TWENTY-NINE

IMOGEN

It’s the final Claiming ceremony before the prom and enthusiasm is high for the event of the semester.

As we walk to the dungeons, we chat with excitement about the event itself.

“I understand it will take place in the ballroom, also known as the gym.” Summer remarks, and Cassie shakes her head.

“Apparently, it’s being held in the great hall and they intend to provide break out rooms where students can relax, chat and eat?”

“It sounds cool.” I say, loving the sound of it.

“Our costumes arrived today.” Cassie nudges me. “Togas and golden masks. Mine has white feathers attached.

“I ordered gold ones.” I remember, and Siri nods.

“I went with black and Summer chose white. At least we’ll all be able to tell one another apart.”

“True.” Cassie grins. “Frankie and the guys are dressing as gladiators. I can’t wait to see him. It will suit him.”

“All of them. They’re certainly buff and could wrestle an alligator if they needed to.”

My attention turns to Siri, who smiles dreamily. “It’s so romantic. We get to dance and everything. They are even bringing caterers in and I was told the DJ is that cool one from the local radio station.”

“Who, Grayson Jones?” Summer’s eyes widen. “I love his show.”

“It will beat trudging through these tunnels for kicks.” She adds with satisfaction and Cassie chuckles.

“I don’t know, there is a certain appeal to this. I wonder if we’ll have any trouble tonight?”

“Who knows?”

We’re wondering because last time two centurions got into a fight over the same woman.

Luca and Frankie had to drag them apart and leave them to cool off in the cells.

The girls were pissed because it meant that two of them were out of the game and it got a bit heavy.

The girls are allowed back tonight, but the guys were put to the back of the line, so neither of them got the girl they chose in the end.

“Where are you tonight?” Cassie whispers, and I shrug.

“I’m with Jesse in the tunnel chamber. At least that’s what he told me.”

“But that’s where Siri and I usually are.” Cassie sighs and yells to Frankie, who is a few steps in front of us.

“Frankie, where are we tonight?”

“In my bed!” He calls back, and she yells, “You know what I mean. At the challenge.”

“Usual place.”

Cassie is confused. “You must have misunderstood Jesse, Imogen.”

I shrug. “Maybe. It doesn’t matter, anyway. At least I won’t be at the riverbank.”

Frankie drops back and immediately reaches for Cassie’s hand.

She smiles and once again I am stunned by her reaction to him. Her relationship with Frankie has surprised me more than anything because discovering she’s with a guy like Frankie would bring her father a swift heart attack.

Dark, dangerous and deadly, best sums up Frankie Majerio and the way he gazes at Cassie is nothing to how he looks at the rest of us.

Most of the time I’m scared to even look at him and along with Luca, they make a formidable pairing.

Summer and Cassie are probably the only girls in Rockwell who can handle them and, as my thought turn to Drake, I physically burn to tell Cassie my secret.

But I can’t.

I have sworn an oath of sorts, and it’s our secret. Mine and Drake’s, however, Cassie is my best friend, and I used to tell her everything. I almost hate what is happening because nothing is the same anymore and yet I wouldn’t change a thing, anyway.

I wonder what Drake is doing tonight. I wish it was me and then a heavy arm lands around my shoulder and Jesse kisses me hard on the lips.

“Hey baby, tonight’s the night.”

“The last one. Before the prom.” I add and he laughs out loud.

“If you like. Anyway, we are on tunnel duty.”

“I thought Cassie and Siri had that position.”

He winks. “I never said which tunnel.”

A sense of apprehension passes through me as I consider being stuck in a dark tunnel with Jesse.

This isn’t good—at all and I wonder if I should act.

Swap with someone perhaps, but then it would look suspicious.

I can’t even call Drake because the signal doesn’t work down here and the centurions rely on headsets rigged into a system that Ali set up to communicate.

At least we have those, so I relax a little and act interested.

“What tunnels?”

“The lower ones.”

I shiver, remembering our passage through them to the riverbank.

“Why there?”

“Because a challenger may find the secret trap doors and fall into them. Safety first baby.”

Santi calls out, “Jesse!”

He winks. “Duty calls. See you in the tunnels.”

As he leaves, Summer catches up with me. “I overheard what he said.” She frowns. “Are you okay with that?”

“I’m not sure.” I sigh. “He’s my guy, Summer. I shouldn’t be worried about being alone with him.”

“This is Jesse we’re talking about.”

“I’m aware of that, but I can’t keep on avoiding him or–”

“Sex with him.” She huffs, “Of course you can. Just because you’re a couple, it doesn’t mean you have to put out. He caught you—remember. It’s all on him to make you want to stick, not twist. If you’re not feeling it, tell Frankie and he’ll arrange a position for you somewhere else.”

“It’s fine.” I attempt to smile. “I’ll be safe and perhaps it’s what we need, anyway.”

The conversation ends as we reach the dungeon and as we head inside, a shiver of uncertainty tells me that I’m not okay with this. I don’t trust him and I certainly don’t want to get close to him because my heart has left the building and is now living somewhere else.

Perhaps now is the time to break things off. To take a step back and tell him I’m not interested. It would be for the best and I’ll just deal with the repercussions of that because I’ve never heard of a couple breaking up mid-semester who committed to one another at The Claiming ceremony.

This is a week of firsts I suppose, so my mind is made up. Jesse has already broken ties with Jenna Sloane, so I will be his friend but nothing else.