Page 8 of Radiant Shadows

Ah, so that explained why Ashlyn stormed off with Jackson in tow.

“Well, give it time,” I suggested. “If it’s meant to be, things will work themselves out.”

“Like you and—”

“Can I cut in?” This time, I did recognize the voice, and my belly fluttered with joy as Tobias’s handsome face appeared beside us.

“Of course,” Niko said, withdrawing from me.

Tobias easily took his place, and Niko nodded to me before retreating through the crowd.

“The prodigal son has been relieved of duty?” I teased, curling my fingers into the hair at the base of his neck.

“Arthur got distracted by Caesar and Celeste, so I decided to slip away and deliver on the dance I promised,” he said, tightening his hold on my lower back. The heat of his hand there felt so good, making me want to feel it everywhere else.

“Just promise me you’ll make another appearance to kiss me at midnight,” I said.

His eyes heated as he smiled devilishly down at me. “Anywhere you want.”

Warmth flared at my core and spread across my flesh. “I’ll hold you to that.”

He inclined his head to kiss me, and for one brief moment, it was as if we were the only two people in this large space, the music playing just for us.

“Tobias,” a slightly familiar female voice said with a clearing of her throat.

He broke from my lips with surprising speed, and my eyes fell on the pretty face of his mother.

“Mom,” he gasped, reacting as though he’d been caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to.

And the look on her face was equally out of place, pinched slightly with concern. Was I missing something here?

“Your father will be looking for you,” she said. “He should return any moment.”

The way they looked at each other hinted at some silent understanding I wasn’t privy to.

“Right,” he said, looking more like the robotic boy I’d first met. “Thank you for the dance, Arya.” He stepped away from me and bowed before returning in the direction he’d come.

“Very nice to meet you, Arya,” Lady Dracul said, something akin to pity twinkling in her eyes before she walked away.

I slowly made my way back to the snack table, my mind boggling over that strange exchange. Why had he seemed worried about his mom seeing us together? Was there a deeper reason he had avoided me all night? What the hell was up with the Draculs?

Finally, I decided that I didn’t have the energy to contemplate those questions and that I was over this whole ball thing. I went up to my room, hoping I wouldn’t be left to bring in the new year solo.

So much bad had happened this year. Mom getting murdered, the mer bitches tormenting me, Kendall betraying me. And judging by the current state of things with this war, the next one didn’t look very promising. But that wasn’t going to stop me from trying to make the best of it. As long as vampires didn’t kill me, I’d consider that a win.

Chapter 4

Caesar

“Kai, you’ve done it again,” I whispered to myself as I marveled at the simulated snow falling from the ceiling of the Great Hall. It was obviously a trick: the “snow” didn’t stick, nor did it melt. The flakes merely disappeared before getting halfway to the floor.

Being here felt oddly surreal, and not just because of the illusory weather phenomenon. It had only been a week ago that Shea had been attacked—and ultimately told both Julian and I to fuck off. I hadn’t spoken to either of them since, and every day that passed seemed to be stretching out some invisible spring to its breaking point, the tension threatening to make me snap.

But I couldn’t reach out to her. Or rather, I didn’t quite know how. She’d told us to stay away until we figured out whatever this was. Ironically, I seemed to be the only one if this fucked up triangle that did know what they wanted. I wanted Shea. She wanted both Julian and me, and Julian couldn’t decide if he wanted Shea more than his long-dead wife.

Did she actually expect me to share her? With someone who wasn’t even sure he wanted her at all? Was it wrong of me to wish she’d resurrect Alice just so Julian wasn’t an obstacle?

I turned my mental focus away from my troubles and looked out over the crowd. Students were smiling, mingling, and singing along to the music. Some were dancing. Even a few of the teachers had decided to join in the fun—Kai was currently performing a breakdance move he’d labeled “TheRealElectricSlide,” complete with energy manipulation and rapid phasing from side to side.

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