by A. J. Rosen
I still don’t understand why people who know nothing about tennis feel the need to shout out during the game as if they know what they are talking about. It just makes them look stupid.
Excuse me?! His passive-aggressive comment was directed at me. I’m only here to support my best friend, who also happens to be your sister. Got a problem with that?
Yes, if you’re going to shout “That’s cheating” like you did a minute ago when you know nothing about the rules.
My finger shot toward Kris’s opponent. But what she did was cheating!
It actually wasn’t. And I’m simply pointing out how embarrassing it is for Kristen to have to listen to you shouting ridiculous accusations without any legitimate basis.
After the game, I asked Kris and she agreed with me that her opponent hadn’t been playing fair. Vlad was unnecessarily being an ass.
That wasn’t the first time he had acted like a smart-ass either. He always provoked me like that. He started with something condescending that triggered my anger and then would somehow manage to make me look like a brat for arguing without knowing when to stop.
I hated him so much.
Holding my stance, I looked up. Way up to his thin lips, straight nose, and green eyes that reminded me so much of damp moss after the autumn rain. Had he always been this handsome? He was better looking than I’d remembered. It irked me to realize that I didn’t find his face repulsive.
“Just my luck,” Vlad said flatly.
What. A. Jerk.
“Can you please be less of an asshole and get Kris for me?” I said.
“There’s a gadget called a phone, you know. We’re not living in the Golden Age, Avy. We’ve evolved, technology has evolved. You don’t have four legs and four arms anymore either.”
It seemed that since we had last seen each other he had perfected his irritating tone and saved it just for me. And to make it worse, he had used the nickname that I severely hated. It sounded so much like gravy—which was perhaps where he had derived it from. What was so difficult about saying Avery or Ave?
“I’ve called her a hundred times, but she isn’t picking up. Is she home?”
“Have you ever considered that maybe there is a reason why she didn’t answer any of your bajillion phone calls?” he said. “Maybe she needs some time away from you.”
Completely fed up, I pushed past him to go see for myself whether Kris was home or not. Stomping through the door, I not-so-accidentally tromped on his left foot as I made my way into the warmth of the house. He groaned, but I couldn’t have cared less.
A sparkling chandelier hung in the grandiose hallway and I could see the spacious living room where social gatherings were usually held. Kris’s mom had an eye for interior design, and everything in their home was meticulously placed. I headed up the spiral staircase on my left, making my way to Kris’s bedroom on the second floor, where she was stuffing clothes into her suitcase. I immediately crouched down to help.
“Geez, Zeus, how come your charming family has such an asshat of a son? I mean, come on, apart from him, all of you are practically saints!” I didn’t bother lowering my voice. If he heard me, perhaps he would fix his manners.
“I know, right?” There was affection in her beautiful green eyes, indicating she didn’t mean anything she said except her next sentence. “But you know we all love him.”
“Hold on there. I’m not included in that ‘we.’ You and your parents may be bound to love him by blood. Me? I can hardly tolerate the guy.”
Perhaps if I had a brother I would know the feeling of unconditional love for a sibling. Or maybe not, considering Kris and I were nothing alike. She behaved as graciously as a princess with a heart of gold to boot, while I had a hot temper and a level of stubbornness that could tempt Mother Teresa herself. Our looks were distinctive too. She was the pretty, platinum blond with jade-green eyes, and I was her brown-eyed, redheaded sidekick.
“Why do you guys fight like cats and dogs now? I don’t remember you being like this when we were kids.”
“Oh please. Don’t you remember third grade and all those horrible nicknames he created for me?” Kris pointed at the orange dress on my left, and I handed it over. “Or that time he ruined our first time hosting a party here by kicking everyone out?”
Kris neatly put the dress inside her suitcase then reached for a white tunic. “We would have been in deep trouble if he hadn’t done that, Ave. That party got out of control.”
“That’s not the point. The point is he ruined it for us.” I reached for Kris’s pajamas. “He even dragged Raymond out by his ear. Like, who does that?”
This time, my best friend laughed. “My brother, apparently.” She leaned back against the wall. “Do you remember what happened to Nikki, though?”
“Yes! How could I not? That’s the only time your brother did something that I actually approved of.”
Nikki had been a bully at our Hellenic school, and somehow, she had managed to sneak into our party. When she tried to make a move on Vlad, he flat out rejected her. It was a small piece of revenge after all the nasty stuff she had done to Kris and me over the years. As we talked about all the funny things that happened at that party, my tension dispersed until the anger ebbed away. Talking to Kris always had that effect on me.
Kris sat on top of the suitcase while I slid the zipper shut. “Hey, I just realized—I can’t text you since my phone died and I can’t find the charger.” She tapped her forehead. “Here’s the thing, Mom and Dad can’t come with me today—they have something to take care off. Do you want to come with me or would you rather go with your parents?”
“Yes!”
My best friend giggled. “Which one?”
“Joining you, of course.”
“Cool. I’ll let my parents know.” Kris looked down at her clasped hands.
“Let’s hear it,” I said. “I know you have something on your mind.”
“You can always tell, huh,” she said. “You’re my best friend, more like a sister, and I want you with me, of course I do, but are you all right going to the Court?”
I opened my mouth to answer, but nothing came out. “Ave,” Kris continued, “I know it takes so much for you to change your mind once you’ve set it on something. I understand your feelings about the soul-mate thing. You know, after what happened to Bryan’s parents, not to mention Adrian.”
Adrian Ambrosia was her cousin, who had also suffered heartbreak because of this stupid “gift.”
“Kris—”
“And I’ve never asked you to change your view, and I’m not going to do that now. But how are you feeling, Ave? If you don’t want to go, we can call this trip off. We can postpone our first Gathering until you’re ready.”
I knew how much the Gathering meant to Kris. She had been looking forward to her first Gathering since the day I’d first met her. There was no way I’d let her sit this out just for me. “No, Kris, I can’t do that. I’d never do that to you. You’ve wanted this for so long.”
“I don’t mind delaying it a year or two for you.”
I shook my head, about to tell her that I had already made up my mind, when we heard a knock on the door. “Are you girls done?” Vlad’s voice echoed in the hallway in front of Kris’s bedroom. “The driver is ready and waiting for you downstairs.” He pushed the door open and stuck his head in. “Kris, do you need help with your bags?”
I mouthed I’m fine, and that seemed to erase at least some of her worries. “Sure,” she replied.
Vlad’s gaze lingered on me for a few seconds before he broke it off and reached for Kris’s suitcase. “Only one?”
“Nope.” My best friend grinned mischievously. “Two more.” Kris and I broke into peals of laughter.
An hour later, I found myself relaxed alongside Kris in the back seat of one of the Ambrosias’ fleets of cars. My dad w
as riding shotgun. People attending their first Gathering had to have an adult present to help with the check-in process, so there was no getting away from him for the time being. My mom was still mad about our last fight, so she refused to come. I wasn’t sure if she’d even bother to show up for the Awakening Ceremony. But at least I didn’t have to worry about her for now.
One of the downsides of having my dad with us was having to listen to him kissing my best friend’s Royal butt. He was obsessed with anything Royal, and always went overboard to try to please Kris and her family. It was excruciating to watch. But it was still way better than riding in awkward silence with him in his Toyota Yaris all the way there.
Kris reached over and placed her hand on top of mine. I looked up to see her smooth profile—the shiny white skin of her forehead, straight nose, and full lips. Her long platinum-blond hair framed her face perfectly, and the sun shining through the side of the window gave her a luminous backdrop. She was the definition of stunning, and being born an Ambrosia meant she would always stand out in a crowd.
One lock of her blond hair slid across her cheek, and she raised her free hand to push it behind one ear.
“I’m so excited, Ave.” Her smile widened. I turned my palm up and squeezed her hand, grinning back at her before turning my gaze out the window as our neighborhood rolled by. We were leaving behind our normal American-teenager façade and preparing ourselves for the centuries-old compound we were heading toward.
“So, Ave, tell me . . .”
I could sense by the way her eyes glinted that she was about to bring up something I didn’t want to talk about. “Hmm?”
“What did he say?” she said, blatant curiosity etched across her face.
“Who?
“Carlo. We were in so much of a hurry that I didn’t get a chance to ask you about him.” I glanced at the front seat where my dad had his eyes glued to the road as if he was the one driving. She lowered her voice, “Don’t worry, he can’t hear us.”
“What do you want to know?” I whispered.
“Everything. How’s the long-distance relationship been working out?” Kris teased.
“He said he’s coming and he . . .”—I pulled up his last text on my phone—“Don’t freak out, okay. He said he hopes that I’m his other half.”
Kris read the text. I didn’t need to look at it again—I remembered every word by heart. After all, it had helped me make my decision to go to Court.
Buonasera, cara mia. Even without you saying it aloud, I know how you feel about soul mates. You always swiftly changed the subject whenever I brought it up during our calls. That’s why I’m sending this text. Bottom line, all I want is for you to be happy. I don’t know whether you’re coming or not, but my gut tells me that I’ll meet my soul mate this time. With these feelings I have for you, I can’t help thinking that maybe my other half is you. Whichever decision you make, to come to Court or not, I’ll respect it. That’s what we do when we love someone.
Kris let out a gasp. “Avery Montgomery, how can I not freak out? Dear Poseidon, he’s in love with you!”
Shaking her head in wonder, she passed my phone back. “I need to meet this Carlo guy. I can’t believe someone finally got through your stubbornness. He must be special,” she said. “How on earth don’t you have any photos of him?”
“His family is part of the whole no-social-media-for-Hellenicus movement.” I shifted in my seat. “It’s not like I’m head over heels for him. Well, hardly. It’s probably because no guy has ever paid any attention to me.”
Kris laughed. “Please, Ave, guys practically throw themselves at you. You’re just really picky.”
I snorted. Unlike my best friend, I had not been blessed with delicate, proportionate features. And we both knew there had only been one guy with a crush on me: Bryan.
With the memory of him fresh in my mind, the cruel gods seized the opportunity to remind me of his demise as a truck cut right in front of us. The driver braked abruptly, and I slammed up against my seat belt and my dad cursed. As if I was hypnotized, I breathed out in a whisper, “Bryan.”
It was always like that. Nearly every single thing, every place, brought back a memory of him. My chest tightened. It had also been winter the day he’d taught me how to drive—the day we’d taken his dad’s Mustang. I had been sulking in my bed with a ton of homework piled up when I heard the soft thud of a pebble hitting my window. Thinking it was the naughty kid from across the street, I was about to tell them to knock it off but found Bryan, looking up, car keys dangling in his hand.
I ran downstairs, grabbed my coat, and jumped into the car. His dad flew out the door in a rage when he heard the roar of the engine in the street. We laughed as we drove to an abandoned parking lot where I could practice without disrupting anyone. That time, I had also hit the brake too soon, throwing us forward against our seat belts. It was as if it had been a premonition of what would happen to Bryan only a few weeks later. My parents lectured me for two hours when we got home, but it had been worth it to spend the afternoon with him. I didn’t know then how little time I had left with him.
“Avery!” My dad frantically called my name. “Avery! Are you all right?” His dark-brown eyes were filled with concern, and his voice sounded like he genuinely cared about my well-being.
Only then did I noticed that the car had stopped at the side of the road and there were three pairs of eyes staring at me. I swallowed back my tears. “I’m fine.”
“Good.” His parental concern was gone in a flash, his face instantly returning to normal. We moved again.
Hearing him clicking his tongue, I knew I would hear about this later when Kris wasn’t around. He would somehow find a way to make this my fault. I could feel my dad’s stare as he watched me like a hawk in the rearview mirror, but I pretended not to notice. Outside the window, I could see the mountain range coming into view, the landscape becoming more and more forested as we traveled closer to Denali. Now, just like Kris, but for very different reasons, I couldn’t wait for this journey to be over.
Chapter Three
This was it. I would finally see inside the Court, home of Queen Christoulakis and all the Hellenicus relics we’d learned about at school. Kris, who had been coming here forever—her family’s ancestral residence was here, and she had lived at Court until she was ten—tried to answer my millions of questions. But seeing it firsthand was the only thing that would truly satisfy my curiosity.
I was on the edge of my seat, leaning forward, as the driver handed our IDs over to the guards at the massive black metal gate that barred the Court compound from the surrounding dense forest. The secrecy and security were just as intense as when I’d come to sign up for the Gathering. The guard returned our documents and ordered us inside. The car was barely through the gate when it began to close. It was evident that no one could come in—or leave—without the Court Guards allowing it. Carlo had had to wait outside the gate for verification, and a smile crossed my face. Now that I was inside the Court walls, the fact that I would be seeing him again soon felt more real.
As we made the long drive through the woods, I recognized some of the buildings from photos Kris had shown me of the Court. Her family owned both a suite and a mansion inside the Royal High Court—a secluded, heavily guarded area where many of the Royals lived.
The Royals’ building—the Royal Quarters—looked gigantic even from a distance, like a European castle. When I had signed up for the Gathering, I had been given a handbook that explained how I could enter the quarters as an invited guest of a Royal, but that there were rooms and archives that only Pure Royals could enter by proving their lineage—a drop of blood, maybe? They didn’t let Regulars in on the details.
Next to the Royals’ castle was the beyond-boring building for the Regulars who worked at Court—it screamed all business, no glamour. The stark contrast between the two buildings served as a reminder o
f how Regulars were treated so differently from those of royal blood.
As the car made a final turn, the Hyped came into view. The Hyped was where Regulars who lived outside of Court could stay during the Gathering. Most of the events would take place there as well. From the outside, it looked like a five-star hotel, galloping impossibly high up to the low-lying clouds, at least thirty floors tall. To be honest, I’d been expecting something old, something that looked like it had been there for centuries, but boy, was I wrong. It was completely modern. And it would be my home for the entire month of December.
We finally made it through the lush, forested drive and the driver parked the car in front of the Hyped before getting out to help us unload our luggage.
“Lady Ambrosia.” A polite smile accompanied my dad’s overly formal greeting to Kris as he offered his hand to help her out of the limo. Watching her back, I knew she was fighting back a cringe. “Do you wish for me to accompany you to your family unit? I’d be happy to oblige.”
Kris shook her head, her platinum-blond hair brushing her shoulders lightly. “No, it’s okay, Mr. Montgomery.” She nodded toward the bellhop who was walking toward us, ready to escort her to the Royal Quarters.
“Of course. As you wish.”
I scrambled out of the back seat with no offer of help—not that I needed it, but c’mon—and took in a deep inhale of crisp air, happy to be out of the stuffy car and in the chill of the mountains.
Kris pulled me into a big hug and whispered in my ear, “Text me as soon as you can escape!”
“Wish me luck!” I gave her a squeeze before watching her walk away, the bellhop trotting after her and probably hoping for a Pure Royal–sized tip. I grabbed my suitcase and faced my dad, dreading being alone in his company for even five minutes. He had his phone out and the usual furrowed-brow look on his face. I cleared my throat to make it obvious that I wasn’t going to stand there all day, ignored.
“Right. Avery. Stay here. Don’t move,” he said to me like I was a poorly behaved puppy. “I have to take care of some things and get access to our suite. I’ll be back in ten minutes.”