“Nice job, DuBois!” someone yelled from behind them.
“Finish the job,” hollered another.
Laughter bounced off the lockers.
Lydia picked her infotab off the floor and brushed herself off. “As if I would send you anything. Get over yourself.”
As she turned and walked away, Ana had the strangest feeling that Lydia was telling the truth. But if Lydia didn’t send the chocolates, who did?
* * *
It was a long walk across campus to the tower where the astrophysics lab was held. Ana hurried and slid into her seat just in time. The glass domed ceiling was open, and they could see straight into the night sky. The walls of the classroom remained enclosed, so that stars, constellations, and equations could be magnified and projected across them.
Professor Narrah Jacobs was in a particularly vindictive mood tonight. She prowled the aisles of their circular classroom. “Since you’re all falling asleep, let’s see if we can’t liven things up a bit.” A sharp smile twitched at the corner of her mouth. “I will call your name, designate a celestial object, and you will point it out. If you are incorrect, you will earn a zero. Let’s start with”—her finger trailed in midair before landing on a hulking boy in the back corner—“Mr. Ivan Rockwell. Let’s see if your brains match your brawn.”
Ana had breakfast with Ivan yesterday. They didn’t. Not that she could talk. She wasn’t exactly the best student here. It was hard when you were from a different star system. Everything was new.
“Please find the Cantar Three Cluster.”
Ivan stood and squinted up at the sky. After some hesitation, he made a waving motion at the northeastern sky.
“A bit broad, don’t you think, Mr. Rockwell? Since you’re first, I suppose I’ll give you half credit.”
A small cluster of stars appeared mirrored on every wall of the classroom so that the whole class could see the Cantar Three Cluster in detail. Ana leaned over to sketch them in her notebook. She always found art to be relaxing.
Professor Jacobs loomed over Ana’s desk. “Ms. Halt, since you’re so busy”—she reached for Ana’s notebook—“drawing like a kindergartner, perhaps you can name the next object.” She ripped the sketch out of the notebook and tore it in half.
Ana choked back a biting retort.
“Very well,” the professor continued. “The Verity Star then. An easy one. For our newest student.”
Crap. Ana had no clue where the Verity Star was located. She hadn’t made it past the southern sky in her studies. Maybe she did need to buckle down. Maybe Madame Bali had been right. Double crap.
“Somewhere in the north,” she guessed, waving her hand like Ivan.
The teacher’s smile slid up her face like the Grinch sitting atop a pile of stolen toys. “I don’t believe you could navigate yourself out of a paper bag, Ms. Halt.”
The back row broke into laughter, and Lydia DuBois snorted.
“I’ve only been here a month,” Ana protested, immediately wishing she hadn’t.
“Exactly.” Her delivery cut to the bone. Her meaning was clear. Ana didn’t belong. She would never belong.
Like Ana cared. Who wanted to belong to this group of snobs anyway? She’d rather be on her own…traveling, taking photos, working. She stared forward, refusing to let them see her react.
Someone pressed a slip of paper into her hand, and Ana opened it under her desk.
Can’t navigate, huh? Good thing you know a pilot. Do you think you could help me with my doodles?
—Adam
She smiled. Maybe, everyone here wasn’t so bad.
When class ended, Ana was the first out of the door. She was tired and overheated from sitting in the stuffy classroom, and her mind was foggy with stress. Out here, there was a nice breeze. Without Madame Bali breathing down her neck, she had a chance to be still.
She moved past the staircase and onto the circular observation bridge. The rest of the class filed down the steps like ants, growing ever smaller in the distance. She took off her cardigan and hung it on the railing next to her. Not caring if it dropped.
The warm breeze played across her bare arms and shoulders. She took a deep breath, and it felt like the first one she had taken in a long time. Leaning against the rail, she looked up at the night sky. Even if she didn’t know all their names, the stars were still beautiful.
Adam joined her, also leaning against the rail. “Beautiful night,” he said. His blazer brushed against her bare arm, and she could feel the little hairs on her arm rise. Electricity. She always felt that with Adam. As if something invisible were drawing them together like magnets.
“Yeah,” she breathed. “I miss nights like this back home.”
“Maybe you’ll learn to like them here too.”
“Maybe.”
“Ignore Professor Jacobs. She’s a jerk to someone new every semester. You won’t be her target forever.”
“It’s fine. I’m just frustrated. At home, I knew all the stars and constellations. I studied their movements since I was little. Now I can’t even identify the planets.”
“Was your mom into astronomy?”
“No. Someone else.” The last thing she wanted to do was talk about her dad.
“My dad likes them too. He can name every one, but it always comes with a tactical lesson.” Adam sighed.
“He holds the Rockwell council seat, right?”
“Yeah.” He changed subjects. “What are you doing tomorrow night?”
“The usual. Homework. Study. Being watched like an ex-con by my adviser.”
“Come to a party with me tomorrow night.” His green eyes locked on hers.
Was he asking her on a date? She was going either way. She liked Adam, and she was desperate to get out of her dorm. “Sounds fun,” she said out loud.
“Cool. Pick you up at nine.”
“But curfew is at nine.”
“Exactly.” He winked.
They made their way back to the dorms together, neither in much of a hurry, drinking in the night sky and each other’s company.
16
Beachside Bonfire
That evening, Ana put on a big show of changing into her pajamas and yawning during her studies. She even pretended to fall asleep a few times, slumping over her infotab. Finally, Madame Bali insisted she go to bed early.
Ana lay in bed with both eyes open. As soon as she was sure Madame Bali had really left, she bolted from the bed and started looking for an outfit for her date. Was it a date? She still wasn’t sure.
She wanted to wear something she would have worn at home. Of course, she was only now realizing that she hadn’t gotten many details from Adam. Where were they going? What sort of party was it? Should she dress formally or casually? It was after curfew, so probably not too formally. But then again, everyone was always formal here. Even for classes. She thought of Adam’s blue blazer sleeve brushing up against her bare arm on the astrophysics tower.
Ana was really starting to like Adam. She liked his confident smirk, and the way his beautiful green eyes held her gaze. She liked how driven he was to do well—drinking the nasty Grasshopper’s Revenge and practicing late into the night. She liked his diplomatic disregard for the rules—gifting her the sword, lying to the headmistress, and sitting with Ana despite tradition.
Her hands ran across the garments in her closet until they landed on a short black dress. She pulled it on and paired it with some silver flats. Satisfied, she returned to the living room. Samuel was lounging on the couch.
She let out a huff. “When did you get here?” She had just gotten rid of Bali. Now she had to get rid of Samuel too? She already knew how he felt about the Rockwells.
“A few minutes ago. Just checking in on my favorite protégé.”
“I’m busy.”
“So it seems.” He squinted at her for a long moment. “You look different today. Sparklier? And you’re not wearing sweatpants.”
Did she really wear sweatpants that of
ten? Maybe Madame Bali was right to lay out her clothes.
He finally figured it out. “Wait a minute. You’re going on a date,” he accused.
And people thought the boy was a genius. “So what if I am?”
“I’m glad to see you hitting it off with the other kids.”
“Like you’re so much older.”
“I am. In life experience. I’ve seen Cats. Twice.”
There was a knock at the door.
Ana gave Samuel a hard look. “Will you go already?”
“Fine,” he sighed. “I’ll go.” He walked toward the window and added, “Oh and Ana, don’t sleep with him on the first date. Boys talk.”
Her mouth fell open in silent fury.
He chuckled and disappeared down the trellis.
Ana pulled herself together and opened the door. “Hey, Adam.”
Adam was dressed in khaki shorts and a white oxford shirt. His sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, and the top two buttons were undone. She had never seen him dressed so casually before. He smiled at her. “Ready to go?”
“Let me just grab a jacket,” she said.
When Ana returned, Petrie was snaking around Adam’s legs, purring. Adam leaned down to pet him but came in too hot. Petrie slunk to the ground and yowled. Adam retracted his hand.
“What is this thing again?” he asked.
“A cat. They’re common house pets on Earth.”
“Hard to see why,” he muttered.
Petrie eyed Adam distastefully and began to snake around Ana’s legs instead. She leaned down and scratched under his chin.
“Maybe you’re more of a dog person,” she suggested.
“A what?”
“I’ll explain on the way.”
Ana and Adam crept down the hallway and out of the main building. It was already after curfew, and neither of them wanted to be caught. As they exited into the courtyard, they heard a window creak open above them. Adam flattened against the wall, pulling Ana with him. She was pressed against his chest, and she could feel his heart hammering.
After a moment, they continued on.
“That was close,” she whispered. “So, where are we going?”
“The beach,” Adam said.
He led her across the grounds and beyond the academy walls to a stretch of beach with rocky outcroppings. There were dozens of students here. In the distance, a few teens hovered above the waves on large, colorful discs. She watched as one of them did a backflip into the water.
As they approached the first beachgoers, Ana overheard snippets of their conversation. It was hard not to.
The couple was standing on the edge of the rocks. One of the guys looked drunk—he was teetering on his feet and talking too loudly. “I’m too fucking old to be here. Nineteen. Fuck me,” he hollered into the night air. “I’m an adult with training wheels.” He paused to take a long drag of his hand-rolled cigarette. He coughed and a plume of smoke rose on the sea breeze.
An athletic-looking guy wrapped an arm through his and snuggled into his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Bay. You’ll be out of here soon.”
“Who are they?” Ana whispered to Adam.
“Baylan Arkwright is the drunk one. His boyfriend is Rob Noble.”
A third guy brushed past Ana.
“Watch it, Zane,” Adam called.
He didn’t stop to apologize. He didn’t even look back at them. Instead, Zane staggered over to the couple and addressed Baylan. “You know the only reason you’re still here is because your mom is screwing the help, and your dad is in Cantar, right? They wanted you out of the picture.”
Baylan burnt his finger on the glowing ember of his cigarette and swore. He dropped it to the ground.
Zane laughed and leaned down to touch the ground at the base of a large rocky outcropping. Vines crept up the wall, creating the symbol of the Arkwrights, a pickaxe, and then crossing it out. Something metallic flickered in Zane’s hand, and the vine went up in flame. It burned, leaving a charred graffiti on the rock face.
This attracted the attention of other Arkwrights who came to see what was going on. They weren’t happy when they saw the graffiti.
Lauren Fleur stepped forward. She was popular and attractive—the perfect person to deescalate the situation. “Don’t be an idiot, Zane. No one here has a problem with the Arkwrights. Just you.”
Zane moved to confront her, but the much larger and stronger Baylan intercepted. In one clumsy swing, he knocked Zane to the ground. Someone tried to help Zane up, but he ignored their hand. Instead, he scrambled to his feet and stalked off toward the rocks, wiping blood from his lip. The small crowd disbursed.
Ana had thought the families all hated her. Maybe a more accurate truth would be that they all hated each other.
Adam led her away from the turbulence and toward the middle of the beach. There were balloons, booze, and a roaring seaside fire. A hologram flashed a 3D version of Lydia DuBois, her pixie haircut gleaming as she tossed her head in laughter and smiled a dazzling white grin. This gathering wasn’t just a party; it was a birthday party. For Lydia DuBois.
If there was any doubt left, “Happy Sixteen” flashed across the sky. Every few seconds, the words disappeared and reappeared in a burst of iridescent glitter.
Ana groaned.
“Is something wrong?” Adam asked.
“I didn’t know this was a birthday party for Lydia DuBois,” she hissed.
“I know she doesn’t like you, but I thought it would be fine. There are tons of people here.”
Ana told Adam about the chocolates and what had happened in the hallway.
“We can go if you want,” he offered.
But it was too late. Lydia sidled up to Adam and wrapped around him like a blanket. Her sequin top revealed her bare midriff. Her clothes were night and day from what she wore to school. In fact, most of the kids’ clothes were. Madame Bali would have had a coronary if she could see it. The shock of cleavage alone would have done her in.
Adam stepped out of Lydia’s embrace.
She frowned, confused. Then she saw Ana. “What’s she doing here?”
“She’s with me,” Adam said, putting an arm around Ana’s shoulders.
Lydia crinkled her nose like Ana was a bad smell she just couldn’t shake. “Fine.”
“Well, happy birthday, I guess,” Ana said half-heartedly. “Nice party. I especially like all the, um,”—she searched for something to compliment—“glitter.”
“You didn’t think this was my real party, did you?” She threw her head back and let out a loud, fake laugh. “My mother will throw the usual diplomats’ breakfast, per tradition. Followed by a day at the spa…for my closest friends only, of course.”
As if Ana wanted to be anywhere Lydia was going. She wouldn’t have said yes to tea with the queen or christening a new yacht.
Adam made polite conversation until Lydia disappeared to look for a new mark. Ana felt sorry for whoever got stuck with her next.
Once she was sure Lydia was out of earshot, Ana moaned, “She’s definitely going to tell the headmistress I was out after hours. I’m going to be in so much trouble.”
“She can’t tell on you without telling on herself,” Adam said, folding his arms across his chest in his usual self-assured manner. “It’s mutually assured destruction.”
“Mutually assured destruction? I’m not sure Lydia studies military history.”
“I’ll bet she does…” he said.
Ana’s lips curved into a smile. “Well, we’re here now. We may as well enjoy ourselves.”
“Right,” Adam agreed. “Do you want something to drink?” Adam asked.
“Sounds good.”
They walked over to a large table covered with food and drink. In the center, Lydia had a signature pink punch that surprise, surprise glittered. There were other strange things too, like a selection of colored powders and spoons.
A boy walked up and poured a small purple elixir into a glass. Then, he mixed in a
spoonful of black crystalline powder. The whole drink turned black. He downed it in one gulp. Ana watched as the drink took effect. It was immediate. His pupils dilated until the color of his iris was just a thin ring, and he wandered away from the table in a daze.
“What was that?” Ana whispered.
“Trust me. You don’t want it. Midnight magic, or lights out, is the most dangerous thing on this table. It inverts and intensifies color, but 1 in 20 uses results in blindness. It’s like Russian Roulette. I honestly can’t believe Lydia let them put it out.”
Ana shivered. Suddenly, the glittering pink punch seemed like a good option. Adam poured them each a cup.
Meanwhile, a few feet away, Lydia was flirting with Holden. Ana was surprised to see him here. She gave him a little wave, and he looked surprised too. He frowned but his face quickly settled into a smile. He waved back.
Adam hammered a fist on the cryocanister—a device that blasted air that instantly cooled any drink. “I think it’s empty,” he grumbled. “I’ll be right back.”
While Adam was fetching a new cryocanister, Ana snacked on a few foods she recognized, and Holden joined her across the table.
“Hey Halt. Having fun?”
“Yeah.” Her lips twitched at the corner and she glanced over at Lydia. “And you?”
“I’ve known Lydia for a long time. She’s really not that bad. It’s mostly just a front.” He poured two cups of the pink punch, and they shimmered like a mermaid’s scale.
“Adam went to get a new cryocanister,” Ana said.
“Oh.” He looked down at the drinks in his hand, avoiding her eyes. “I didn’t realize you two were dating.”
“I’m not sure that we are, honestly. This is the first time we’ve gone out.”
He gave a small half-hearted smile. “Well, Adam is a great guy. You couldn’t do better. Really.”
“Thanks buddy,” Adam said, sidling up to the table and slamming down the new canister. He clapped Holden on the back with his free hand.
Holden returned to Lydia with the drinks, and Ana and Adam looked out at the crashing waves. Some guys took off their shirts and ran into the water.
“So, do you want to talk to some people? Dance?” Adam offered.
Seven Crowns (Bellaton Book 1) Page 13