Page 10

TEN

Inside, the castle was even more magnificent than it appeared from the outside. The large doors were gilded, as were the sconces on the wall beside it. Almost as if standing guard, on either side of the door were two enormous marble sculptures depicting handsome men with square jaws and aristocratic noses. The golden name plaques underneath proclaimed the one on the left was Mirror Academy's founder, Sir Reginald Lustro, and the one on his left was his son, Sir Reginald Lustro II. The two looked so similar they could have been twins, or maybe even the same person. Like a vampire living through the centuries, pretending to be his own descendant. If vampires actually existed, of course, though Eden knew very well that they didn't, at least not outside of books.

More likely, this was what happened when aristocrats married second cousins, and even first cousins, to keep the bloodline pure, like the Lustros likely had.

Eden followed the other girls through the large entrance chamber, and then to the right, and into the grand ballroom.

At the far end of the ballroom was a raised dais, where a man sat on a throne-like chair, overseeing everything. Someone must have had a word to his ancestors about the evils of inbreeding, because while he was the most likely candidate for the latest incarnation of Reginald Lustro Number X, he didn't look a thing like the statues out the front.

"Ugh, that's Craig Tremotino, the slimiest, sleaziest master this castle has ever known. If the tales are true, he's a bastard, too, born on the wrong side of the blanket to get the Lustro name, but when the castle came up for sale, he managed to rustle up enough money to buy it. He was planning on moving into the Academy and turning the castle into a fancy hotel, only the headmistress signed a lifetime lease with the last Lustro to live here, and he couldn't evict her. I'm surprised he hasn't tried to poison her, or hire a hitman to take her out. He can certainly afford it. He bribed some magazine to name him bachelor of the year, would you believe. I sure can't," Arwen said with a flip of her dark hair.

Rosalind giggled. "Looks like Candace believes it, though. She's turning on all the charm for him tonight."

Eden wanted to laugh, too. Of course Candace would want to catch the richest man in the room. Now if Candace didn't return to the Academy tonight and everyone said she'd gotten married in a whirlwind romance, Eden would have no trouble believing it. In fact, she even wished Candace luck. The Academy without her would be a much pleasanter place for everyone.

As Eden watched, it looked like her wish was already coming true – the lord of the manor had risen from his throne to take Candace's hand, while she curtsied so low, her skirt puddled on the floor, making the puff of petticoats rise up like beer foam about to overflow. Luckily, Candace wasn't one to humble herself for more than a moment, and the skirt popped back into shape as she rose to her full height, before any damage was done.

Tremotino led her out into the centre of the ballroom, where couples spun on the dance floor like the mechanism of some intricate, enormous clock. Eden was dizzy just looking at them. Maybe if she'd attended more dance classes, she might remember or even recognise the steps, but right now, she was glad of her ignorance. If she wasn't dancing, she could spend her time canvassing the room for donations.

On the edges of the ballroom were small tables where those who shared her distaste for dancing or simply couldn't get a partner clustered, looking bored or wistful. Between the tables, servants milled about with trays of champagne and canapes.

Just as Eden reached for a glass, she caught a glimpse of silver-blonde hair. Diana's name formed on her lips, only a moment before the crowd parted and she realised the hair belonged to a man and not her friend at all.

He looked only a few years older than Eden, as he tucked that unusual hair under the crown of his costume. He was dressed like Prince Charming, in a sort of faux military uniform that emphasized his broad shoulders and narrow waist. His expression definitely wasn't charming, though – he looked more annoyed than anything. Nothing like Diana at all, whose perpetual smile lit up any room.

Wherever Diana was now, Eden sure hoped she had plenty to smile about. Because if whoever had taken her was making her miserable, Eden would make sure he had hell to pay for it.

She half wished Prince Less-Than-Charming was the man responsible. He was the most ridiculously handsome man she'd ever seen, even with a half-snarl on his face, and judging by the stares he was getting, every other woman in the room thought so too. Even Candace's gaze had been dragged away from the master of the house, which he didn't seem too pleased about, either.

Whoever he was, he was about to get mobbed by women wanting to dance with him, so Eden turned her attention to the men clustered around the tables. Men with more money than sense or social skills, who'd be so gratified to get any girl's attention, they'd jump at the chance to talk to her, even if it meant funding hers and Diana's animal sanctuary.

That's what she was here for, after all, she told herself. Not attaching herself to the hottest or even the richest guy in the room, like Candace.