If possible, Delmare’s frown sunk lower. “My mom was gone most of the time. But let’s not talk about it. I bet Poland was amazing, huh, Em?”
Delmare’s sour mood threw me off, but I said, “Uh, yeah. Krakow was beautiful. I wish I had more time to enjoy it.”
I’d had to rest a lot in the hotel room in Krakow, because I hadn’t been feeling well. But I didn’t tell my friends yet— they still didn’t know I was sick, and it still didn’t feel like the right time to “come out” to them about it. Ethan was the only person in our friend group I’d told. I was worried they’d treat me differently once they found out I had a disease.
Though I couldn’t conceal it much longer. I was getting worse by the day.
Delmare settled into her chair. “I think we have to get down to brass tacks, ladies. A lot went down at the ball and the King’s Contest last month. So, what are we doing about it?”
Kiara got up to close the door to the parlor room. I lowered my voice and said, “The plan hasn’t changed. We need to keep quiet.”
“Bull,” Delmare snapped. “We overheard Gabby and Elijah confess to killing Professor Waldron. Even without evidence, if we tell the Arcanea Alliance they did it, it might be enough to convince the Circle to take away Gabby and Elijah’s win.”
The Circle was Malovia’s governing force, second only to the authority of the king and queen. But I was wary about going to them. “That’s not going to work. Lady Korva is in the Circle. She’ll do anything to get her son off a murder charge. Most likely, it’ll come back on us,” I said.
“We at least need to tell Ethan,” Odette said. “He’s Elijah’s biggest rival.”
I clutched my tea. “I know. But I don’t think we can.”
“Why not? We agreed not to say anything to the boys until the King’s Contest was over. And, well... it’s over,” Kiara said. “What’s holding us back?”
I held my breath. I’d told everyone that Gabby had been threatening me; though I didn’t quite explain why. The girls didn’t know Ethan was the Phantom... but maybe I could trust them with the bare bones of what I knew.
I had to tell someone. I couldn’t carry this burden on my own. So to keep Ethan safe, I’d just modify the facts.
“We can’t tell anyone about the murder because Gabby knows we overheard her,” I started. “She cornered me this morning. She told me if we turn her in for Professor Waldron’s death, she’ll kill Ethan.”
The girls let out outraged gasps. Odette’s hand covered her mouth. Kiara asked, “Are you serious?”
“That fricking bitch,” Delmare cursed under her breath.
“Yes,” I said. “She isn’t kidding around.”
“She can’t touch Ethan! Even though he lost, he’s still the prince regent!” Odette cried.
“She has power, though,” Kiara mused. “And now that she’s going to be future queen, she could get away with it.”
“So we’re just going to have to keep lying to the boys?” Odette whined. “This doesn’t seem fair.”
I took a heavy breath. “It’s not fair. But the more the boys know, the more danger they’re in. We have to keep this between ourselves. At least until we find a way to deal with Gabby. And you guys can’t tell Ethan she bullied me like this. He’ll lose his fucking mind.”
Odette and Kiara nodded in unison. Delmare made a scoffing noise. “That’s putting it lightly. You tell Ethan that Gabby threatened you, he’s going to tear this palace down to get to her. That boy cannot control his temper when it comes to you.”
“Exactly. He’ll make a scene and it’ll land us in even hotter water. So this stays between us. Promise?” I asked.
“Promise,” the girls said in unison. We pinky-swore— because, really, that was a magic in itself that nothing should break—to seal the deal.
“I have to go,” Kiara said, looking at her phone. “I have class in a half-hour.”
“We’ll walk with you.” The three of us followed Kiara (though Odette more or less waltzed) out of the parlor room and into the hallway. We dropped Kiara off at her class and decided to hang out in the Rec Room. I didn’t have another class until that afternoon, so I had some time to kill.
Delmare, Odette and I spent our time until lunch having an air-hockey tournament, until we got hungry enough to grab a quick bite from the cafeteria around eleven. Stefan and Theo