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“What’s funny?” Bear asked.

“Your dad’s a Warden here,” D.C. explained after her amusement settled. “He’s known about me for years, but when he learned we’d become friends, I made him promise to keep it secret until I found a way to tell you myself.”

“He was probably concerned we’d all run into each other tonight,” Alex guessed, smiling at the thought of poor William having to keep D.C.’s identity to himself. “I bet you were late because he was stalling, keeping you away as long as possible so you would miss Dix’s big entrance at the beginning of the party.”

“Why were you so worried about our reactions?” Jordan asked D.C., looking genuinely perplexed.

“I just didn’t want you to be all weirded out or act differently around me,” D.C. said, blatantly ignoring Alex’s ‘I told you so’ expression.

“Are you kidding? You already behaved like a princess before, now I can legitimately call you that!” Jordan said, grinning.

D.C.’s face fell. “You can’t tell anyone. Please, Jordan. There’s a reason people don’t know who I am. I just want to be ‘D.C.’, not ‘Princess Delucia’, especially at the academy.”

“Hey, relax,” Jordan said, pulling her in for a side-hug. “Your secret’s safe with us.”

Bear nodded his agreement and D.C.’s expression lightened.

“So, this is a birthday, right?” Jordan said. “Does that mean there’s cake?”

“It sure does,” D.C. answered. “And lots of it.”

Jordan bowed with a flourish and held out a hand. “Then lead the way, Your Highness.”

“I’ll go get those drinks from earlier,” Alex offered. “Second time lucky.”

“Do you want company?” Bear asked.

Knowing he was more interested in the cake option, she let him off the hook. “I’m good, thanks. I’ll meet up with you all in a minute.”

Alex headed across the middle of the ballroom, lost in her thoughts about the past half hour and oblivious to her surroundings. She was startled when a hand grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her into an uncomfortably tight embrace.

“What a fortunate surprise.”

Her heart leapt into her throat momentarily before her panic quickly turned into annoyance.

“I can’t say the same for you, Marcus,” Alex said, trying to wriggle free from his grasp.

“Be still, Alexandra. You don’t want to cause another scene, do you?” Marcus hissed into her ear. “Why don’t you dance with me instead?”

Without waiting for a response, he tightened his grip and forced Alex into a stiff waltz.

“You’re a stubborn little thing, aren’t you?” he said, keeping a fake smile plastered to his face even when she deliberately stomped her spiky heel on his foot for the third step in a row.

“The word ‘stubborn’ has such negative connotations,” Alex said. “I like to think of myself as determined.”

“You’re certainlydeterminedto make my life more difficult than it needs to be, I’ll give you that,” Marcus said. “We never did get to finish our New Year’s Eve discussion, you know. And your mind remains silent to me. I don’t like unsolved mysteries.”

She tried to shrug, but he was holding her too tight. “I don’t like to wear running shoes without socks, but you know what they say. When life gives you lemons…”

Marcus clenched his jaw and his eyes narrowed. “You don’t seem to understand the predicament you’re in. I have questions that only you can provide the answers to—and youwillanswer them, Alexandra, one way or another. Unfortunately, I have no easy way to spirit you out of here, not after your humiliating display earlier. Every single guard in this place has their eyes locked on you as if they’re waiting for a repeat of your imbecilic behaviour.”

“Imbecilic, huh?” Alex said. “Ouch, Marcus. That hurts.”

“You need to stop testing my patience,” he said through gritted teeth.

She returned his glare. “Andyouneed to let me go before I deliver that encore performance you’re so worried about.”

“You can make a scene all you want—as soon as we’re gone from here.”