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He presses a soft kiss on my cheek. “It’s always been you, Eden. Always.”
19
Eden
Distraction. That’s what all of these moments are. I’m almost blindsided by the realization as I make my way through the day pissed and angry at myself. Ollie is always there, but he doesn’t say anything about what happened. He just continues on as if nothing out of the ordinary occurred between us.
I see what he’s doing, though. He’s making me curious. I keep looking at him. Keep remembering. Keep wondering…
Obviously, he’s fucking hot, but I’d placed him firmly in the friendship zone years ago. We’ve been friends since before crushes and feelings—way back before I even knew sex existed. His heart of gold has nearly always gotten him in trouble. Like me, he doesn’t want to be pinned down or put into a category. He wants to live freely and without regret. A part of him yearns for his family’s approval, which has led to that giant chip on his shoulder. Iknowhim. Or at least I thought I did…
“Eden…”
Alaric’s voice threads through my thoughts, unraveling my current mindset. He peers at me with a look that squeezes my heart. Sometimes, he’s just too beautiful. He has a way of putting on a face for whoever needs it. He’s got the professor thing down. He’s got the trying to be my helper thing down too.
I get caught up in looking at him, and he raises his brows. Slowly, I come to my senses. Right. We’re heading back into the Knights’ lair. There’s a Trial tonight.
Based on the postcard that Leo revealed to all of us after classes, we think the next Trial will be designed to test us physically. All I can think is an arm-wrestling competition, which is ludicrous. It’ll be far more sinister than that.
I blow out a breath, and Leo glances over his shoulder at me. He’s dressed in ripped jeans, a hoodie pulled low over his brows, making him look more dangerous than normal. It doesn’t help that it’s pitch black out as we walk across the quad toward the Knights’ building.
“Stay strong, the both of you,” Alaric orders, moving his gaze to Oliver too. “All you have to do is endure it. Whatever they ask, don’t refuse. Don’t give up. Do everything they tell you to.”
My head hurts already and I’m not even inside the building yet. Going through the Knights’ Trials sounded easier in my head. Maybe I was thinking about theSkullsmovie where they stole their competitor’s weathervane. I’m up for a little breaking and entering, but all this mind game shit is beating away at my already deteriorated mental health.
“Any words of wisdom?” Alaric asks Leo.
Leo turns, stopping our group abruptly. “Yeah. Don’t let them see that you’re scared. Understood? There’re no places in the Knights for pussies.”
O-kay, then. That was such a Leo pep talk.
A chorus of laughter makes us all turn. To my right, another group joins us. They walk under the intersecting streetlamp, and I see Anne-Marie perched on two of her guys’ shoulders, Cleopatra style. She’s beaming as if she’s on a Miss America float in the Thanksgiving Day Parade.
I roll my eyes—hard. I’m pretty sure the Knights don’t want princesses. In fact, I’m pretty sure the Knights don’t want girls at all. This is nothing but a show for them. The fact that Anne-Marie can’t see that is disturbing. She doesn’t seem to be treating this as seriously as she should. My sister died while in their grasp. It doesn’t matter if all the Knights perch Anne-Marie on their shoulders, she’ll just fall the furthest.
Idiot…
A figure standing at the Knights’ entrance lets their group inside. I don’t see who it is at first because Leo’s broad body is in the way, but then my gaze collides with Keegan Forbes’. He’s not nearly as put together as he usually is. He’s just wearing a t-shirt and jeans, his hair all over the place, and if I’m not mistaken, he needs a shower….bad.
When recognition hits him, his jaw drops. “Eden? No.” He starts forward. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
He doesn’t get very far. Leo puts a strong hand on Keegan’s chest and pushes him back against the building. “Did I say you could talk to our girl?”
Our girl?A thrill shoots down my spine at that description.
“Eden…” Keegan says again, finding me over Leo’s shoulder. It’s as if he hasn’t registered that Leo’s holding him away from me.
“What?” I spit, ignoring his bewildered look. “You think Dee was the only Astor who could hack it? It can’t be that hard. You got in.”
“Edie…”
He tries pushing through again, but Leo continues to hold him back. “It doesn’t sound like she likes you very much. I’d keep my distance. Girl’s got bite when she wants to.”
Keegan finally peers at his captor. His scared look turns disgustingly conniving. “Jarvis? You’ve got to be kidding me.” His gaze darts to mine. “You’re fucked, Eden. No one survives being close to this asshole.” He ducks under Leo’s arm and grabs my shoulders, placing his lips near my ear. “They don’t want you if they paired you with him. Don’t trust anyone. Don’t—”
In the next second, Keegan flails wildly as he falls to the ground, but he doesn’t stay down for long. Bloodshot eyes turn stormy as he stands. Alaric moves in now, putting his hands up as if to diffuse the situation. “You, too?” Keegan asks, eyes rounding. “Run, Eden. Don’t walk. Run the fuck away from here or you’re going to end up like her. You will. I fucking promise you that.”
Leo pushes Alaric out of the way and lunges again, his meaty fist connecting with Keegan’s perfect chin. I flinch at the brutality of it. I’m used to hearing about fucking people over financially and in business games. Physicality isn’t really the thing of the elites. There are plenty of ways to ruin someone’s life with only a few presses of a keyboard. Sending an incriminating photo. Email someone’s boss. Laying bare a rival’s secrets.