Chapter 18
871 Words
I blanked. No words. No thoughts.
Just staring, mostly at his mouth. His annoyingly perfect mouth.
He noticed. His smirk twitched. Just a corner lifting.
He studied me in return. His gaze slid to my collar, where a blue embroidered wave marked my House.
“So. I know who you are now — Aquaris’s pathetic little cousin.”
His fingers gripped my chin, forcing it up.
“Why were you spying on me? What did you hear?”
I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t breathe.
Then, at the worst possible moment, my empty stomach growled loudly.
He burst out laughing.
Heat crept up my cheeks.
“Someone skipped dinner?”
“Dinner, lunch, and breakfast,” I snapped. “But that has nothing to do with you. I wasn’t spying. Don’t flatter yourself. I didn’t hear anything. And now I’m leaving.”
“Not so fast.”
He shoved me back against the bookshelf.
“What were you doing here so late?” he pressed.
I sighed. No point lying.
The truth was sometimes sharper than a blade.
“Reading. That’s what people do in a library. I assume you were doing the same.”
He blinked — apparently not expecting that answer.
“And what exactly were you reading?” Ray Flaming asked.
“This.” I pushed The Dragon Epic against his chest. “Try reading it sometime. You might find answers to your questions. Now let me go. I’m leaving.”
“I decide if you leave or not. In different case…”
“What?” I cut him off.
This wasn’t going anywhere good. With my temper and his fire this library didn’t stand a chance.
He leaned closer.
“You’ll regret ever appearing in this world.”
I snorted.
“Nothing new. I already do. But like I said, none of your business.”
“Ray,” Dan called from the other side. “She really was reading. There are several books open in Sector Six.”
“Thank you, Dan.”
I folded my arms.
“Ray already figured that out. And now he’ll let this pathetic little Aquaris cousin go to have dinner. Thank you, Ray. Nice to meet you.”
He turned toward his friend just the second I needed.
I darted toward the exit.
But when I touched the door handle, I yelped. It was scorching hot.
Of course.
Another arrogant heir with anger issues.
“What is wrong with you people?” I snapped. “Is it truly that hard to leave me alone? It’s not my fault you talk loud enough for half the academy to hear you. Next time, check your surroundings first if you want to discuss secret knowledge about becoming the Supreme Dragon!”
He stared straight at the back of my head.
“I just wanted to say…”
A pause.
“Thanks for the book. And nice to meet you, Ariel.”
He grabbed the burning handle, opened the door and walked out. Dan followed, giving me an odd little smile on the way.
My stomach growled again. Loudly.
It was already dark outside. I must’ve spent at least eight hours in that library.
No point looking for a cafeteria now. Everything was surely closed.
So I headed for the dorms.
By the time I returned to my room, I finally understood just how hungry I was.
Aria still wouldn’t answer me, and sharp cramps twisted my stomach until I could barely stand.
I took a shower, hoping the hot water would help, but it didn’t.
My stomach growled again, loud and pitiful.
I decided to go to bed and pray sleep would dull the maddening ache of hunger.
But I hadn’t even settled under the blanket when someone knocked on my door.
Probably Lida, I thought. Who else would knock so late?
Without suspicion, I got up and opened the door and froze.
There was no one there.
Only a tray of food.
At the sight of it, my stomach let out another desperate growl. I looked around, but there wasn’t even a shadow hinting someone had been here.
I took the tray inside.
On the small wooden tray were toast, sliced vegetables — tomatoes, cucumbers, red bell pepper — a glass of orange juice, and a little plate with a small slice of chocolate cake.
There was also a peach-colored envelope with a dark red wax seal: R.F.
I opened it.
Inside was a note. Three short sentences, written in neat handwriting with the same burgundy ink as the seal:
“Don’t skip breakfast, lunch, and dinner again, unless you want your growling stomach keeping the entire campus awake.
Enjoy your meal.
You can thank me tomorrow.
R.F.”
Of course I knew who had sent it.
If I hadn’t been so painfully hungry, I wouldn’t have touched anything on that tray.
But another cramp stabbed through my stomach.
I ate slowly, savoring every bite.
Setting the tray aside, I reread the note:
“You can thank me tomorrow. R.F.”
“Oh, I’ll thank you, alright,” I muttered. “I’ll thank you, then run after you and thank you again.”
My stomach had stopped hurting.
I lay down and fell asleep instantly.
- Writer
