Page 9

Eighteen Years Old

Marlena sat in the middle of her plush bed, surrounded by old books and a fluffy white blanket. She’d finished her required schooling this past summer but hadn’t been given a break before being thrust into the next part of her life.

Preparing to take over her parents’ Curia seats… or pretending to take them over, whatever it was they were allowing her to do.

No dates had been set for her succession yet. Her parents were still young, by Tolevarre standards, and she really couldn’t imagine either of them stepping down anytime soon.

Would be nice to have a little fun while I can.

Rubbing her eyes, Marlena closed the book and tossed it to the edge of the bed. Her father had given her a week’s worth of reading to do in two days, and the words on the pages were starting to look the same.

After a meeting with her mother’s council in Amora, the family decided to host a dinner for the leaders and their families. Marlena excused herself early, retiring to her room to start on the work she surely wouldn’t finish in time.

Marlena slipped off her bed and into a pair of slippers by her nightstand. There was nothing worse than cold feet, and Amora, no matter the season, was always cold—snow almost always covered the ground.

Marlena hated it. She certainly didn’t look forward to the day she’d have to call this place her home. Not only was it cold, but the home was much smaller than the one in Stella, albeit still larger than any other home in the region.

Eventually, this house would be her home. Until my dad croaks and I can replace him.

Despite not knowing when she’d take over her parents’ seats, Marlena knew it would be her mother who would step down first. Her father would hold on to his piece of control until he was good and ready. And probably even longer than that just to piss Marlena off.

Marlena ran into no one as she shuffled her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Most of the small staff had gone home for the night, leaving the place spotless.

After flicking on a light, Marlena dug through the bar cart sitting by the window until she found what she was looking for. In a small glass, she poured herself a couple fingers’ worth of the amber liquid from her mother’s favorite maker in Imber.

If nothing else, at least she has good taste in alcohol.

Marlena licked the excess off her lips as the side door came crashing open, a gust of frozen wind whirling through the room. She jumped, startled by the intrusion.

Laughs rang through the room before Vega, Arlet, and Khort came crashing into the room on wobbly legs.

“Mar!” Vega squealed, running over to her sister and trampling her in a hug. “I definitely thought you were going to be asleep.”

Marlena patted her on the shoulder, peeling Vega off while fighting the uncomfortable feeling washing over her from being touched. She’s your sister.

The smell of booze whacked Marlena in the nose, and it wasn’t coming from the fresh glass she’d poured herself. “Are you drunk?”

Arlet giggled, and Khort raised his hands in surrender when Marlena’s eyes scanned him over. “I told her she should only have one glass.”

“I’m fiiiineeeeee,” she promised and smiled as innocently as she could manage. “Look.” Vega stood up straight and walked the line in the flooring. She made it to the end and spun in a circle, stumbling only a little. “My shoe stuck,” she lied with another fit of giggles to follow.

Marlena put her glass down, sighing. “Let’s get you to bed.”

Arlet butted in, slipping her arm around Vega’s shoulder. “No way. We are all off tomorrow, including you.” She pointed at Marlena. “We’re going out.”

She wasn’t off tomorrow. Marlena couldn’t remember the last time she’d gotten a break to be a normal girl her age. “I can’t.”

Khort rolled his eyes, slipping his arm around Marlena’s shoulder like Arlet’s was draped over Vega’s. “Yes, you can. And you are.” He pulled her down the hall towards her and Vega’s bedrooms.

She dug her heels into the floor like that would stop Khort from picking her up and carrying her the rest of the way. He flung her over his shoulder, and she pounded on his back. “Put me down, you behemoth!”

He did, in her bedroom, where Vega was already sprawled out on the bed, her shoes leaving dirt marks on her blanket.

Arlet rummaged through her closet, throwing pieces of clothing onto the once-clean floor after she examined them. “Do you not have anything in here that shows off your boobs?” she asked, throwing a turtleneck sweater to the growing pile with her lip snarled in disapproval.

Marlena swatted at Vega’s dirty boots on her bed, ignoring Arlet’s question.

Vega swung her legs to hang them off the side as she sat up.

“I cannot go out. I have so much reading to do.” She pointed to the books scattered around Vega on the bed, her eyes scanning over the selection from Littera that wasn’t on her parents’ required reading list. They can’t know.

Her and Vega had never talked about it again after their day in Littera.

Vega’s attention span lasted a whole hour before she was off making friends with one of the archive’s students.

Marlena extended her string of invisibility to the books, hiding them from sight—an ability that wasn’t common for those with the power of invisibility.

“Mom and Dad are gone for the night. They’re staying with Khort’s parents up the mountain.” Vega nodded towards Khort as if to say, Ask him.

“It’s true.” Khort nodded.

“Ah-ha!” Arlet jumped, nearly having to climb over the pile of clothes she’d ripped from their hangers.

She held up a bright red, skintight mini dress.

A dress Marlena would never, ever be allowed to wear…

but had in the back of her closet for the day she was brave enough to defy her mother’s strict dress code.

Khort whistled, barking like a dog— fucking shifters —as Vega raced across the room to get a better look.

“Oh my gods!” Vega chirped, emphasizing the last word. “You have to wear this!”

Marlena snatched the dress from them, squishing it against her chest. “Absolutely not!

…was what she had said, and yet somehow now she was dressed and braving the cold to go to a party she didn’t want to go to.

Vega was popular—she had friends outside of the two who were always around. Marlena had three.

Despite what her parents might otherwise think.

People their age didn’t extend the same kindness to Marlena that they did Vega… and she was fine with that. Future le aders couldn’t mingle the way others could. But a party where she was certain to not be able to avoid them? Dreadful.

They crammed into a small vehicle driven by one of the guards keeping watch over the house while their parents were away. It didn’t take much to convince him to drive them and then keep quiet about the whole thing with Vega batting her eyelashes and wiggling her hips like a puma set to pounce.

The party’s music could be heard from nearly a block away, and when they pulled up to the sprawling vista home, Marlena noticed a few familiar faces walking up to the home’s front door.

“One hour. That’s it. And then we’re gone,” Marlena reminded, meeting each of their gazes as they nodded their agreement.

Everyone scrambled out of the vehicle, leaving Marlena to talk to their guard. “Wait here. We won’t be long,” she said, and then followed up the stairs.

The music from the band rattled her chest, vibrating the pictures on the wall as they walked into a packed-tight entryway. Vega and Arlet took off towards the kitchen with Khort in tow.

Marlena hung back, taking in her surroundings. She’d never been to a party like this. Any she’d attended were organized events, with ball gowns and a full string quartet—and of course, her parents looming around every corner to keep an eye on every single move Marlena made.

A man with a thick beard who smelled like pine and mint came up behind her, laying a hand on her shoulder. “Let me take your coat.” He was Amora-born—his beauty unlike anything she’d ever seen.

Marlena hesitated, unsure if she was able to trust the stranger.

“Come on, gorgeous. Don’t be shy.”

She slipped the coat off one arm, revealing an exposed shoulder in her tiny red dress. Marlena watched as a few heads turned in her direction when the coat came all the way off.

The man hung it up, then winked at her as he disappeared into the crowd of people.

Marlena wandered into the kitchen, where partygoers mingled in groups. In the middle, around the island, were her sister and friends, tipping back what most definitely wasn’t their first shot of the night.

Arlet caught her eye, and her smile lit up her face. “Your turn!” she cried happily, passing Marlena a shot of clear alcohol in a small glass.

“Don’t think. For once, just do!” Vega held her own glass up, tapping Marlena’s with a tink. She threw her head back and downed the liquid, following up with a sour face and a back and forth shake of her head.

Marlena followed suit, but the burn of the alcohol didn’t bother her.

She couldn’t feel much these days…

The band began playing a song everyone knew, and the room cleared out, leaving the four of them to pour one more.

“To pulling Marlena out of her perfect little bubble.” Khort held his arm up, waiting for the rest to join.

Marlena was last to raise her glass, finally caving when Arlet waggled her brows like a tease and said, “Scaredy cat.”

They knocked the drink back, and before Marlena could fully set the glass down, Arlet grabbed her by the hand and dragged her to the makeshift dance floor.

Song after song, they danced. With each other, with strangers. A set of silky-smooth arms wrapped around the back of Marlena and slid down the curves accentuated by her dress. The alcohol had taken over, leaving Marlena’s head with a new, exciting buzz.

Thoughts of her parents and what would happen if they found out about this party were absent from her mind, and so were the worries she had about the work she wasn’t getting done tonight.