“You’re not going to graduate!” Elexa actually guffaws. “You’re going home with Isabella and Cooper at the end of the year to push out babies for them.”
“That’s enough!” Isabella’s command is loud and, well, commanding. So Elexa shuts up. “Wash her hair and get her ready. Then bring her into the dressing room. Quickly. Or you’ll never see the inside of that tomb.”
“Whatever,” Elexa mumbles under her breath.
I sink down in to the bath water as Elexa washes and conditions my hair, deliberately pouring water over my eyes when she needs to rinse me out.
I’m so giving her one star on that little ‘how did we do?’ card.
Sophie finishes drying Isabella off, then wraps a towel around her, but not herself. Then leads her through another door so that Elexa and I are alone.
I wait for Elexa to start something. But she doesn’t. Just does her job and barks curt commands at me like “Stand” and “Step out” and “Stay still.”
She dries me off with the soft towel, but her motions are rough. Not anything like the way Sophie gently patted down Isabella. Then she wraps a towel around me and leads me into the next room.
Isabella is sitting in a chair and her hair is being dried by a stylist. Sophie is gone. Elexa prompts me to sit in the chair next to her, and then she leaves and another stylist enters and begins drying my hair too.
Once the drying is done and the styling begins, Isabella begins to talk again. About stupid things, though. She picks a nail color and then four women appear—we get two each to work on our mani-pedis—and then she muses about what the gardens might look like tonight.
Homecoming was always my favorite time of year because it happens in the central gardens on the college side of High Court and my father was in charge of the decorations. Every year I helped him string fairy lights. So it was a big deal for me too. But I haven’t looked at the homecoming gardens since my father died. Went out of my way to avoid it, actually.
So I have mixed feelings about this night.
I am Cooper’s date for the first part of the night on campus. But then, when we go to the tomb, I’m just the stand-in. The mistress. The concubine. And I have to walk behind them.
Then, once we get over there, God only knows what will happen.
I’m expecting the worst. But it’s temporary. Cooper isn’t going through with the wedding. He already told me. And Isabella and Elexa can conjure up fantasies about what next year might look like all they want, but it’s not going to come true.
We’re out of here.
They can stay, if they want. But not us.
Once our hair, make-up, and nails are done those ladies leave and Sophie and Elexa return—this time wearing those thin white robes again, instead of being naked.
They are each carrying garment bags which get hung on the back of the two doors on either side of the room. And I admit, when those zippers go down and they lift the gowns out, I am enthralled with what I will be wearing tonight.
It is legit fit for a queen. The only disappointing thing is that Isabella and I have to wear the same dress. “What’s up with the twinsie shit?” I ask her.
“You’re an extension of me, Cadee. God, how many times do I have to say this to you? Why do you think I brought you that little school-girl outfit when you moved in to the dorms? You. Are an extension. Of me. You really need to get used to that idea. Because that’s how you will be treated for all the official Fang and Feather events. In fact, you won’t be at most of the events.”
“What?”
“Only the ones meant especially for Maidens. Like tonight. This is your night.” She smiles at me. Like she’s giving me a gift. “You will make a promise to us.” Then she adds, “Cooper and I,” just in case I’m slow on the uptake.
Anyway. Back to the dress.
It’s a pale, muted light blue satin with gold lace appliqué embellishments that form a floral pattern. It’s a full-length ball gown with a court train and the ten wave pleats are starched to perfection. They fan out along the top of the floor so I appear to be floating when I walk. The bodice is tight—ten bones sucking me in—and it starts just above my hips so my curves are accentuated. It laces up in the back and it has a strapless neckline. So the whole thing is princess sexy.
Not the way Valentina was dressed that first real day of summer rush. She was princess slutty.
This is… something else. “I love it,” I breathe, not really talking to anyone.
“Me too.” Isabella looks herself over in the mirror.
We could be twins, that’s how much we look alike in this moment. Our long hair is piled messily on top of our heads in that just-fucked fashion that is so trendy right now. And it’s nearly the same color to start with. Dark blonde with lighter streaks running through it. She has green eyes and I have brown ones, but the dress, the make-up, the hair—it’s all the same. So it’s very hard to tell us apart right now.
Isabella’s eyes meet mine in the huge wall-sized mirror. “I wasn’t trying to be a bitch earlier. This is hard for me too, ya know. Cooper was all mine until you came along last summer.”
“Was he?”
She huffs. “Well, now I’m sorry I wasn’t more of a bitch. You don’t need to rub it in, Cadee.”
“I’m just saying. He and I were a thing long before he bought you during your summer rush, Isabella. I didn’t steal him from you.”
“I know that. And I’m trying to be gracious.”
I snort.
“Because,” she continues, “you’re part of my life now. Whether I want you in it or not.”
“OK.”
She turns to me and takes both of my hands in hers. “So let’s try to be friends.”
“We are friends, Isabella.”
“Good. I mean, I will be the mother to your children so I really want this to work.”
“What?” I can’t stop the laugh.
“Yes. I’m certainly not having children. My father thinks Cooper and I will, but—” She shakes her head. “No. I’m not doing it. I’m so glad Dane is dead and you’re not going to him.”
I almost throw up at the thought.
“It wouldn’t have been a good match.”
“No shit, Isabella. He was a rapist.”
“I know. That’s what I meant.”
“You’re acting weird.”
“How so?”
“You’re all… into this. And last summer you were a hot, drunk mess just thinking about this year.”
She shrugs. “I’m happy with you. And I do love Cooper in my own way. So.” She shrugs again. “I’ve come to terms with my situation.”
Is she for real right now? Or is this an act just in case people are watching us?
I can’t tell.
Nothing makes sense anymore. And it seems like every time I get used to a big change and settle in—like with buying the inn and getting on board with Dante’s plan—something even bigger comes along. A building named in honor of my parents. A glass room at the top. And a King across a bridge that connects us. And now this. I’m going to be a sister-wife. And apparently, I will be having Cooper’s children and Isabella will be raising them.