On the outside of the Council manor, everything seemed immaculate. You’d never be able to suspect the bizarre occurrences that could happen inside that building. I was contemplating this when Priscilla suggested coming to my dorm to study. All of the library rooms had been rented out. I told her that I’d have to ask someone first, probably. I wasn’t even sure if we had rules for the manor. Enrique brought his girlfriends here, but they headed straight to his bedroom (surprise, surprise).
At breakfast the next day, it was Dracus, myself, and Jasper eating that day. After training, I was especially starved; my protein shake was already prepped for my walk to school.
“Surprised to see you here,” I told Jasper as I helped myself to a few pancakes and sausages.
“Hungry today,” he said simply with a shrug. Needlessly mysterious and vague. I turned to Dracus, who had blissfully released his grasp on a Chinese newspaper. This meant I had a few precious seconds before he either got another newspaper or decided to leave in a grand flurry of aristocratic attitude.
“Dracus, may I have a friend over this evening to study?” I asked.
He glanced at me with an incredulous look. “I’m not your father, Fiona.” Jasper snickered behind his hand. I glared at the fox-shifter, debating smacking his shin underneath the table. He was close enough.
“How’s the leg?” I whispered darkly before returning to Dracus. “It’s just…The manor sometimes seems like a very mysterious place from what I understand. I wasn’t sure if we had any rules for visits.”
“They’ll go straight to your room, and they are allowed in the dining room for dinner if you let the staff know to prepare ahead of time,” Dracus said with a curt nod.
“Chef Moony. He has a name.”
Dracus ignored me. “They need to leave by midnight, though.”
Jasper whistled. “Well, I take that back, Fiona. He does sound like the Core Council’s father when I think about it.”
“Thank you,” I said, feeling righteously defended. If he was hoping that his defense would mean that I would shut up about his strange wound, then he had another thing coming though. I was smart about it. You had to wait until Dracus left before springing anything on anyone else. The prince left after three more minutes with his black coffee in hand. When the door shut, I swiveled around to Jasper with such a speed that it made him draw back an inch.
“Greta says you get hurt a lot,” I said innocently, stabbing a sausage link with my fork. “Tell me about that, Jasper.” I pointed my fork at him. The sausage tumbled back down to the plate. A dash of oil splattered on my face. Graceful.
His enigmatic smile came like a perfect mask. “I have no idea what you mean.” He leaned forward. Dark and dangerous shadows flashed in his eyes. “Shifters get hurt in a lot of ways. You should see Enrique after one of his famous underground parties.”
Ah. He was expecting me to shrink like a violet when mentioning the scandalous underbelly of this school and our Council mates. “Personally, I find the Dragon’s Den to be quite adequate,” I informed him.
His eyebrows rose exactly one centimeter. “You’ve been there?” He settled back into his chair with an amused look upon his face. “Why, I’m impressed. You’ve been finding your way around the Academy well then.” A naughty spark came to his eye. “Of course, there are many places that exist on this campus.”
“I’m getting bored with the mystery,” I told him with a shrug. That was a lie, as obvious as day probably. I didn’t care anymore. The Council boys could think what they wanted. A sudden thought came to my mind.
If anything, I was just as mysterious for them.
My lips turned into a small smile before I could help the motion.
“What?” Jasper asked, his eyebrows sliding down. It wasn’t suspicion, more like an annoyance. I’d done something that he hadn’t expected. How irritating that must’ve been for the watchful fox. I calmly ate the last bite of my sausage.
“Oh, nothing.”
With that, I took my plate to the kitchen and said hello to Moony. He was busy prepping for dinner. A pile of onions sat next to his elbow. I waved to him as I slipped out through the kitchen. It was easier to go through the kitchen than risk running into anyone in the halls. Protein shake in hand and backpack filled with my homework, I was ready for another school day.
As I turned the corner, I nearly bumped into a wonderfully warm figure.
“Hello, princess,” Enrique purred. His eyes flicked up from his phone as he addressed me. I glanced at his screen. A pretty brunette arched to give a good view down her school shirt, showing off a red lace bra. My eye twitched. How many of those did he receive in one day? I chuckled and shook my head, moving past him.
“Morning, Enrique.”
“What?” He pushed himself off the wall he’d been leaning on and chased after me. I scrunched my face up.
“Were you waiting for me?” This hall wasn’t close to Enrique’s room, and he hadn’t come to breakfast. I swear, the faintest tinge of pink came to his cheeks. You had to squint to see it. Maybe I was imagining things.
“Hardly,” he said casually. “I was just stopping to appreciate the fine art that had been sent to me.” His sleazy smirk made me shudder.
“Good for you,” I muttered. “Don’t get involved with another Angela, though.”
He scratched the back of his neck. “No worries on that. I’ve increased my screening process.” His eyes darted towards me, suggestively. Gods, it was annoying that he knew that he was handsome. “You interested?”
I nearly stopped. For a moment, I’ll admit, his fiery eyes looking at me sent a wicked shiver throughout my entire body. I wanted him to find me attractive at that moment. Boys like Enrique have that power. When they pay attention to you…it’s like a spotlight of pleasure on your entire being. That’s dangerous. With an inner push, I forced the feeling deep down, down, down. It wasn’t easy.
“In your screening process? No thanks. I like my dates without an interview,” I said coolly. As if I went on dates all the time. I wanted to roll my eyes at myself. The awkward boys at my high school had nothing on the gorgeous demigods walking around on this campus. But the Council boys didn’t need to know that. At all.
“Do I bother you?” he asked with a gleeful tilt of his chin. I glared, and his wild smirk grew wider.
“You mean with your womanizing? It has nothing to do with me.”
“The women I spend time with enjoy the casualness,” he said smoothly. I nodded, feeling a wave of fatigue over me.
“Sure, they do.” I straightened my backpack on my shoulders. “I’m sure some of them don’t care, I really do. There are probably some girls that you’re with that really like you. They might be pretending they’re okay with it.” I didn’t add, “Like Angela, DUH.”
His smirk dampened. “If they do, isn’t that their fault? I’m always honest with them.”
“I wouldn’t call wrapping them in a false sense of fantasy and unconsciously pitting them against each other as honesty, but I’m not here to judge.” I snorted. “Man, for such a playboy, you’re pretty dense with women.” I shook my head as the castle’s courtyard came into view. “Do what makes you happy as long as you’re not hurting anyone.”
I didn’t know why I felt so passionate about give him a lecture. Maybe it was residual rage from my experience with Angela and suffering the fallout from his questionable morals. In truth, I’m not sure that I minded the idea of someone having multiple partners. I gulped, thinking of the handsome Council boys that I lived with. It’s not as if it hadn’t ever crossed my mind.
I shook my head furiously, trying to throw the thoughts away. Priscilla was lingering in a hallway. She waved. I charged forward and began the school day like any other.