Page 25 of In Between Darkness

“In Penn school, but I didn’t make a habit of it.”

My body starts to feel heavy, and I sink into the sofa. Wow, that stuff is potent. I brush my fingers through my hair as I submit to the feeling. I haven’t been drunk since I got my acceptance letter from Sun Sovereign.

“What else don’t I know about you?” River asks, intrigued.

“Well, what do you wanna know?” I smile cheekily in his direction.

“What happened to your eye?” Isaiah questions, interrupting mine and River’s gaze. I realise that the hair disguising my bruise has become misplaced.

“One word. Alex Rotherman.” I wag my index finger in the air.

“That’s two words,” River laughs, pushing my hand back down. He offers me another shot, and I slosh it down me.

“Are you the one who snapped that kid’s leg in two?” the blonde girl asks with wide eyes. “I’m Hayley, by the way.”

My vision is becoming positively blurred, and my cheeks are getting hotter.

“How did you know about that?” I question.

“My friend is a healer. She was in Miss Aloe’s class when Alex came in,” she explains. “You got him pretty good.”

“And you don’t wanna see her with a knife,” River butts in, and Hayley raises her eyebrow.

“I can see why River likes you.”

I blush at the thought of him liking me and smile at River. He is very cute. A door comes into my view from across the room.

“What’s through there?” I ask, taking another sip of my drink.

“No one goes through there,” Jaxon says with a serious tone, pouring himself another drink.

“Not unless you want to become Moon food,” Ty chimes in.

“That leads to Moon Castle?” I question, curiosity playing on my lips. Shit! I almost forgot I have to meet Ryder soon.

“Yeah. Leads you to a long-ass tunnel,” Ty replies.

“I heard that the last person to go down there never came out,” Hayley says ominously before shaking it off. “Give me a hit of that char root,” she gestures to Ty and takes a long puff.

The group starts talking among themselves, and River looks over at me.

“You look really lovely tonight.” He brushes my hair behind my ear. No Gifts this time.

The feeling of alcohol rushes through my body. He is rather gorgeous. Our eyes interlock for a moment, but for some reason,there are no feelings of lust. No butterflies. Not like when I was withhim.

“I should probably go and check on Nala,” I say, breaking eye contact with River and getting up off the sofa. Wow. I’m drunk. The blood rushes to my head as I stumble a little, reaching out to steady myself on the corner of the sofa.

“Of course. I’ll be waiting here for you,” River smiles.

He’s so darn sweet. I wait to feel the flutter arise in my stomach, but I feel nothing.

I make an effort to compose myself and try to walk in a straight line out of the office and back to the rest of the party. I take a mental note of where the bookcase with the secret door is and scan the room for Nala. There she is. I feel my way through the crowds, stumbling occasionally before mentally picking myself up again. I pass the basins of liquor on the way. I reach Nala and Charlie dancing in the corner.

“Ashaaaaaaaa,” Nala slurs at me with excitement.

“Nala!” I open my arms out to receive her in a hug. She hangs on to me, and I have to steady myself on the wall.

She pulls my hair away from my ear and leans in close. “Me and Charlie are gonnado ittonight!” A giggle teases out of her lips.