Page 82 of Gemini Queen
What is this, anyway? Why is he protecting me? He can’t be all that eager for our midnight rendezvous, since he’s only helping me because I bribed him with the promise of my silence about him and Ronin.
Zerxes looks annoyed, but Lucius is my headmaster and probably has dibs or something, because he waves a languid hand and sighs. “Oh, very well then. Tomorrow night. After dinner. My office. I’d advise you to come well-fortified, Ms. Gemini, since I’ve a substantial endeavor planned for your benefit—”
“She can’t do tomorrow either.” Vasili jams his hands in his pockets and shifts in his electric blue combat boots like this entire tedious affair is a dreadful bore. “Tomorrow night’s the Janus Dance. The little queen’s our newest student, and our illustrious Dean’s made her attendance compulsory.”
Zerxes studies him through narrowed eyes. “I’m well aware the Janus festivities were rescheduled for Lucius’ benefit since he was off collecting our queen in Singapore on the actual holiday. But I’m aware of no such mandate from the Dean for our new arrival.”
“Why would you be aware, darling? You’re not her headmaster.” Vasili lifts one shoulder in an insolent shrug. “If you doubt me, why not ask the old bird in the Dean’s tower yourself? If you fancy being skinned alive for questioning the great and powerful Oz, that’s entirely your affair.”
With that, my horrible snake of a housemate rudely turns his back and slithers for the door. If he had a tail, it would be rattling. “Rest assured the little queenwillbe attending the dance.”
“Yep, that’s the plan,” I agree, starting after him. Snake or no snake, right now he’s my snake, and I’m going with him.
Too bad Zerxes oozes into my path, dark robes whispering around his powerful frame.
“I’m rather tempted to state that, in that case, you’ll be attending the dance with me,” he purrs. “I do dislike to postpone any punishment for too long.”
“Sorry, but I’ve already got a date,” I manufacture hastily, just totally making shit up at this point. This whole Janus Dance is news to me, but I’m done letting these two duke it out over me without taking a few swings myself.
“With whom, yourfated mate?” Zerxes sneers. “It’s tradition at this Academy for the strongest witch to attend formal events with the strongest warlock. If your attendance is indeed compulsory, that means you’ll be attending with me.”
I just stare at the old nightmare, completely fucking appalled by the entire concept. One, I don’t know what gave him the idea I’m the strongest witch at this Academy. Two, what makes him the strongest warlock and not Lucius, or maybe even Vasili? And three, I mean, who makes rules like that? It definitely puts me at a real disadvantage in this argument since these guys both know them, but I don’t.
“Actually, that claim of arcane supremacy on your part is entirely subjective, not to mention entirely debatable,” Vasili drawls from the door. “In any event, it fails to signify.”
Zerxes whirls to savage him and all but snarls. “And why would that be, Mr. Romanov? Pray enlighten me as to preciselywhymy status as the senior warlock at this Academy fails to signify.”
Vasili lifts one arctic eyebrow. “Your status fails to signify because the little bitch is attending the Janus Dance with me.” He levels our prof with a single sweeping glance that’s bristling with aggression. “So unless you’re planning to poach my date, Bucephalus, I’d sincerely advise you to step aside.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Zara
“What the actual fuck, Vasili?” I aim my demand at his slender back as my new frenemy powers down the hall. Curious students stream past on their way to next period, and I’m not too thrilled to be trotting after Vasili Romanov like one of his numerous lackeys.
But I’m too determined to ferret out his motives to let a little social awkwardness get in my way.
“Come on, I asked you a question.” I take advantage of a momentary lightening in the corridor traffic to pull up alongside him. And I pitch my voice under the general chatter to make it private. “Why’d you help me back there?”
“Helpyou?” Vasili’s staring straight ahead as he strides along, but I can see his jaw tick. “I wasn’t helping you. I was helpingme. And all the denizens of the witching world who don’t subscribe to Bucephalus Zerxes’ fanatical monarchist manifesto.”
Well, this sounds more like the Vasili I know. Still, I’m feeling a little slow on the uptake. “How does it help you and the anti-monarchists if Zerxes doesn’t clap me in detention?”
His pretty lip curls in a sneer. “Detention.That term is a barely adequate euphemism for what Bucephalus Zerxes would truly like to do to you. Everyone in this Academy knows Cybelle was sucking his cock and doing it with Damien’s blessing. Zerxes was one of Messalina’s suitors at this school when they were both students eons ago, but she chose another mate. Now he’s determined to be one of yours.”
“One ofmine?” My gut literally curdles at the prospect. I swallow down a surge of nausea. “Um, hello. He’s, like, our prof? I thought there were rules against that sort of thing. Not to mention he’s freaking old enough to be my dad.”
“Rules? Dear God, princess, will you please wake up and look around you?” Vasili rolls his gorgeous eyes. “This Academy is so thinly staffed it’s barely functional. The Dean is nearly eighty, and she isn’t exactly deeply engaged these days in the didoes of her staff or the nuances of faculty-student relations. It’s a damn good thing this institution practically runs itself, with some reinforcement from Lucius and Agrippina, or let’s just say we wouldn’t be getting much of an education.”
Vasili shoulders ahead of me and pushes through the swinging door into the student commons, and I have to put up an arm to keep from getting smacked in the face when the door swings back. This would normally annoy me enough to say something, but he’s giving me good intel and I don’t want to distract him.
He’s making for his favorite spot, the thronelike couch under the stained glass windows he clearly owns, since I haven’t seen any other ass occupy those cushions without his say-so.
His legs are a lot longer than mine and he’s not encumbered by a great big backpack the way I am, because he doesn’t seem to bother much with schoolbooks or supplies, but I’m way more determined.
I quicken my pace to keep up. “I still don’t get why you’d give a shit if he makes a play for me at detention. You already know I’m not staying.”
“I know that’s what you’vesaid.” He slices me a narrow look that brims with hostility. “Your actions say something else entirely. You’ve barely been here a day, and you’ve already claimed your mate and practically claimed mine. Don’t even think I don’t know what you and that book-faced nincompoop just did with Ronin.”
