Chapter 202 — Something Happened, Didn’t It?

Chapter 202: Chapter 202 — Something Happened, Didn’t It?

~ Raven ~

"Where the hell did you disappear to?"

Raven had barely made it back into the ballroom when Brielle Vance came marching toward her, looking considerably less pleased than someone attending a celebration had any right to be.

Tessa followed close behind, her expression calmer, although the concern in her eyes was unmistakable.

Oh, Goddess.

Raven had rather hoped she could return without attracting any more attention tonight. That was too much to ask it seems.

"We saw you rushing out earlier," Brielle continued, stopping directly in front of her. "And then you vanished. Do you have any idea how long we’ve been looking for you?"

"I’m fine," Raven assured her, offering what she hoped was a convincing smile.

"That wasn’t what I asked."

"I know, but it’s the answer you’re getting."

Brielle narrowed her eyes, clearly unimpressed, while Raven glanced past her and immediately felt worse.

Lucien Marchmont and Julian Prymont were standing some distance away, their expressions politely neutral despite how frequently they kept glancing toward their dates.

Neither looked particularly delighted about having his evening interrupted, although both were making a reasonable effort to conceal it.

Wonderful.

Now she was ruining everybody else’s romantic plans too.

"Alright, listen." Raven caught both women’s hands before Brielle could begin another interrogation. "I’m sorry I disappeared like that, but everything’s fine. Really."

Tessa studied her for a moment before raising her eyebrows. "Are you sure? Because you look rather different from when you left."

Raven blinked. "Different how?"

Brielle leaned closer, examining Raven’s face with the sort of attention usually reserved for something that had gone terribly wrong.

"Your cheeks are red."

Raven’s stomach dropped. "They’re not."

"They absolutely are," Tessa observed, looking increasingly amused.

"It’s warm in here."

Brielle glanced around the enormous ballroom, where the evening air drifting through the open balconies had kept the temperature perfectly comfortable.

Then she looked back at Raven.

"Right. And your hair’s a mess."

Raven immediately reached up to straighten it, only to notice Tessa smiling.

Oh, fuck.

She was never going to hear the end of this.

"Did something happen outside?" Brielle asked, watching her more closely.

"No. Why would you think something happened?"

"Because you’re smiling."

"Am I not allowed to smile anymore?"

"You were practically ready to murder someone when you left, Raven. Forgive me for finding this sudden change a little suspicious."

"That doesn’t mean I have to remain angry for the rest of my life."

Tessa made a thoughtful sound, and Raven decided she disliked that even more than Brielle’s questions.

Before she could think of another excuse, however, Brielle’s expression changed.

Her earlier amusement gradually faded as she studied Raven more carefully, although this time she wasn’t looking at her face.

"Wait a moment."

Raven stiffened slightly. "What?"

Brielle frowned. "Something’s different about your essence."

Oh, Goddess.

Of all the things she could have noticed.

"What do you mean?" Tessa asked, glancing between them.

"I’m not sure." Brielle stepped closer, her expression growing increasingly puzzled. "It’s stronger than before, and there’s something about the way it’s circulating..."

Raven tried to look unconcerned, although she wasn’t particularly successful.

Brielle was already watching her with the concentration of someone who had discovered an interesting problem and had every intention of solving it.

Fortunately, Tessa interrupted before she could investigate further.

"Brielle, perhaps we can examine Raven’s mysterious transformation tomorrow. There was something else we wanted to ask."

Raven could have kissed her.

Well, perhaps kissing people wasn’t something she should be thinking about at the moment.

The thought brought an entirely different kind of warmth to her cheeks.

"Thalia came back looking absolutely miserable," Tessa continued. "We tried asking what happened, but she wouldn’t tell us anything."

Raven glanced toward the other side of the room, where Thalia was standing quietly near one of the tables.

"And then Dante left," Brielle added. "He was looking for you, apparently."

Raven immediately turned back toward her. "Dante?"

"Obviously. You disappeared in the middle of dancing with him."

She hadn’t known he’d gone looking for her.

A small feeling of guilt settled in her stomach as she remembered how abruptly she’d abandoned him earlier. Dante had been nothing but good to her tonight, and she’d barely offered an explanation before rushing away.

"Did you see him outside?" Tessa asked.

"No," Raven admitted, shaking her head as the guilt intensified. "I didn’t."

Brielle looked ready to ask another question, but Raven glanced past her toward Lucien and Julian and decided she’d endured enough interrogation for one evening.

"Look, you two have already spent enough time worrying about me. Your dates are waiting."

"They can wait a little longer," Brielle replied.

"I’m sure they can, but I doubt they want to."

Tessa followed her gaze toward Julian, and a faint smile appeared on her face.

Raven immediately took advantage of the distraction.

"Go and enjoy yourselves. I’ll be perfectly fine, and if anything happens, you’ll probably hear about it before I do anyway."

"That isn’t particularly reassuring," Brielle muttered.

"Then you’ll just have to trust me."

Brielle looked unconvinced, and Raven was almost certain she intended to return to the subject of her essence.

"And you’re going to explain whatever’s happened to you?" she asked.

"Eventually."

"That sounds suspiciously like a refusal."

"Then you understand me perfectly."

Tessa laughed quietly before taking Brielle’s arm, apparently deciding that they’d questioned Raven enough for tonight.

Raven watched them return to their dates, relieved to have escaped with her secrets mostly intact.

Unfortunately, one problem remained.

Thalia.

Raven turned toward her friend, who had been unusually quiet throughout the entire conversation. She stood a little apart from where the others had gathered, occasionally glancing at Raven before looking away again.

Now that they were alone, Thalia shifted uncomfortably.

"I should probably go," she said, attempting a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Raven frowned. "Thalia."

"It’s alright. I know you probably don’t want—"

Raven stepped forward and hugged her.

Thalia stopped speaking immediately.

For a moment, she stood completely still, apparently too surprised to understand what was happening. Then her arms closed around Raven, holding her so tightly that Raven almost laughed.

Almost.

Because now that she’d finally embraced her friend, she realized just how much she’d hated the thought of losing her.

The confrontation earlier that evening still bothered her.

After discovering Thalia kissing Seventh Seat in that deserted corridor, Raven had been too shocked to make sense of what she was seeing. Gloria, as she’d subsequently learned the woman was called, had quietly excused herself so they could speak privately.

That was when everything had come out.

Thalia admitted that she’d been secretly dating Gloria for some time, although their relationship had to remain concealed because Gloria was closely associated with Adelaide Fenn’s circle.

Unfortunately, that hadn’t been the worst revelation.

Thalia had also confessed that she’d been providing Cassian with information long before Raven arrived at Valerius.

Gloria, apparently, was another member of Cassian’s information network. Her position among the higher-ranked Court women gave her access to conversations and political developments that Cassian otherwise wouldn’t have heard about.

At least their romantic relationship hadn’t been part of his arrangements.

Thalia had insisted that it was real, and Raven believed her.

She’d also admitted that she’d tried to confess everything in the infirmary, only for that conversation to be interrupted. Afterward, she’d repeatedly lost the courage to bring it up again.

Raven had been furious, and even now, thinking about what Thalia had concealed made her uncomfortable.

The idea that someone she trusted so completely had been keeping such an enormous secret from her was difficult enough to accept. Discovering that Cassian had known about it only made everything worse.

But they’d spoken now, and Raven couldn’t pretend that the months they’d spent together meant nothing.

"I don’t want to fight with you, Thalia," she said quietly, keeping her arms around her friend.

Thalia’s hold tightened. "I’m so sorry, Raven. I should have told you. I wanted to, but every time I thought about it..."

"You got scared," Raven finished.

Thalia nodded against her shoulder, and Raven sighed before loosening her embrace enough to look at her.

"I’m still angry about it. You know that, right?"

"I know."

"And we’re going to have to talk about everything properly, because I’m not pretending it didn’t happen."

Thalia wiped at one eye before giving her a hesitant look.

"But?"

Raven smiled a little. "But you’re my friend, you idiot. I’m not throwing that away."

Thalia’s eyes filled almost immediately.

"Oh, Goddess."

"Don’t start crying."

"I’m not!" she protested, although her voice had already begun shaking.

Raven raised an eyebrow. "You’re literally crying."

Thalia let out a watery laugh before hugging her again, and Raven returned the embrace, feeling considerably better than she had any right to after the ridiculous evening she’d endured.

When they finally separated, Thalia wiped her cheeks and studied Raven more carefully.

Then, rather unexpectedly, she frowned.

Raven recognized that look.

"What?" she asked suspiciously.

"You look different."

"Not you too."

"Your face is all red," Thalia observed, her earlier sadness beginning to give way to curiosity.

"I’m beginning to think everyone in this academy has developed an unhealthy interest in my face."

Thalia smiled for the first time since Raven returned, although she continued examining her.

"And you’re happy."

"Am I supposed to be miserable?"

"No, but something must have happened, right? You were so upset when you left, and now..."

She trailed off, looking increasingly intrigued.

Raven felt her cheeks grow warmer.

Absolutely not.

She was not discussing Cassian Blade with Thalia Wren tonight.

"Speaking of things happening," Raven said quickly, looking past her shoulder, "I believe somebody is waiting for you."

Thalia followed her gaze.

Across the ballroom, Gloria stood among a small group of Court women, occasionally glancing in their direction.

Thalia immediately looked embarrassed.

"We can’t really..."

"I know," Raven interrupted, understanding what she meant. "You’re not supposed to make it obvious."

Thalia hesitated, looking toward Gloria again. "It’s complicated."

"Everything in this academy is complicated." Raven gave her a reassuring smile. "I’m not asking you to announce your relationship to the entire ballroom. Just go and enjoy yourself."

"But what about you?"

"What about me?"

"I don’t want to leave you alone, especially after everything that happened."

Raven looked at her for a moment before shaking her head.

"Thalia, I’ve somehow survived eighteen years without you supervising my every movement. I think I can manage another hour."

Her friend laughed reluctantly, although she still appeared uncertain.

Raven gave her a gentle push. "Go. I’ll be fine."

Thalia hesitated for another moment before finally agreeing, making her way toward the other side of the ballroom and joining a nearby group rather than approaching Gloria directly.

Raven watched as the two women exchanged a brief smile.

It wasn’t much, but the happiness on Thalia’s face was unmistakable, and Raven found herself smiling too.

At least one thing had gone right tonight.