House of Mages and Raven (Shades of Ruin and Magic #4)

Chapter 15

15

Barbie

I was late for lunch, which was out of character. Despite my hunger, I didn’t have an appetite. Grace had gone to every class I was attending and never stopped yapping about the chaos prince and his demon queen’s epic love, and the prince’s interest in her as well.

In every class, everyone worshiped the ground she walked on. The underdogs had shifted to her side. Even our tight circle of underdog geeks joined her. Bea was giving them evil eyes all morning.

“I can’t believe it!” Bea said as we traipsed along the cobbled path toward Jubilee Haven. “You were gone only a week, and they abandoned you just like that.”

“People are fickle,” I said. “A week is a long time, my friend. And I wasn’t just gone. I was tossed into the dungeon, worried about being assassinated. Then I was kicked out of the House of Chaos. Everyone now sees me as a sinking ship and an undocumented immigrant and criminal, who is out of favor with the heir of the House of Chaos.”

Bea’s jaw clenched. “You still have the other princes’ support.”

“Do I?” I laughed without mirth.

Most likely, they’d all started to chase Grace while I was in the dungeon. She had my looks minus my bad attitude.

At least we got attitude, Sy objected.

“Let her have all of them,” I said. “Let her take all the responsibility and see how long she lasts when they crash down on her.”

I’d started the underdogs campaign in the spur of the moment. I’d never meant to set myself up as a leader. I wasn’t its owner, though I’d vowed to protect the realm. So why did it matter who was leading the underdogs? As long as the underprivileged were treated fairly, I had no issue with handing the reins over to Grace.

Congratulations, Grace, you’re popular.

You don’t congratulate our enemy! Sy said.

Bea and I stepped into Jubilee Haven side by side. I took in the scene right away. Grace was at the table next to the heirs’, surrounded by elite students and some of my geek friends, enjoying being admired. I had to give it to her—she’d done the impossible by uniting the two classes under her banner.

As soon as I strolled in, the crowd stopped their chatting and turned their heads toward the entrance, as if they sensed a predator walking in. A flash of guilt passed over Jinx and Wyatt’s faces when they spotted me. The next moment, they’d already turned back to gaze upon Grace, eagerly waiting for a nod from her.

They’d openly chosen the Princess of the Underworld over me. She was their security blanket, and with her, even the underdogs had leveled up. In Mist of Cinder, gaining more power was everyone’s unending pursuit. I’d thought that I couldn’t care less, but the betrayal still stung. But what else did I expect? From the moment I’d stumbled upon this realm, I’d learned that the foundation of this place was to pursue power at all costs, and the strong had every right to stomp on the weak. I’d once dreamed of shaking up their system and defending those who couldn’t defend themselves. I was na?ve. In the end, only power had changed hands.

You can’t save everyone, Sy said, crossing her claws over her big boobs, and not everyone is worth saving. People are stupid.

Bea glared at our former geek friends, but they didn’t even see her. They were hungry to hear insider tales from Grace’s mouth. When the underdogs were with me, I’d never shared any bits of info regarding any heir, not even to Bea most of the time. Despite constantly running my mouth in serious settings, I was a private person.

“She doesn’t care about those spineless, faithless fools,” Bea said bitterly. “She’s only using them so she can turn everyone against you. When she doesn’t need them as pawns, she’ll toss them away like bags of garbage, and they’ll deserve every bit of it.”

“What else can she do to me?” I asked. My friend was overprotective. “It’s not like others haven’t tried to put me in my place, or kick me out, or even kill me.”

“You don’t understand,” Bea said. “They’re now trying a different strategy. This is a PR war. When she’s done with you, no one will remember all your good work. And you’ll be an utter nobody that no one will glance at twice.”

I smiled at her. “I’m okay with that, my friend. I was a nobody when I got here. I never want to be famous. A low profile suits me well.”

Though I had a feeling that lying low was a luxury that I didn’t have, not in any corner of the universe, coming from the bloodline of Ruin.

“I’m not okay with it!” Bea spat. “We’ve worked too hard for someone else to pluck the fruits of our labor like that.”

Bea might’ve been exiled along with her family when she was a child, but she was still a supernatural born in Mist of Cinder. She’d been weak and treated as such due to her magic being blocked, but now she was among the strong, and her ambition had also soared with the jump in her power grade.

Money could change a person. Power could corrupt anyone. It hadn’t corrupted Bea and taken away her loyalty to me, but she was no longer the low witch who was used to cowering in the face of a bully.

“I say we strike back before she gains an even bigger fanbase,” Bea said. The underdog campaign had made my once-timid friend a bulldog. “I won’t allow her to replace you like this and reduce you to a pale shadow of yourself.”

“No one can make me their shadow,” I said. “The best move is to make no moves at all. I’m all for winning without fighting, which is the gist of The Art of War by Sun Tzu.”

I’d never studied Sun Tzu; I just threw a few of his quotes around to appear cool.

Bea gave me a look of disbelief. “That’s not the art of war. That’s laziness.”

We slid along the aisle toward our usual seats in the corner.

“Anyway, I won’t roll over, not even for you, Barbie!” Bea barked. “If I have to fight alone, I will, to the bitter end.”

“I don’t want you to fight to the bitter end,” I said. The bitter end was for me, not for my friends. I’d prevent it with all my power. “Sun Tzu also advised to draw your enemy out to force them to give up their advantage. What if our opponents are trying to draw me out?”

“Let me think on it,” she said, flipping her blue hair over her shoulder. “We need to be smart.”

“Right now, I just want a hot meal,” I said as we reached our table, which was empty, since our former circle was now busy kissing Grace’s ass.

Before I perched my butt on the edge of the seat, the hall turned so silent that the drop of a pin could be heard. I whipped my head toward the entrance just as Killian strolled in with Queen Lilith, her elegant fingers possessively wrapped around his forearm.

My stomach instantly flopped, a twist of nausea surging from my belly to my head. The next second, my eyes were on fire as raging thoughts filled my mind. I had to fight every primal urge to charge them from where I was, and Sy’s goading didn’t help, either.

She’s pawing at our man! she bellowed, her golden eyes burning. You need to go and slice off her fingers!

A partial shift came over me, and my hands turned to claws. Biting my cheek and tasting the rusty tang of my blood, I reined Sy and myself in and shoved my hands into the pockets of my uniform jacket to hide them, only for the sharp tips of our claws to pierce the fabric. Luckily, no one spared me a glance, as the entire assembly was fascinated by the queen and her prince beau.

The perfect golden couple was a sight to watch and outshone everyone else.

Killian wore a dark shirt and black slacks that showed off his perfect, masculine physique. Despite his betrayal, his striking face still stole my breath away. His storm-blue eyes were cold yet alluring. The chaos prince was pure sin, especially with those carnal lips, which had once licked my tender flesh and offered me pleasure. Now they tugged up in a faint smile for another woman, the one who had come before me and staked her claim.

Queen Lilith wore a sports shirt with dark jeans, appearing chic and modern, even though she was probably among the most ancient immortals. Her golden hair was two shades darker than mine. The last time I’d seen her as her captive in the Underworld, her hair had draped to her ankles. Now it was much shorter and flowed down to her shoulders. She looked only a couple of years my senior.

Her pose was regal, her gait graceful and confident. Her green eyes sparkled with delight as she tilted her head to gaze at Killian. She was taller than most men, and he was still taller than her. Her every pore radiated perfection, matching his icy, hard beauty.

They said that she’d once been a bright star in the galaxy before she fell. No one knew why she’d fallen. Even so, she was still the brightest fallen star that now ruled the Underworld and had claimed the most powerful heir.

Jealousy seared me.

No one shines brighter than us, not even a star, fallen or not, Sy said with utter confidence and superiority. Unleash your goddess glory and show everyone. Show the prince who we really are, and then we can take him right back while shoving your boot into his former bitch’s mouth.

I was never as aggressive as Sy when it came to men and sex. I never bothered to assert my dominance unless I was cornered, then I rose to the challenge and stopped playing nice.

I dropped into my seat and hunched my shoulders—much to Sy’s displeasure. Even so, the chaos prince still whipped his gaze to me right way. It happened every time; he could always single me out amid the crowd without even trying. It hadn’t changed, even with his betrothed queen by his side.

Electricity crackled in the air, burning a path between us, even though there were hundreds of students and dozens of tables in the way. His eyes lit up, even softening and warming for a second, before they turned cold and merciless again. The chaos prince averted his gaze, yet the air still buzzed with electricity between us.

He’s calling you to him, Sy said. Go push the other woman out of the way.

Sy’s strategy was always straightforward and to use blunt force. In her book, there was no such thing as consequences. I kept my dark flame at bay so I wouldn’t dive into an unnecessary fight and make a fool out of myself, or worse.

Queen Lilith turned her head, noticing her fiancé’s swift attention to me, her green gaze piercing me like a wintery blade. Her power of the Underworld lashed out, heading straight to me, ready to sever the connection between the prince and me.

Killian moved, but the queen wheeled just as fast as him and placed herself between him and me before he could block her, her unholy power making its way toward me like an unstoppable wind. Gasps rose in the hall as everyone felt its potency, even though they weren’t even the target. The students groaned and rubbed their arms as if their muscles and bones hurt. Grace looked in my direction, a smirk on her full lips, as she waited for me to squirm.

I put my chin on the heel of my palm to appear indifferent while simultaneously erecting a solid shield in front of Bea. I allowed the power of the Underworld to hit my chest, right in the center, just to show her that I could take her bitch power with my tits up.

Tits up! Sy cheered.

Yet I flinched inwardly at the terrible weight of her power crashing into me like a loaded bus. My knees buckled; it was a good thing I’d sat down. With Sy’s selfless assistance, I soon recovered and straightened.

The demon queen quirked a brow, appearing cool, and I smirked coldly, daring her to toss her signature hellfire at me. I would then show her that my darkest flame was hotter and more lethal than her hellfire. I wasn’t feeling rational at the moment.

“Come, beloved,” Killian said to her, spinning the queen toward him and escorting her to the stairs that led to the heirs’ table and thrones.

The blood drained from my face. A new wave of pain knifed my middle at his endearment. Sy still urged me to attack and take Killian for myself.

Why would I want to fight for a male who doesn’t want me? I snarled. Fuck off, Sy.

She clamped her mouth shut, as she’d never seen me like this, and this pain was mine alone. Sy couldn’t take my emotional pain into her.

Queen Lilith lifted her radiant face toward the chaos prince, her eyes brimming with satisfaction, her attention diverting from me. I no longer mattered. The royal couple fell into an easy chat, and everyone moved out of their path, gazing upon them in awe. The prince’s and the queen’s entourage and guards parked themselves at the foot of the stairs as their masters continued up toward their table on the second-floor balcony.

Killian’s final answer to whom he belonged to slammed into my face again. While I felt numb, cold, drained, and empty, Sy raged on, her mouth foaming.

“You okay, Barbie?” Bea put her hand on my shoulder in support. “You look pale. How about I go get you five burgers and three banana milkshakes?”

I nodded my thanks, not able to utter a word.

Bea darted me another concerned look. “I’ll be right back,” she assured me, and left our lonely table.

I slumped deeper into my seat, trying not to hug myself, as I didn’t want to give my enemies the satisfaction. Yet from across the space, I could feel Grace’s smug gaze pinning me down.

From my vintage point, I could catch glimpses of part of the balcony. The chaos prince and his intended lounged on the comfortable chairs half circling a golden table adorned with runes. I wondered if he would recognize the magical handprint I’d left on the center of the table when the other princes forced me to dance for them. It hadn’t been that long ago, and the chaos prince had wanted me with such a smoldering need. Now even the echo of his vanished passion hurt my chest.

Queen Lilith leaned toward Killian, whispering something to him. He nodded, yet I could feel the tension in his shoulders. He never spared me another look. Just then, Grace sauntered toward the stairs, and the guards bowed and let her pass. She bounced up and joined the royal couple. She gave Killian a sultry smile, as if asking permission to sit on his lap. She settled in by perching on the chair on his other side. Her entire body turned to him as she chirped like a happy bird and gazed up at him through her thick lashes that looked like mine. Queen Lilith spared her ward and her boyfriend an indulgent look, and a faint smile ghosted his lips at something Grace said.

They’d said he was colder than ice. They’d said he didn’t smile. That had changed when I came into his life. I’d thought I was special to him, that I could make him laugh, but now his smile that no longer reversed for me extended to my doppelg?nger.

A foolish part of me still hoped that he would show me that our past meant something and I wasn’t dirt to him. But that hope slipped from my fingers faster than sand from an hourglass, as he was obviously enjoying his two women.

The new reality sank its claws into my bones. The chaos prince had fucked me. And now he’d gotten me out of his system and moved on.

We’re being replaced, Barbie, Sy said quietly and bitterly. Men are flighty. Now I’m not sure if I can trust my sugar Rowan either.

My world crumbled further as I watched Grace lay her hand on Killian’s muscled forearm, and he let her. I was no longer the only other woman who could touch the forbidden fruit. My doppelg?nger could touch him just fine without being burned.

During the potion class, Bea had tried to calm me down by saying that Grace had been lying about the chaos prince’s affection for her. Now I’d seen it with my own eyes, and that nailed the coffin all the way sealed.

Even Sy stopped pushing me to take back the chaos heir, though she raged within me and helplessly tried to mend my cracked heart.

The chaos prince stole a glance my way, as if he couldn’t help it, before he looked away. A muscle twitched in his jaw before his expression darkened and hardened. He must’ve seen the spitting fire and utter disdain smoldering in my eyes.

The queen leaned in to kiss him, but somehow, he turned his face before her lips found a purchase on his, and her mouth ended up alighting on his jaw.

He didn’t look in my direction again, as if I no longer existed.

My heart bled, as I knew it in my bones that we were done through and through.

Sy offered her strength to support me. He isn’t the only dick in the ocean, and his dick isn’t even that big.

The fact was it was massive, but I wasn’t in the mood to counter her.

I’m here, Barbie, she continued to comfort me. And look at the big lunch your witch friend is bringing for you.

I couldn’t stay here. I wouldn’t be able to eat without throwing up. I didn’t care if the masses saw me as a loser. I had to get the fuck out of here before I lost my shit.

I should never have gotten involved with the cruel chaos prince. If I hadn’t trusted him, then fallen for him, I wouldn’t have given a fuck about him and his other women, and my insiders wouldn’t have felt being torn apart.

What a mess I was, but who was I going to blame other than myself?

I rose from my seat. I wouldn’t even wait for my only friend to come to me.

Wind and power swirled in from the entrance, and the vampire prince trotted in as if he owned the whole place.

Louis’s blue gaze found me across the expanse of the hall, zooming in on me, hungry and heated.