Part 6 (1/2)
Well, he could rot in Tartarus. I was finally home. He and everyone else who hated me had better accept it.
Lady Iyana appeared beside me when we left the dining hall for the arena. With her were two girls around my age. The one with gray eyes, pale skin, and black hair looked just like Lady Iyana. Her lipstick was dark red, almost black, and her makeup dramatic. Her black dress matched the choker around her neck.
The other girl was her opposite-short and curvy with medium-brown hair, and amber eyes. Her makeup was subtle. She was exceptional pretty, with Cupid's-bow lips and dimples.
”This is my daughter, Lottius,” Lady Iyana said, indicating the pale girl, then she touched the brunette's arm, ”and my niece Katia. Gabreel insisted you meet since you'll be going to the Academy together. Get to know each other,” she said with a warning look at her daughter. ”Lottie, be nice, dear, and show Princess Lilith a good time. Don't do anything that will disappoint your father, okay?”
Lottius rolled her eyes. ”Yes, Mother.”
”That's my darling.” Lady Iyana patted Lottius's cheek and walked away, leaving the three of us alone.
”When are you starting at the Academy, Princess Lilith?” Katia whispered, amber eyes sparkling with excitement.
”I don't know. Please, call me Lil...” I faltered and frowned. ”Lilith.”
Katia stared at me with round eyes, then she glanced at Lottius, and then back at me. ”Uh, I don't think we can do that. You are the princess and we are...we just can't.” She glanced at Lottius again. ”Right?”
”She said we can,” Lottius said impatiently.
Katia still didn't look convinced. ”There are laws, and your sister always says-”
”I'm not Solange. I want us to be friends, so please treat me like you'd treat one of your friends.”
”She smothers them and drives them crazy with her incessant chatter and do-good projects,” Lottius said in a bored voice.
”Shut up, Lottie.” Katia focused on me, her expression hopeful. ”Are you sure, Princess? Because once given, you can't take it back.”
She was funny and sweet. ”Yes. I'd really like for us to be friends.”
”You'll want to take that back before the night is through,” Lottius warned.
Katia ignored her. ”Then it's an honor to be friends with you, Prin... Lilith.” She pressed her hands together and giggled. ”Oh, we're going to have so much fun together. I'll let you in on a little secret, Lilith. Everyone is dying to meet you.”
”Don't you mean all the boys are dying to suck up to her to get in good graces with Lord Valafar?” Lottius asked. ”Boys are such idiots. Everyone knows the king will choose your mate when you turn eighteen, and it's not going to be some wide-eyed young teenager with acne.”
”No, that's not what I mean and you know it, Ms. Gla.s.s Half-Empty,” Katia snapped, and scrunched her face. ”I apologize for my cousin. She tends to be difficult.”
”What do you mean, choose my mate?” I asked.
Katia glared at her cousin. ”She has no idea what she's talking about. You should never repeat rumors, Lottie. It is so improper.”
”Improper?” Lottie asked, and laughed.
”Rumors?” I repeated at the same time.
Katia ignored Lottie. ”Yes, rumors. No one will force you to marry some old lord. Your father is not Queen Coronis. If you fall in love-”
”I'm gagging on your sweetness already, Katia, and it's only nine o'clock,” Lottius said, making a face. She glanced at me, her expression hard. ”Princess, I tell it as it is. One, I hate being told what to do. Two, bowing to royalty is a major pet peeve of mine. Three, if my bluntness is a problem, the same goes. I'll leave. If not, I'll help you escape this nightmare of a celebration.”
”Great! Let's go,” I said.
She glanced at Katia and sighed. ”Oh, and your arranged marriage is just a rumor.”
But rumors had to start from somewhere. I planned to find out where. ”Where are we going?”
”The rides,” Katia said. ”The entire castle grounds and the park near the waterfalls are packed with gaming booths.”
I nodded. ”Sounds good.”
”No, we're going to Lord Zhane's club at the mall,” Lottius corrected.
”There's a mall on the island?” I asked.
Lottius made a face. ”Sort of.”
”Sort of? It's a strip mall of shops, clubs, and restaurants that circles the island from the west, up the north sh.o.r.es, to the east,” Katia explained. ”It has everything you could possibly need-fas.h.i.+on, electronic gadgets, foods from around the world, candy shops, cafes, gaming stores...”
”The best part is you can't see the shops from the castle and the castle can't see you,” Lottius piped in. ”I hate the idea of being watched all the time.”
I frowned. ”We are?”
”Oh, yes. The top floor of the castle is Sir Malax's spy gla.s.s.” Lottius shuddered.
”Security and surveillance crystals,” Katia corrected.
”Spy gla.s.s,” Lottius retorted. ”Even humans have more freedom than us.”
”But we are safer,” Katia cut in.
Lottie made a face. ”We defeated the Guardians and the Archangels. We shouldn't be watching over our shoulders 24/7.”
”We are not having this argument here,” Katia said. ”And I don't think Lilith can leave until the celebrations are over. We can play games on the grounds or go on rides.”
”The games are childish and the rides boring,” Lottius retorted.
”Get out of your funk, Lottie.” She wrapped a hand around Lottius's arm and the other around mine. ”You are making us look bad in front of Lilith. Besides, she's okay with going on the rides.”
Lottius glowered.
Katia smiled sweetly back at her.
”Fine,” Lottius said. ”But keep the children away from me.”
”Lottie pretends she's all tough, but she's a total softy on the inside,” Katia whispered, but I was sure Lottius heard. ”She can't stand to see anyone suffer. Do you need to ask Sir Malax's permission before we leave?”
Lottius groaned. ”Why should she? She's the princess. She can do whatever she wants.”
Unfortunately, Sir Malax was watching us with narrowed eyes. Beside him stood Lady Nemea. She'd been seated behind my chair during the first half of the entertainment and kept an eye on me from her table during dinner.
Father was having a serious telepathic conversation with some lord in the middle of the room, but he looked up and found us. He studied Lottius and Katia intently, as though trying to remember who they were, then smiled and nodded as though giving his approval. I smiled back. Solange was with her two friends and a bunch of guys who kept glancing our way.