knew Sara. “If you say so.”

“I do. So stop staring at her, because you’re making her uncomfortable.”

Huh. “She said that?”

“In those exact terms. Why else would I bother speaking to you?”

“Okay. Tell her I’m done checking up on her.”

Ferrin nodded and walked off, like he’d won the confrontation.

Ian closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Either Ferrin was lying or he’d caught Sara looking at him and she’d made up a story to cover her actions.

“You are the king of self-control,” Greg said from behind him.

“You have no idea.” Ian changed into his gym clothes while his brain raced. Sara had changed her personality to fool Ferrin into thinking she was like him. Why would she do that? Self-preservation? Maybe he had threatened to turn her in to the Directorate for something and this was her answer. But her dad was the Speaker, so why would she be worried? Whatever her reason, she was putting on a good show… He hoped it was just a show.