Evermore Academy (Evermore Academy #3) - Audrey Grey Page 0,8

swirls and runes etched into my upper arm all the way to my shoulder.

Are the lines fainter than last week? My breath catches as I spot a new Bloodstar flower tangled in the markings. The pointed, star-shaped petals curl outward, already half-bloomed.

I try to ignore the prickle of dread pinching my chest, but it becomes a dull, nagging ache. That makes twelve so far. Each flower of Hellebore’s that sprouts from the tattooed runes seems to make Valerian’s mark lose its power. I can feel our bond weakening. Can feel it fraying slowly, methodically.

Unraveling every breath I take without him, every agonizing beat of my broken heart.

I tear my gaze from my tattoos and square my shoulders. “Ruby, can you find me Mack’s cover-up while I shower?”

Ruby salutes before darting away, and I get to work. First a shower then makeup and my hair—which admittedly has been dry shampooed into a lifeless heap.

My mother thinks I need to impress with designer gowns, but there’s a strategy to my choice. Right now I’m Hellebore’s favorite toy, and he wants me to look mortal.

To shine—but only for his enjoyment and not too much.

I appraise the seven-carat jewel at my wrist, the only kink in my plan. The butterfly suspended inside the stone is a Golden Wisp, one of the rarest and most beautiful creatures in existence. This will most certainly turn heads.

In the world of butterflies, the Wisp is a celebrity.

Look where being glamorous got it.

Much better to be a moth than a butterfly. Plain. Magicless. Boring. Common. Not too shiny or too clever.

A mark, not a threat.

But unlike this poor butterfly, my fate hasn’t been finalized yet.

And I’m not going down without a fight.

4

If I thought the Spring Court Queen’s palace was obnoxious, her massive estate in Palm Beach, Florida makes my jaw practically drop to the marble floor. The sprawling Mediterranean villa hugs the ivory coastline, cut off from its neighbors by a lush wall of gnarled vines. Bubble-gum pink flowers the size of my hand bloom from the vines, their fragrance mixing with the briny sea breeze and making my head spin.

Supposedly one prick from the thorns will incapacitate any intruders who try to break through the wall, usually drunk college kids curious about the famous Fae queen.

“Can you imagine?” Mack asks. “One second you’re swigging fireball straight from the bottle with your friends and breaking into this gaudy McMansion, and the next second you wake up dazed and confused in a totally different place?”

The straps of my backpack tug as Ruby settles onto the top of the leather pack, her wings buzzing with excitement. “Cinnamon juice?”

Mack’s button nose wrinkles, and she throws me her I-can’t-believe-you-brought-Ruby look.

I shrug. Ruby is allowed anywhere I go, and she’s the perfect excuse if I accidentally wield my new magic—which is a high probability. “She’s sober and we’ve had multiple discussions on how to behave in public.”

Per contract, I’m allowed one chaperone per event, so of course Mack came along. Like me, she’s mortal, which means she will be underestimated and ignored. Which also means she will go unnoticed when slipping into places she shouldn’t be.

One glance at my gorgeous friend and I reconsider my assessment. No one would ever let her go unnoticed in that stunning gown, a sequin masterpiece of gold that highlights her bronzed skin and drapes to accentuate her soft curves. Sunlight streams in from the massive windows overlooking the foyer and refracts off the exquisite crystals accenting her low-cut V neckline.

I smooth down my cover-up. Perhaps underdressing was a mistake.

Evermore Fae flit through the foyer, their attire almost as outlandish—and expensive—as the décor. Their strange eyes slide to me, and the derision in their smirks and cruel snickers is almost enough to make me turn around. They gape at my hair, already frizzy and limp from the humidity. They lift their heads and sniff, wrinkling their noses as they take in the sweat that clings to my body.

The signs of my mortality are all they need to forget I’m a Fae princess.

A fresh wave of nausea grips my belly.

No. You can do this. They will not intimidate you.

The grand foyer pirouettes in my vision. My strappy sandals slap the creamy marble floor in time with my galloping heart. Jaw clenched, I halt near a crystal vase of buttery yellow gladiolas. Sweat glides between my shoulder blades as I try to force oxygen into my lungs.

Mack manages to stop gaping long enough to cast her wide-eyed gaze my way.