Page 30 of Soul of Shadow #1

“What the hell are you doing?” Charlie hissed as she stormed up to Elias. She kept her voice low, but she didn’t even need to. The ferocious clapping and cheering in the cafeteria drowned her out.

“Asking you to homecoming,” Elias said, gesturing wide with the giant bouquet of green and gold roses. “What does it look like I’m doing?”

“Is this some kind of joke?” She stabbed a finger at the roses. “What are these supposed to be? A self-serving homage to your own eyes? With some gold to represent the fact that you’re a royal pain in my ass?”

His grin widened. “I knew you liked my eyes.”

“Oh my—” She rubbed her forehead. “That is not what I meant.”

He waved the green-and-gold rose bouquet in her face. “So, what’ll it be, Charlotte?” he asked loudly. “Yes or no?”

“You’re going to make me answer ?” Charlie threw a look over her shoulder, where the whistling was dying down and the students were leaning in, eager to hear her response. “This is a serious ask? ”

Elias put on a faux-grim face. “I wouldn’t do this in front of the entire school if I wasn’t deadly serious.”

“But I thought you hated dances.”

He brushed his chin with his free hand, the one that wasn’t holding the bouquet. “Look. I’m doing you a favor. You need a date by the end of today, and we both know you weren’t actually going to ask anyone.”

The bottom of Charlie’s feet tingled with nerves. “Is this because of…” She glanced over her shoulder, lowering her voice even further. “Last night?”

Something bright flashed through Elias’s eyes. “I have no idea what you mean,” he said, leaning down to whisper. “This ask is the perfect excuse to keep an eye on you during the dance. Make sure that the liquor doesn’t cause you to reveal any secrets , if you know what I mean.”

She deflated slightly and immediately chastised herself for doing so. Of course this wasn’t about last night. Nothing even happened last night. Why was she even thinking about it? Why had it kept her up for half the night, had taunted her with the memory of warm flames dancing across his lips…

No , she told herself. Stop. Not only was this ask not about the lack of anything that existed between them; it was a threat . Another example of how easily he could infiltrate her life.

And yet—

Wasn’t that exactly what she planned to do? Infiltrate his life? Learn his secrets?

“ Answer! ” yelled someone in the crowd.

Several more people whistled. When Charlie looked over her shoulder, everyone was staring—and she understood why.

To everyone else, this looked like a big, romantic ask from the sexy, mysterious new guy.

Surely dozens of girls nursed crushes on him.

Surely they were furious that he was asking her , the girl who had never expressed interest in dating anyone.

Back in the entryway stood Lou and Abigail, waving and flashing thumbs-up.

Charlie sighed. If only her classmates knew the truth: that there was nothing romantic about this situation, that Elias was using this as a way to bully her into being his date, which allowed him to keep a close eye on her.

Charlie turned to Elias, who was standing with his hands wide. “Well?” he asked.

“ Hurry up and answer! ” someone else yelled. The call was followed by a round of applause and general agreement.

It pained her to do this. But Elias didn’t know the truth: he had just provided her with exactly the opportunity she needed.

Charlie pasted a huge, fake smile onto her mouth.

“Why not?”

“I need answers,” said Lou as soon as they sat down at their usual lunch table. “And money for a bagel, but that can come after.”

Charlie rolled her eyes. “There’s nothing to tell. I’m just as surprised as you are.”

“Liar, liar, secret make-outs on fire. You’ve been acting like a freak all week. And last night, Mason texted me saying you came home soaking wet and covered in mud last night. He says you made up some story about my dad.”

Charlie looked up, meeting Lou’s gaze across the table. “You were texting my brother?”

Lou waved a hand. “That’s beside the point. He’s worried about you.” She leaned in, eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Something is going on with you. We’re just waiting for you to tell us what.”

Charlie glanced over at Abigail, who nodded meaningfully. It was probably the first time Charlie had ever seen her and Lou on the same side of an argument. Shoot. Her best friends were notoriously persistent; they weren’t going to move on until they had an answer.

Drumming her fingers on her wrinkled lunch bag, Charlie thought quickly. She needed another lie. One that would appease her friends for good. She couldn’t have them nosing around right now—not when their lives were at stake.

Like a clap of thunder, the answer came to her: tell the truth.

Or tell half of it, anyway.

“Fine,” Charlie said, purposely drawing out a lengthy sigh. “You caught me.”

Lou raised her eyebrows.

Am I really going to do this?

Yes, she was.

As if admitting to a grave crime, Charlie said, “I’ve been seeing Elias.”

Lou let out a scream loud enough to shock the other tables into looking over at them. “ I knew it! ” she hollered, shaking Abigail’s shoulder. “Did I not call it, Abigail? Did I not?”

“You called it,” said Abigail, sounding genuinely impressed.

Pointing dramatically at Charlie, Lou said, “ That’s why you’ve been acting sketchy. You’ve been seeing him on the down-low. Ever since you met in the woods. Am I right?”

Charlie shrugged sheepishly.

“Wait.” Lou’s eyes widened. “Does that mean… is Elias Everhart your boyfriend ? ”

“No, it’s not…” Charlie trailed off. Her first instinct was to say no, that they were keeping things casual.

But would a casual hookup really cover an entire wall with roses to ask someone to homecoming?

Would casual hookups spend almost every night together, sneaking into the woods for hours at a time?

She already knew the answer. And she knew what she needed to say.

“Yes,” she said, voice surprisingly strong and confident. Another lie. Another burst of energy. Another piece of evidence that Charlie was not who she originally thought she was. “He is.”

Lou and Abigail squealed so loudly that Charlie buried her head in her arms.

“What’s all the ruckus over here?” said a familiar voice, and Charlie’s stomach sank.

“Well, if it isn’t the man himself,” Lou said as Charlie peered out through her fingers. “Elias Everhart, the first man to ever make our Charles an honest woman.”

Elias looked over at Charlie in surprise. Mason, who stood beside him, appeared to be in shock. Odin save her—this was humiliating. She hadn’t consulted with Elias before blurting out that he was her boyfriend. He had no say in the matter and would probably be furious with her.

“Yep,” Charlie said brightly, straightening up and folding her hands in front of her. “I was just telling them about last night. When we made things official.”

Elias’s eyebrows flew higher up his forehead than she thought possible.

God, she could barely look at him. She had blurted out the cover story about their relationship without considering that she would have to tell him about it.

That she would have to ask him to keep the ruse going.

She widened her eyes, sending him panicked internal pleas that she prayed he could somehow hear.

Please , she begged. Please go along with it.

After a long pause—far too long—the surprise dropped from Elias’s expression. His mouth spread wide in a huge grin. “That’s right,” he said, lips pursing; he seemed to be holding back laughter. “I asked her to be my girlfriend.”

She exhaled.

“Is this for real?” Mason asked, looking between them. “You’re in an actual relationship?”

“We are,” said Elias.

“But…” Mason shook his head. “But Charlie is Charlie .”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Charlie demanded.

“You don’t, you know…” He scratched the back of his head. “Date. Put yourself out there.”

When she rolled her eyes, her annoyance was genuine. “You know,” she said, “you’re not the first person to say that to me this week.”

“You know what?” Lou said. “Mason, we’ll come sit with you. Let’s give the lovebirds some space.”

“Oh,” Charlie started, panic rising, “you don’t have to—”

“We insist.” Lou winked, standing. Just before she turned away, she leaned back down and whispered, “Though I’ll take that money for a bagel, if it’s still on the table.”

Despite her panic, Charlie snorted. “It was never on the table.”

Lou pouted. “Pity. Looks like Mason will have to buy me lunch instead.

“Wait.” Mason crinkled his forehead. “What?”

“Just go along with it,” Lou sang, grabbing Abigail’s hand and pulling her away .

Mason stood there a few seconds longer, his eyes darting between Charlie and Elias. Finally, he shook his head, a small smile creeping into place. Before he left, he leaned down to whisper into Charlie’s ear. “I’m proud of you, sis,” he said. “Elias is a really good guy. A catch.”

Charlie’s stomach dipped.

He had no idea how wrong he was.

For the rest of lunch, Charlie felt like the entire school was staring at her. They stared when Elias took her hand—his palm a comfortable temperature. They stared when they bussed their trays together. They stared when Elias slung an arm over her shoulder, steering her toward the cafeteria exit.

Charlie stumbled along beside him, somewhat unsure of what to do with herself.

What was happening? Was he… leaning into this?

She had never had a serious boyfriend before.

Never even gone on a date with anyone. She had kissed a boy or two, sure, always when tipsy at a party.

But this? Walking through the cafeteria with a boy’s arm slung around her?

It was brand-new territory.

“Charlotte,” he whispered in her ear as they wove through the tables. “Did you just make me your fake boyfriend?”

She glanced nervously to the side. Then, despite herself, a small grin cracked open her lips. “I guess I did.”

“Well, then.” He smirked, pulling her closer. “Far be it from me to blow up the ruse.”