Page 18 of Heart of the Villain

He did, in her bedroom, where Vega was already sprawled out on the bed, her shoes leaving dirt marks on her blanket.

Arlet rummaged through her closet, throwing pieces of clothing onto the once-clean floor after she examined them. “Do you not have anything in here that shows off your boobs?” she asked, throwing a turtleneck sweater to the growing pile with her lip snarled in disapproval.

Marlena swatted at Vega’s dirty boots on her bed, ignoring Arlet’s question. Vega swung her legs to hang them off the side as she sat up. “I cannot go out. I have so much reading to do.” She pointed to the books scattered around Vega on the bed, her eyes scanning over the selection from Littera that wasn’t on her parents’ required reading list. They can’t know. Her and Vega had never talked about it again after their day in Littera.

Vega’s attention span lasted a whole hour before she was off making friends with one of the archive’s students.

Marlena extended her string of invisibility to the books, hiding them from sight—an ability that wasn’t common for those with the power of invisibility.

“Mom and Dad are gone for the night. They’re staying with Khort’s parents up the mountain.” Vega nodded towards Khort as if to say, Ask him.

“It’s true.” Khort nodded.

“Ah-ha!” Arlet jumped, nearly having to climb over the pile of clothes she’d ripped from their hangers. She held up a bright red, skintight mini dress. A dress Marlena would never, ever be allowed to wear… but had in the back of her closet for the day she was brave enough to defy her mother’s strict dress code.

Khort whistled, barking like a dog—fucking shifters—as Vega raced across the room to get a better look.

“Oh my gods!” Vega chirped, emphasizing the last word. “You have to wear this!”

Marlena snatched the dress from them, squishing it against her chest. “Absolutely not!

…was what she had said, and yet somehow now she was dressed and braving the cold to go to a party she didn’t want to go to.

Vega was popular—she had friends outside of the two who were always around. Marlena had three.

Despite what her parents might otherwise think.

People their age didn’t extend the same kindness to Marlena that they did Vega… and she was fine with that. Future leaders couldn’t mingle the way others could. But a party where she was certain to not be able to avoid them? Dreadful.

They crammed into a small vehicle driven by one of the guards keeping watch over the house while their parents were away. It didn’t take much to convince him to drive them and then keep quiet about the whole thing with Vega batting her eyelashes and wiggling her hips like a puma set to pounce.

The party’s music could be heard from nearly a block away, and when they pulled up to the sprawling vista home, Marlena noticed a few familiar faces walking up to the home’s front door.

“One hour. That’s it. And then we’re gone,” Marlena reminded, meeting each of their gazes as they nodded their agreement.

Everyone scrambled out of the vehicle, leaving Marlena to talk to their guard. “Wait here. We won’t be long,” she said, and then followed up the stairs.

The music from the band rattled her chest, vibrating the pictures on the wall as they walked into a packed-tight entryway. Vega and Arlet took off towards the kitchen with Khort in tow.

Marlena hung back, taking in her surroundings. She’d never been to a party like this. Any she’d attended were organized events, with ball gowns and a full string quartet—and of course, her parents looming around every corner to keep an eye on every single move Marlena made.

A man with a thick beard who smelled like pine and mint came up behind her, laying a hand on her shoulder. “Let me take your coat.” He was Amora-born—his beauty unlike anything she’d ever seen.

Marlena hesitated, unsure if she was able to trust the stranger.

“Come on, gorgeous. Don’t be shy.”

She slipped the coat off one arm, revealing an exposed shoulder in her tiny red dress. Marlena watched as a few heads turned in her direction when the coat came all the way off.

The man hung it up, then winked at her as he disappeared into the crowd of people.

Marlena wandered into the kitchen, where partygoers mingled in groups. In the middle, around the island, were her sister and friends, tipping back what most definitely wasn’t their first shot of the night.

Arlet caught her eye, and her smile lit up her face. “Your turn!” she cried happily, passing Marlena a shot of clear alcohol in a small glass.

“Don’t think. For once, just do!” Vega held her own glass up, tapping Marlena’s with a tink. She threw her head back and downed the liquid, following up with a sour face and a back and forth shake of her head.

Marlena followed suit, but the burn of the alcohol didn’t bother her.