Chapter 188 — Who Benefits?

Chapter 188: Chapter 188 — Who Benefits?

~ Raven ~

Brielle turned so quickly Raven caught her arm before Tessa needed to.

"No."

Brielle looked at her, her eyes blazing. "Raven."

"No."

"She knows exactly what she’s implying."

"So do I."

"Then let me—"

"And give them exactly what they want?"

Brielle’s mouth tightened.

Raven released her arm and looked across the courtyard.

Celeste was watching now, waiting.

Raven met her eyes and smiled.

It was not large, and there was certainly nothing friendly about it. Just enough to make it clear she had heard everything and had decided Celeste was not worth stopping for.

Something hardened in Celeste’s expression.

Raven turned away and kept walking.

It took Brielle several seconds to follow.

"That was deeply unsatisfying."

"You’ll survive."

"I could have made it satisfying."

"I know."

Tessa looked at Brielle. "That was the problem."

Brielle glared at both of them.

Raven almost smiled, but the amusement faded before it properly formed.

Because beneath all the gossip, meetings and political bullshit, there was still Isolde.

Three days ago, she had been swearing at Raven, mocking her, calling her a queen and generally making Raven regret ever discovering Bellringer’s identity.

Then she had fallen asleep, and everything had gone wrong.

Now Isolde was still lying in the infirmary without opening her eyes.

Raven could remind herself that the Dreamwalker caused it. She could tell herself that Isolde had already been under attack before Raven became involved and that none of this would have been happening if that bastard had stayed out of her head.

None of it completely removed the memory of Isolde going still inside that nightmare.

I’m tired.

Raven rubbed her thumb once across the inside of her palm as she walked.

She wanted Isolde awake.

Not First Seat. Not Marchmont’s heir.

Just Isolde.

Preferably so Raven could tell her how much trouble being unconscious had caused and receive something irritating in return.

Until then, everyone else could keep their theories.

~~ ~

The next Marchmont meeting lasted less than an hour, although it felt considerably longer.

By the time Raven stepped into the corridor afterward, she had developed a personal hatred for carefully worded questions and everyone who used them.

Dante was waiting several paces away. He pushed himself off the wall when he saw her and fell into step before Raven had properly decided where she was going.

"How bad?"

Raven kept walking. "Nobody accused me of murdering her today."

"Improvement."

"I thought so."

They made it halfway down the corridor before Dante looked over at her. "Did you eat?"

There it was.

"Yes."

"When?"

Raven frowned. "Why?"

"That isn’t an answer."

"I ate."

Dante studied her face for long enough that Raven became irritated on principle.

"What?"

"You look tired."

"So do you."

"I asked first."

"You didn’t ask anything. You made an observation."

The corner of his mouth moved, but he let the argument go. "Sleep tonight."

Raven gave him a look. "Thank you, healer Prymont."

"You’re welcome."

"Fuck off."

That finally earned a small smile, and for perhaps the first time all morning, some of the pressure across Raven’s shoulders eased.

Dante glanced toward the courtyard ahead. "Celeste is still doing it?"

Raven’s expression flattened. "You heard."

"Half the academy has heard."

"Wonderful."

He looked at her again. "Don’t let her bait you."

Raven stopped walking.

Dante made it another step before noticing and turning back.

She stared at him. "I know how to behave."

He looked at her for a long moment without saying anything.

Raven narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"Nothing."

Her eyes narrowed further.

Dante smiled properly now. "Just make it through today without starting a war."

"I have never started a war."

"Rivers."

"I haven’t."

"Not an official one."

Raven started walking again. "That sounds like you’re agreeing with me."

Dante laughed under his breath and shook his head as he followed.

It was only several steps later that Raven realized what he had not mentioned.

Tomorrow.

The Renewal Ball.

His invitation was still unanswered.

Three days of Isolde, Dreamwalkers, Marchmont and half of Valerius deciding Raven was either suspicious or fascinating had pushed the problem down her list, but it had not disappeared.

Dante had every reason to remind her.

He had not.

Not once.

He had sat beside her in meetings, argued when people tried to corner her, made sure she ate and rested when he could, and somehow managed not to use any of it to pressure her for an answer.

That should have made the decision easier.

Naturally, it did not.

Raven glanced toward him.

Dante caught it immediately. "What?"

"Nothing."

His eyebrow rose.

Raven faced forward again.

Absolutely nothing.

~~ ~

By the time Raven crossed the central courtyard with Thalia, Tessa and Brielle later that day, she had almost convinced herself the rest of the afternoon might pass without another problem.

Then someone called her name.

"Rivers."

Raven stopped with the others and turned.

A woman in Court colours was crossing toward them with an official slate tucked beneath one arm.

Raven’s stomach sank immediately.

If Marchmont had sent somebody else—

"Raven Rivers?"

Raven looked at her. "That depends."

The woman paused.

Thalia made a quiet sound beside her, and Raven sighed.

"Yes."

The Court attendant held out the slate. "All active ranked members of the Luna Court, Seats Two through Twenty, are required to attend the final Renewal Ball rehearsal this afternoon."

Raven stared at her.

"The what?"

"The final rehearsal."

"There’s a rehearsal?"

Beside her, Brielle coughed into one hand.

Raven turned slowly. "You knew?"

"I knew there were usually preparations."

The attendant continued before Raven could decide whether Brielle had somehow personally betrayed her by failing to explain academy dances properly.

"With First Seat Marchmont medically unavailable, tomorrow’s formal arrangements are being reorganized. Attendance is mandatory for every active ranked Seat."

Her gaze dropped briefly to the slate before returning to Raven.

"Fourth Seat included."

Of course it was.

Raven took the notice while several students nearby slowed enough to make it obvious they were listening. Two Linkslates had appeared before she even finished reading the first line.

Renewal Ball.

Final Court rehearsal.

Mandatory attendance.

Seats Two through Twenty.

Raven lowered the slate and looked at Brielle, whose expression suggested she had already reached roughly the same conclusion.

For three days, the upper Court had been full of women asking why Isolde Marchmont was unconscious, why Raven would not explain it and whether Fourth Seat had somehow benefited from First Seat disappearing.

Now Raven was expected to spend the afternoon in the same room with all of them.

She handed the notice back to the attendant.

"Perfect."

The woman seemed uncertain whether that required an answer.

It did not.

Raven started walking again, already regretting every word she had said to Dante about knowing how to behave.