by A. J. Rosen
I turned on the taps and washed my face. The sleepiness was slowly leaving. Adrian handed me a small towel and I thanked him as I patted my face dry. I’d been up half the night, and the other half was spent having terrible nightmares about Bryan and Carlo. If it had not been for that stupid alarm, I would’ve still been in bed, trying to catch up on the sleep I’d missed during the night. I could’ve sworn I hadn’t set the alarm last night.
I smacked Adrian’s arm.
“What the hell was that for?” Adrian jerked back then rubbed his arm.
“You fucking set the alarm, didn’t you?” I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. He did not need to answer because his face told me all there was to know. “Why the fuck did you do that?”
When I was overtired, my drunken-sailor mouth returned easily.
“Geez, Montgomery, so many fucks today.” With a cheeky quirk of his brows, he leaned forward and murmured, “Or does that only happen when I’m around?”
I shoved him out of the bathroom, closed the door, and turned the lock. His laugh was still audible through the locked door between us. I hastily showered and got dressed. Water dripped from my recently washed hair onto the floor as I towel dried my hair. I grimaced. If my mom was around, she wouldn’t be too pleased with me.
Adrian had left the bedroom and the door was closed tightly shut. I sat on the bed, toweling my hair dry, a comb resting on my thigh, waiting for its turn. After combing my hair quite violently—since there was no other way of doing it to make it look less dreadful—I placed the comb on the nightstand.
There was a knock on the door and I lifted one brow. So now he’d decided to knock after letting himself in twenty minutes ago while I had been sleeping, huh.
“Come in.”
Adrian popped his head, grinning. “Now that’s more like it.”
I folded my arms in front of my chest and shot him an annoyed look. “Seriously, you have five seconds to tell me why you’re here or you’ve got to go.”
“Chill, Montgomery. You texted, so here I am.” When I said nothing, he drawled, “Seriously.”
“I did not ask you to come here. I only asked you about—” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. “Is that—”
“Yes, Montgomery.” Adrian smiled triumphantly. “I got it.”
Caitlin’s access card, which meant that we could finally start our investigation. My lips curled into a smile that mirrored his.
Chapter Eighteen
The Royal Quarters was not just a building; it served as a gateway to an entirely different universe. A gigantic, steel-blue gate kept the area hidden from the Regulars. The entrance was protected by Palace Guards, who wore uniforms with a golden emblem placed on the left side of their chest to distinguish them from the Court Guards. To get to the academy, we had to first go through the Royal Quarters and make it past the gate. Adrian, being an Ambrosia, didn’t even glance at the Palace Guards, let alone need to show his ID before one of them opened the gate for us. My jaw dropped as what laid behind the gate was revealed.
So far, all I had seen at the Court was modern, but this area was vastly different. I no longer felt like I was inside the Court; I wasn’t even sure I was in the same time period. Had the Hellenicus here been wearing medieval outfits, I would’ve been convinced that I had been transported back in time. The buildings were made of cream-colored stones, built to last thousands of years, generation after generation, and had no doubt had been stacked centuries ago. The novelty of them had worn off, yet everything still reflected the golden rays of the sun. It was like something out of a children’s fairy-tale book.
“That’s the Michelakoses’ residence.” Adrian pointed to a mansion on my left. There was a family emblem showing a laurel tree enveloping a sun, a lyre, a raven, and a silver bow and arrow on their wall. “You know, Apollo’s descendants. There aren’t that many of them around the world now. About two hundred, I think.”
“You could probably fit them all inside that place for a giant family reunion,” I joked. Even though the building was majestic, it looked pretty much abandoned. I followed Adrian closely, knowing full well I would get lost in here if I was on my own.
“That’s Douchebag Tavoularis’s family mansion. Hera’s descendants. You can tell the type of person who lives there just by looking at their home.”
From the golden window frames to the dome-shaped roof to the red double doors at the front, the mansion was the most eye-stabbing thing inside the entire Court Grounds. “They must’ve really loved red,” I commented as I squinted to get a better look at their family emblem, a diadem and scepter in the middle with flowers and what looked like pomegranates surrounding them. It seemed familiar, but I couldn’t pinpoint where I had seen it. I probably saw Damian wearing the emblem on that first night at the after-party.
“What about that one?” I pointed at the building on our right and watched Adrian’s face turn reluctant to answer.
“The Costas.”
“Oh.”
We continued to pass many extraordinary buildings until Adrian paused. “This is the Ambrosias.” His gaze raked from the front door up to the tower, which was arched toward the sky. “My grandparents still live here with my parents. I prefer the family suite at the Royal Quarters. If the brat wasn’t there, it would be my bachelor pad.”
I snorted. With girls coming in and out as they liked, it was more like a den. Then, I dared myself to ask a question I had always been too shy to ask Kris. “Adrian, why doesn’t Kris’s family live at the Court?”
“I know I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but since I know your inquisitive self will only be satisfied with the truth, I’ll spare you the extra effort. You have to promise not to tell anyone, though.”
“I promise.”
“Including and especially Kris.”
I did not hide anything from Kris; we shared practically everything from the lightest truth to the hardest one, like my view on soul mates. Keeping the details of the woman from the jail and my quest with Adrian from her already made me feel guilty. I chewed the inside of my cheek, trying to decide. In the end, I concluded that this could be one more exception to our no-secret policy. “Okay.” I added, “Do I have to pinky swear or what?”
His body relaxed a little as he rolled his eyes at me. “It’s just that what I’m about to tell you is the other side of the Ambrosia family, the dark and twisted part.”
“Now you’re just playing with me. Spill the beans already.”
“Fine.” Adrian huffed. “There’s a love triangle in our family. My dad—” His eye twitched and I sensed something bad coming. Kris had told me before that Adrian and his father, Norman Ambrosia, had a tense relationship. Yet it seemed that despite this, he was not comfortable speaking ill of him. “He loves Aunt Jane.”
“Aunt Jane? As in Kris and Vlad’s mom?!” I gasped.
“Yeah. Back when we all got along, we used to have a big family feast every December. I was fourteen and I remember asking him about how soul mates really worked. He told me that a soul-mate bond does not guarantee love or happiness and that those who find both love and happiness through the bond are the few lucky ones. He told me never to give up on love, to fight for it—regardless of the bond.” For a flashing moment, I saw hurt engraved on Adrian’s expression as he proceeded with the story. “I thought he was referring to Mom, so I asked him if he had to fight for her. He didn’t answer right away, but when he did, he wasn’t looking at Mom. He was staring at Aunt Jane as he said that he was still fighting.”
I was not sure what to say in a situation like this, so I settled on, “Adrian, I’m so sorry.”
He brushed it off as if he didn’t care. I knew he did. “A week later, Uncle Kristov told Nana that they would leave the Court Grounds and live in the outside world. Both he and my father have not been on speaking terms since. I bet on Zeus’s bolt that my father did so
mething.” Adrian gave me a bitter smile. “That was the last time we had a family feast with everyone present.”
“According to Hellenicus law, isn’t the eldest son supposed to live in the family’s mansion?”
“Yeah, but apparently Hellenicus law didn’t stop Uncle Kristov. I think he knew about my dad’s feelings for Aunt Jane for a long time, but something happened at that feast and he was not going to let it continue to drag on.” He turned to look at the Ambrosia mansion in front of us. “That’s my mom’s bedroom.” He pointed at a balcony on the third floor. “She cried for months after that. I could hear her sobbing at night as I walked past her door to my room down the corridor.” Adrian sighed, trying to compose himself. “Sometimes I hate coming back here. This place holds so many memories, some I don’t want to revisit.”
“I’m so sorry.” I knew I should stop saying that, but what else could I say? I gave his arm a gentle squeeze.
“Just another reason why I agreed to help you with this.” He lifted one hand, revealing the library card.
“Damn, so it wasn’t my superb marketing skills!” I joked, trying to lighten the mood. It seemed to work.
“It’s not just because of what happened with me and Marsela. It’s because I know that the bond does not guarantee us happiness.”
“Yeah, and at least if things don’t work out, you don’t have to live the rest of your life hearing every passing thought they have in their mind.”
Adrian nodded. “At least they can move on.”
We walked along the narrow road, passing a fountain in the middle of what looked like a town square, Adrian happy to leave his family’s mansion behind. We turned left and I came to an abrupt halt, gaping in awe at the breathtaking sight in front of me. “Is that what I think it is?”
“That depends,” Adrian said with a grand flourish of his arm. “If you think it’s Queen Rhea’s palace, then you are right.”
The palace looked more primeval than any bone left in the soil. Trees surrounded it like great armies defending their citadel, their armored trunks reached out protectively in the air. The vast expanse of green enhanced the palace’s eeriness and beauty as an iron portcullis guarded the passage. There were Palace Guards everywhere, from high up on the circular towers to in front of the enormous gate blocking the entrance.
“Enough sightseeing.” Adrian chortled. “We have a mission, remember?”
At last we arrived at the building that had brought us here. The Royal High Court Academy was built to look like the Parthenon. I’d only seen the replica in Nashville, not the original in Athens, but this place was a sight to behold. In a courtyard to the side of the building was a giant statue of Apollo in front of a small temple, which was fitting since, on top of being the god of the sun, he was also the god of knowledge—among other things.
Fully aware that we had no time to waste, Adrian grabbed my hand and hurried me to the side of the building to a service entrance. Unlike at the palace, no guards were watching over the school. All I had to do was follow Adrian. Despite the fact that the school was empty for the December festivities, the feeling that we would be caught washed over me. I knew it was a bad omen to say it, so I didn’t utter a word, keeping my mouth tightly shut. I assured myself that if I did get caught, at least I had Adrian. Being a Pure Royal had its advantages, one of them being wiggling out of trouble—including trespassing, I hoped.
“Here,” Adrian handed me the access card as we made a left at the intersection and soon faced a gigantic door. A girl was standing in front of it. “Oh shit.”
“What?” I looked at his worried face and back at the harmless-looking girl standing there, her head ducked down, focused on the book in her hands. Judging from Adrian’s reaction, you’d have thought a three-headed dog was guarding the library’s door. “It’s just a girl.”
“Dear Poseidon, help us.” Adrian groaned exasperatedly then looked at me. “It’s not just a girl, Montgomery. She’s Eulabeia.”
“Yew-la-what?”
“Eulabeia.” He regarded the girl, then shook his head, clearly thinking of aborting this mission. “She’s the spirit and personification of fear, caution, avoidance, heedfulness, and vigilance.”
“What?” I repeated, this time with more shock than amusement. “That girl is a spirit?! How do you know? She looks like a normal girl to me.”
“There are things that only Royals and the Royal High Court residents are privy to.” His head nudged in the direction of the girl who paid no mind to us. “And that’s one of them.”
“Okay, so what? Is she going to stop us even if we have the access cards?” I asked. I had no clue who this Yew-la Bew-la Banana was, but I saw no reason why we couldn’t just carry on.
“She’s not going to stop me, but she will stop you. She can tell that you’re not—” Adrian paused, as if looking for the correct word. “Of royal blood.”
“I didn’t come this far to be stopped.” I ignored Adrian’s warning and marched straight up to the girl. Even when I stood right in front of her, she did not tear her eyes from the book. “I have to get inside there.” I simply stated my intention, throwing it out in the open and hoping she would just scoot her little behind a bit to the left so I could get past her.
“It’s been a long time,” the girl replied, her eyes still glued to the pages of her book, which I could now see was written in Greek.
“What’s been a long time?” I dared to ask, unable to squash my curiosity.
“Your kind.” The girl flipped the page and her eyes skimmed across the curvy letters written there. “It certainly has been a long while since the last one.” With no further explanation, she walked away, never looking up from her book as she did so.
What did she mean? My kind? What kind was that? The Regulars?
“If we were allowed to enter the Royal High Court, I’m sure more of my kind would come and visit your precious library,” I mumbled.
Adrian caught up to me and watched the girl leave with a look of incertitude on his face. “What just happened?”
I shrugged, pretending not to care. “No clue. Let’s go in.”
There was something deeply sacred about the library in the Royal High Court Academy, something that I had never felt in any other place. It was full of our history, which was well hidden from the Nescient, and to some extent, the Regulars. There were statues all over the cavernous hall. Perseus holding a sword in his right hand and Medusa’s head in the other, completely nude save for the useless drape he had on his arm to cover—what? His asymmetrical left arm? It certainly wasn’t covering anything else. Not far from Perseus and his nudity was Hades, who had the decency to at least cover half of his body. One hand was carrying a staff while the other held the chain to Cerberus. Then there was Poseidon, carrying his infamous trident and riding what looked like a seahorse-dragon hybrid.
“This way, Montgomery,” said Adrian, whisking me away from checking out Dionysus’s abs, which were still intact despite the copious amount of wine displayed around him. Adrian took me to a secluded area in the corner of the room. “Take out your access card. This time you’re going to need it.”
This place was the epitome of a medieval library. High wooden arches and stained-glass windows almost made it look like a church—except for the long rows of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that were lined with dusty, old tomes. The steel and glass door in front of me, which had a card scanner attached to the handle, indicated that this part of the library was very different. Adrian tapped his card on the reader and pushed the door open. I was about to follow suit when he raised one hand, telling me to stay where I was. Only after the door closed did he give me a nod to do what he had just done.
I felt slightly guilty when the monitor showed Caitlin’s name and photo. I could only hope that this little visit wouldn’t get her in trouble somehow. Inside the room there was only one thick book, laying open on top
of a green velvet surface. Adrian and I exchanged a look before we approached it and dug our noses deep into it.
Unfortunately, it was in Greek, a language with an alphabet I had failed to remember. But Adrian, being a Pure Royal, knew Greek. While all the Hellenicus learned Greek at school, it was mandatory for Royals to master the language. I pulled out my phone to take photos of the pages, as Adrian did his best to speed-read them.
He had skimmed through not even one-fifth of the book when a guard walked into the library. He hadn’t seen us yet, but it was only a matter of time—we were enclosed in a glass room after all. “Adrian,” I hissed, and when his eyes didn’t look up from the pages, I nudged his ribs hard. My left hand immediately shot up, covering his mouth, while the right one tore out the page he had been reading. His eyes opened wide in disbelief of what I had just done.
“No time.” I dragged him out of the glassed-in room, where we were easily seen, and into the main part of the library.
He quickly grasped the situation and signaled me to follow him. We moved farther and farther away from the voices. Once we felt we were at a safe distance, we stopped against the back wall, the statue of Dionysus beside us. I leaned my hand on the statue’s thigh, wanting to rest for a moment to steady myself. But we heard a soft click and the bookcase behind us swung open to reveal a hidden room. The voices gained on us. Without thinking, I grabbed Adrian and shoved him inside before getting in myself and pulling the bookcase closed.
The hidden room turned out to be nothing more than an empty broom closet. Or so it seemed, anyway. I wondered what warranted the need for this room to be here. Moreover, why the hell was the hidden button on Dionysus’s thigh?
I was trying to distract myself from how hyperaware my body was that, for the second time today, there was so little space separating me from Adrian. Even without looking up, I could feel him watching me. The only thing that kept me standing there and not pooling on the floor as my knees weakened were those voices outside. They sounded so close, almost as if they were just on the other side of the door. What would we do if we were caught? What if Adrian’s Pure Royal pass did not include smuggling a Regular into sacred places after all?