Page 72 of Colton

“Yes?”

“Mr. St. James is busy, in a meeting at the moment,” Emiliano explains. “Would you care to greet a guest in his stead while he’s busy?”

I blink, taken aback. “Me? Why can’t you do it?”

“Because he said you have full authority here,” Emiliano says, his lip slightly quirking upward. “All you’d need to do is drink a cup of tea with the guest while he finishes his work, which would be in less than half an hour.”

“Uh, sure,” I agree without much arguing, then follow behind him.

I’m assuming it’s either Artemis or someone from the other families. They make me extremely nervous, because I’m not used to that kind of crowd, but I’m not too worried. None of them would — and this is just my wishful thinking — spread the word of me being here. Aside from Artemis, no one even knows who I am, which is good.

Emiliano takes me to a massive room that I can only describe as belonging in a fantasy setting—vintage, extremely expensive-looking sofa, with two matching chairs, and a thick table in between. Even the chandelier on the ceiling is screaming luxury.

He takes his leave as soon as I step inside, and my breath slightly hitches.

A woman is inside, someone I’ve never seen before.

She seems to be around Colton’s age, with gorgeous, waist-long blonde hair. She’s dressed professionally, in a tight, knee-length pencil skirt, a matching blazer, and a white blouse tucked into the skirt.

She tilts her head to the side when she sees me, narrowing her eyes.

“Who are you?”

Even her voice is intimidating, and I try to look as composed as possible.

“I’m Avalon,” I respond. “And you are?”

“I’m Kat,” she says, raising an amused brow. “I’m Colton’s wife.”

28

The meetings end a bit too late for my taste. The only silver lining is that nowadays, most of it is over the internet; hence I don’t have to suffer and see these morons in person. Otherwise, I doubt I’d be of sane mind.

After two hours, which, for these people, is a record, the final meeting is concluded, and I can finally get out of this chair and spend some time with Avalon. The main topics were to expand the Academy’s yearly budget, invest in new, different uniforms, and completely renovate both dormitories during the summer break.

All in all, it could’ve been an email.

Dahlia is still somewhere in the town, and given her absence, I find the place to be almost too quiet. No chatter amongst the employees, and even Emiliano is nowhere to be found. I have to search through the entire place before I spot him on the bottom floor, near the drawing room.

“Where is Avalon?” I ask.

He turns to face me, and something flashes in his eyes. He steps back, then glances around us, which is strange. Emiliano never cares if people are around, and the staff on the property are very trustworthy.

“She went for a walk,” he explains, and my brows narrow in suspicion.

“In this weather?”

It’s not too cold outside, though there’s harsh wind from time to time. It looks like it’s going to rain any moment, and it’s clear that a rough winter is upon us. I look out of the window, knowing that the chances of seeing her are slim to none. The property surrounding the castle is massive.

“She needed to clear her head,” he says, then his look changes. “She met Madam Kat.”

I suck in a sharp breath, and it’s as though my lungs are ready to collapse any given moment. Out of all the things that Emiliano could’ve told me, not once did I anticipate I’d hear those words from his mouth. My posture goes rigid, my hands curling into fists at my sides.

Immediately, I’m prepared to go and look for Avalon, but Emiliano stops me by placing a hand over my shoulder, making me look back at him.

“If I may,” he begins, “you should speak with Madam Kat first. She’s still in the drawing room. Ms. Avalon needs some time to… well, understand what’s happening here.”

As much as I hate to admit it, Emiliano’s right. I’m not sure why she popped up all of a sudden, but it’s rarely good news when Kat is involved. My heart is aching, and I’m getting restless, needing to know what kind of things she told Avalon.