As I walked past Virgie, I exchanged a smile with her. She too performed well, lining up the silverware in the correct fashion around the plates.
It was only when she was done that I remembered about the twins. I glanced over at them and found them both staring at me, whispering something. I bit my lip. Had they not messed with me because they planned to use their “niceness” as leverage to get me alone later tonight?
Before I could worry further, Headmistress Cardinal announced, “The scores for the first and second round have now been combined to reflect the current ranking of the fae students.”
Holding my breath, I searched for my name on the board. My heart swelled. I wasn’t at the bottom anymore. I was in the middle. And Peony was only a few spots above me. Virgie was two above hers, and Lily ranked a few below me.
“Please set up for the entertainment part,” Headmistress Cardinal continued.
Lord Sullivan and Mr. Chad rejoined the other high-ranking vamps at their table, while the fae servants cleaned the floor and rolled in a piano. Others carried in violins and other instruments. I’d seen some of the other fae practicing after school hours, the corridor outside the Home Decor room filled with broken classical tunes.
“For this part, you will either sing, play an instrument, or dance.” Headmistress Cardinal let her gaze sweep across all of us. “While your ranking is of the utmost importance, be advised that it does not guarantee a position. The discretion of who gets assigned what position lies with our two judges.” She nodded at the two men sitting in the center of her table. “Lord Gregory Vulthus and Lord Griffin Steinberg.”
Time stopped, and a wave of dizziness washed over me. We were being judged by Blair’s sadistic master and Thorsten’s sire? What the hell?
I dared to glance in Thorsten’s direction. He stood just as tall as always, a broad statue of strength, his face impenetrable, as if he didn’t care that all eyes were now on him. He hadn’t interacted with his sire, hadn’t shown any indication of knowing him.
I squinted, trying to see the features of the two vamps, who held our destiny in their hands, but they were sitting in the shadows. As always, the vamps’ identities were protected, while we fae were exposed by bright light.
Why had Headmistress Cardinal waited until now to reveal the names of our judges? If she was worried about favoritism or unfairness, why reveal their names at all? I shook my head. It didn’t matter why. The vamps always played games. And since I was on the chessboard, unable to escape, I better make sure that I was the pawn that reached the other side to transform into the queen.
Chapter 21
Peony’s hands trembled by her sides as she eyed the piano. The twins’ table was in front of it, which would give them the opportunity to trip her up again. Peony was normally quite good on the piano, as was Virgie, but given the paleness of her face and her lack of recent practice, I guessed she wouldn’t be as confident as usual after her stint in the dungeons.
“I can’t play well,” Lily whispered, leaning around the back of Peony.
“Then dance,” I blurted. Lily had practiced some with us in Home Decor and she wasn’t too bad.
“All students will be tested during two performances,” Lady Cardinal continued. “The first performance will involve the choir and various instruments seen here. During the second performance, Peony will play the piano while the rest of you dance. Our judges have chosen the pieces. First is an old favorite of Lord Griffin Steinberg’s. You will perform Requiem: Lacrimosa dies illa.”
I gulped. I hadn’t practiced much on the violin, and I still couldn’t tell a soprano from a tenor, so I’d join the singers and blend in. Virgie seated herself beside the violin with a few others, including Kristin, while Lily stood beside me. “I can’t sing,” she squeaked.
I glared at her. “Stop complaining and do your best.” We were all terrified. Letting our nerves get the best of us wouldn’t help.
Virgie and the members of the small orchestra played a haunting tune that rose and fell—a perfect tune for a test that determined our fates. The fae around me raised their voices in tune with the music, and as the twins shifted and tried to get into Peony’s view, she turned on her stool, making her violin squeak with a tone, making Gregory Vulthus shake his head and whisper something to Griffin Steinberg’s.
I raised my voice, matching the tune of the other fae girls, and poor Lily mouthed the unintelligible lyrics, trying to blend in. I could do this. I could actually force myself to sing in front of these vamps. After classes, I had taken some time to practice, especially with Petra finally gone, and it was paying off.
The song died, and Peony got off her stool and took her place at the piano, her forte. Lord Griffin had been leaning forward, watching his favorite mood piece, but now he shifted back into his chair.
It was the other Lord’s turn now.
Lord Gregory Vulthus.
The vamp who owned Blair’s contract. The vamp who was famous for whipping his servants. He remained completely still, like a statue, not a hint of humanity within him.
“Lord Gregory Vulthus has a more modern taste,” Lady Cardinal announced. “He has requested a more...spontaneous performance. Dancers, you will perform the Flamenco dance to the tune set by our piano player and two classic guitar players.”
Mr. Chad licked his lips. The Flamenco was a highly sexual dance that required us to stick out our chests and stay in perfect rhythm. It was a dance with fire. Every move that was wrong or out of sync would stand out. It was an unforgiving dance, just as unforgiving as Vulthus, which was probably why he had chosen it.
Beside me, Lily cringed. Those of us who practiced dancing Flamenco, had endured rapid foot tapping, quick turns, and sensual arm movements. Kristin took one of the classic guitars while a male fae took the other. Some of the vamps got up from the tables to get a closer look. Would we have to dance with partners? This performance could be done alone, with a partner, or as a group. Given the lust burning in the vamps’ eyes, I hoped we would dance alone.
Peony began to play, and the guitar players joined in, creating a tune somewhere between classical and traditional Spanish. Lily gulped beside me. I winked at her, willing her to stop worrying so much and let her body move naturally.
I stepped forward, raising my arms to the sky, and the others followed suit. The music started slow, then sped up, and I found myself guiding the others, who whirled, tapped, and lifted their arms with me. Peony banged a few notes off key, but the guitar players maintained their pace. Although not perfect, the music was good enough to dance to, and a rush of tingles and adrenaline filled me. Lily copied my moves, stumbling just a couple of times, as the vamps closed in.
A stocky, middle-aged vamp with a bald spot stepped forward. Several other vamps recoiled from him, probably unused to seeing someone less than perfect in their midst. I wondered who had made him and why. Vamps cherished beauty and health above all. Perhaps this older man was a genius. To my surprise, he reached for Lily as Kassius took Kristin’s arm. The vamps were choosing dance partners. Lily’s eyes widened in shock as the middle-aged vamp spun her around, showing quite some stamina for his weight. She let out a squeak as his beefy palm landed on her buttock.
I remained single, the leader of the pack, as the vamps chose partners one by one. Unable to do anything else, I kept going, staring straight ahead, doing my best.
At last, the song ended, and with sweat gathering under my uniform, I sank to my knees, raising my arms overhead.
A few of the judges applauded.
Rising, I swallowed and turned, determined to get the gross vamp off Lily. He held her arm even as Kassius released Kristin. “Innocent. I like that,” the middle-aged vamp said, his nostrils flaring. He let go abruptly of Lily and she stumbled back.
Her eyes were wide with distress, and I squeezed her hand for reassurance.
“It’s over now,” I whispered.
Virgie stepped away from her dance partner and joined us. Soon, all of u
s fae were standing in one line, facing the scoreboard, waiting for our results as our hearts beat in a rapid staccato.
The judges scribbled and whispered. My knees trembled from exhaustion, and sweat ran down my back, but I didn’t dare move.
At last, our names rearranged on the scoreboard.
Peony’s name shifted to only three from the bottom. She stepped back, mouth opening in horror. Despite her magic, she had sunk like an anvil. Lily’s name was only one above hers, which wasn’t fair. Certainly, she hadn’t performed that badly. She’d still get a good servant position, right? She had to with her organizational talent.
I traced my eyes up the board, hoping to spot myself somewhere in the middle. I found Virgie’s name in the middle, next to Kristin, but mine wasn’t there. Had I missed it? It couldn’t be at—
“You’re at the top,” Virgie hissed in my ear. “The freaking top!”
I raised my gaze up. My name glowed at the very top of the board. My dance. I’d done it for Lily, but it had helped to catapult me right to the top while she was still close to the bottom.
“Here are your final rankings for your Placement Tests. All students are to return to their seats. You will receive your final majors within minutes.” Lady Cardinal swept in front of us, tapping her stick.
In a daze, feeling like I was underwater, I headed back to my seat as the vamp guards hauled the tables back into the room and the fae servants cleared the instruments.
The top.
Did that mean—
Lily sat beside me, her arms wrapped around her torso. “That vamp gave me the creeps.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know that was going to happen.” The vamps jumping in and grabbing partners like that was yet another reminder that our bodies belonged to them. I watched as the vamps walked past us and filed out of the ballroom, with the pudgy, middle-aged vamp at the back of the line. He grinned at Lily as he exited.
One by one, the staff left too. Mr. Chad was walking behind Mr. Sullivan. When our gym teacher passed Lily, he paused, a smile curling his lips. “Unlike me, some vamps do prefer wallflowers. I hope you paid attention in my class.”
She blinked rapidly, then glanced to Virgie who shook her head. Whatever Mr. Chad had meant, now was not the time to discuss it.
The ballroom door swung shut behind him. Only Lady Cardinal, several guards, and the two judges remained. One of the guards was Thorsten. With his straight posture and impenetrable facial expression, he looked like he was guarding the Buckingham Palace. His sire seemed to be making no note of him.
I tried to glimpse the faces of Lord Steinberg and Vulthus, to see who had sired Thorsten and to curse the vamp who no doubt was making Blair’s life hell, but they remained under the shadow of the scoreboard, which had been turned off. Lady Cardinal gathered a set of envelopes from the table and approached. My heart dropped into my stomach. This was it. The guillotine was about to fall.
Around me the energy swirled with nervousness. The air reeked of sweat, and even Peony, who sat a few seats away to my left, shifted uncomfortably in her chair, her features grim.
Without a word, Lady Cardinal placed an envelope with our names in front of us. Some fae tore open their envelopes immediately, but I had to take a few calming breaths before I could touch mine.
Peony sighed in relief as she opened hers. Bad performance or no, she was probably still coveted for her magic.
“When you have seen the major the judges have awarded you, proceed to my office so we can work out your classes for your second semester,” Lady Cardinal ordered. I had the impression she hadn’t even seen our results, that the judges themselves had chosen for us. It made sense since they and their friends would be bidding on our contracts.
I opened my envelope with my name on the front, unable to take the suspense anymore.
Independent Study.
In black, luxurious ink, the two words spelled out my fate. Independent. Somewhat free. I would be the one to tell the fae behind me that there was hope. The signatures of Gregory Vulthus and Griffin Steinberg filled the sheet below those two words.
I looked to Virgie and Lily. They had opened their envelopes and hadn’t seen my results.
Virgie’s paper read Courtesan.
And so did Lily’s.
Virgie folded her paper neatly and carefully, accepting the future she had always expected. Lily, on the other hand, just stared at her piece of paper for an eternity, then a quaking took over her body. Peony rose and carried her haughty ass past our section of the table. Other fae left as well.
It might’ve been better to have this conversation somewhere else, but I seriously doubted Lily could walk.
Pulling my paper out of her sight, I swallowed hard.
“Lily,” I started and stopped, not knowing what to say. There were no false reassurances I could give. Lily would never survive the Courtesan major. She should’ve been in the service major. There had to be a mistake. I’d performed the way I had to help her rise in the rankings, to protect her from humiliation. And once again, I’d let a friend down. Now I understood why Mr. Chad said what he had. There must be a market for innocent girls like Lily. Sick vamps who got off on that. Like that fat, ugly, ginger-haired fart.
“Well, I guess that’s it then.” She forced a ghost of a smile. “Thank you for helping me.”
Thorsten broke his trance, moving toward the exit. I stared at him. If not for his silence, I would be dead now. If not for his encouragement, I would’ve given up and never gotten the Independent Study major. One out of one-hundred. A chance to choose my career. I would walk semi-free while Lily suffered.
She wouldn’t survive. It would break her. And I would have yet another casualty under my belt.
I couldn’t let this happen. Tears gathered in my eyes as I realized what I had to do.
“Lily,” I whispered. “We still need to go to the headmistress to get our second semester classes.” I hoped she understood as I slid my paper under the table, tapping her thigh with it.
She gasped and let her jaw fall open, then shook her head. “I can’t. It’s too much. You earned it. You were amazing.”
I glanced around. The room was empty. Even Thorsten had left. “Take it,” I said with desperation. My heart raced. I was taking on the very thing I had hoped to escape, but if Virgie thought she could destroy the vamps from the inside, then maybe so could I. They had weaknesses. And I could exploit them.
We exchanged papers. Lily took mine, stuffing it into her envelope, and I took hers. Lily’s lower lip wobbled, and I knew I had done the right thing. “I’ll be forever in your debt. Anything you ever need, I’ll do it until the day I die.”
A mixture of emotions rose up in me like a wave, threatening to crush me. “Go to the office. Now,” I said weakly. “Don’t look back.”
Lily rose, took a breath, and bolted from the room. My heart sank into my shoes as I stuffed the Courtesan paper, signed by Griffin Steinberg and Gregory Vulthus, into my envelope.
My fate was sealed.
“Onyx,” Virgie said, reminding me that she was still there. “That was...” She inhaled sharply, then tried again, “That was the most generous thing I’ve ever seen anyone do, but why? You’ve earned it.”
I squared my shoulders, swallowing my tears. “Because she wouldn’t survive being a courtesan. But I can. I will.” Pain intermingled with relief in my chest. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I had done the right thing. “Go. I need a moment alone.”
Virgie hesitated, but nodded. I watched her leave, then closed my eyes, pressing my knuckles into my eyelids. Footsteps sounded. I whirled around to find Thorsten glowering at me. He let the doors fall shut behind him and approached in his menacing glory, his jaw tight with anger.
A shudder raced up my spine. Was he furious because I hadn’t taken the Independent Major? Whatever, it wasn’t his choice to make. And, at least this way he couldn’t add it somehow to my growing pile of debt.
“What did you do?�
�� His words came out in a growl, and I knew playing stupid would get me nowhere. He had overheard everything. He could go to Headmistress Cardinal, who would probably take the Independent Major from both of us. I had to stop him.
I bit my lip, trying to find the words to make him understand. “I had to help Lily. She’s my friend.”
“You are a fool.” His fists clenched. “Do you realize what you sacrificed?” He closed the distance between us and leaned down, glaring at me. “You are an idiot!”
My mind scrambled for something, anything to say. I waited for Thorsten to strike me, or for his fangs to flash before he bit me, but he continued to glare, the muscles in his neck tensing.
Somehow, him doing nothing propelled me into action. I jumped off my chair. “I am not an idiot, and I understand exactly what I’m doing. This is my choice.” I raised my chin. “I’ll do just fine. Don’t worry about me.”
He huffed. “I thought you were better than that. I thought you weren’t a whore.” Thorsten turned away, and even though he hadn’t touched me, it felt as if he had slapped me across the face and then spit on me.
“I am not a whore.” I caught up to him and blocked his path, forcing him to see what I was made of. “I can use my dark nature to my advantage. I can find another way out of this, but Lily can’t. I can save us both. And others.” I balled my fists. “My compassion is not a weakness. But I guess as a vamp you wouldn’t understand that.”
Thorsten growled, and then a bitter laugh fell from his lips. “Mark my words, you’re going to regret this decision. I should have never wasted my time.” With that, he stormed out of the ballroom.
This time, I didn’t stop him, his words rooting me to the spot.
An ache spread through my chest, but I refused to acknowledge it besides breathing past it.
Holding my head high, I made my way to Headmistress Cardinal’s office. So what if I had lost the approval of a vamp guard? Who cared? At the end, it would always be them against us. As a fae, I had to choose my people.
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