Page 31 of Lucent Academy 2: Trinity Awakens
I realized I didn't have a choice but to follow the Imp through the shortcut he made in the maze. With him pulling the hedges back to clear a path for us, it didn't take very long. Eventually, we were outside the maze, back where I had first entered.
Seraphina was there, waiting anxiously. She was dressed in a beautiful sea-green ballgown that accentuated her blonde goodlooks. "Oh, thank goodness!" she said as she saw me. "I'm so glad Brambles managed to get you out of there. I saw you walking in, and I thought you might be in danger. Uhm, from someone playing a mean joke on you, I mean."
Her explanation seemed strange. "Who would want to play a trick on me?" I looked at Seraphina earnestly, hoping she wouldn't try to lie. "This is the second time that you saved me. What's going on?"
"Honestly, I can't be certain, and to just accuse someone without proof..."
"Tell me, please. Just tell me."
She sighed, "Fine. I think it's Ines and her friends. You publicly snubbed her, and she didn't like that at all. Because you're more powerful than she is, she won't challenge you head-on. Being sneaky, trying to humiliate you and showing everyone you're not invincible, she's trying to increase her status within the school."
I nodded and turned away from Seraphina, wondering if I should confront Ines.
Seraphina grabbed my arm. "Please, you cannot accuse her without proof. I don't know for a fact that she was even involved. I just saw you following that weird orb, and I knew I had to help you. Because Ines is cruel. And you're not. Why did you just follow that thing into the maze? Even if it wasn't Ines, you should never follow a Will-o'-the-Wisp. Everyone knows that."
"Yes, I was pretty stupid for going in there, I guess. Thanks for getting me out." I turned to the imp. "And thank you, Brambles."
The Imp bowed so low that his large, pointy nose almost touched the ground. "It is my pleasure, my cruel mistress."
I blushed scarlet, and Seraphina rolled her eyes. "That's enough. Take a decent shape that's not meant to embarrass me, you fool."
Brambles's shape shimmered and seemed to stretch out until a man stood where the Imp used to be. Gone was the butler's uniform; he was dressed in a fancy dinner jacket and proper evening attire.
"As you wish, mistress." In his human form, the Imp was surprisingly good-looking.
"Shall we return to the ballroom for the last dance?" He asked and held his arm out for Seraphina to take.
She obliged with a gentle smile. Could it be that Seraphina was growing fond of her Imp mate after all?
I realized I was gawking and snapped my mouth shut. Then I registered Bramble's words about the last dance. I still hadn't summoned any of my own mates.
I summoned Vaerath, and he appeared, dressed in formal attire that accentuated his good looks. He did, in fact, look dashing, like every prince my little-girl heart had ever dreamed of.
The way he looked at me, as if he was drinking in every detail of my body in the dress, made me blush. "Ah, there's those magnificent hips again," he growled.
I laughed nervously. "Shall we? Go to the dance, I mean?"
He sighed. "I would much rather be alone with you, to sample the delicacies a dress like that promises, but..." He bent over and kissed my hand with a gentleness that I didn't know he had. "A Gentleman never refuses a Lady's invitation to a ball."
"A Gentleman," I snorted, teasing him. "You?"
He gave me a crooked smile, one that was sexy and quite roguish. "Yes, well. For the purposes of tonight, I shall pretend that I am one."
Then he hooked his arm through mine, and we made our way up the stone steps, through the doors, and into the ballroom. Once inside, among the slowly swaying couples, Vaerath twirled me around, brought me close, and placed his hand around my waist. He placed his other hand in mine and led me around, mimicking the other dancers. This was a modern dance, and I didn't think he'd know it, but my Dragon was a quick study and moved like his feet had been blessed by angels.
Dancing with Vaerath, I wished I could freeze the moment, just suspend time and make it last forever, but no moment ever does, and all too soon it was time for him to go. I could feel my hold on him slipping, and it broke my heart.
He must have sensed the shift in my mood, because he brought my face up with his finger under my chin. "Do not be sad, my love. We will see each other again soon. Summon me, and I will come, every time."
I nodded, and he bent forward and kissed me. For once, I didn't hold back. I placed my hands behind his head and claimed his lips with mine, drinking him in, hoping to put a thousand memories inside that one kiss.
Vaerath disappeared back to the Hestawyn Realm as soon as we broke apart. It was a little like letting go of a part of myself.
The music was still playing as a few of the stronger summoners maintained their mates for longer. Oliver was still dancing with Naja. For once, she was in her human form. The Lamia wore a shockingly short dress that showcased her beautifully sculptedlegs. He didn't notice me looking at them at all, so lost was he in his Princess' gaze.
I stepped outside and found Amber standing on the balcony. She hooked her arm through mine and lay her head down on my shoulder. As we stood there, wordlessly, each of us thinking of our mates, I guess, the world exploded in a symphony of colors. Fireworks, the most impressive I'd ever seen, lit up the dark skies and made a rainbow pattern on the gardens beneath.
People spilled out of the double doors and crowded onto the steps. The light show marked the real end of the term, and we cheered. That was how the ball ended.
