Seven Black Diamonds (Seven Black Diamonds #1)(35)

Not a snowflake! she reminded herself. That was the point she had to prove to herself. She could be just like other people, not a fragile thing to be safeguarded from the world. Lily had to become stronger and braver, like her mother.

That resolve was enough to make her push on with her luggage.

By the time Lily found the door to her suite, her arms hurt, and she missed home. The suite was an end unit as promised, and Lily suspected that it would have everything else Daidí had requested—a good view, wide windows, and as much space as allowed. Aside from the suitemate that waited inside the suite, it would be exactly as perfect as possible at St. Columba’s.

Lily paused at the door.

Abernathy Commandment #5: Be bold.

Bracing herself for whatever nightmare waited in the suite, Lily opened the door and strode into the room.

“Forget to knock?”

The girl in the room glared. Much like earlier with Zephyr, Lily recognized her instantly. Alkamy Adams. Her father was some legendary, drugged-out guitar player, and she was amazingly talented on her own merit—at least that had been the public verdict after her one and only tour.

“It didn’t occur to me since it’s my suite.” Lily shoved the first of her bags through the door to their common room, using it to prop the door open as she pulled the other two inside.

“You must have made a mistake,” Alkamy started.

“Two sixteen.” Lily pointed to the room number on the door. “East Tower. My suite as of now.”

Lily realized that Alkamy was staring, but she’d been sized up by criminals since she was old enough to be around Daidí’s colleagues. The mini diva was easy in comparison.

“Which room is mine?” she prompted.

“I’ve already dislodged my latest suitemate,” Alkamy announced evenly. It was obviously intended to be a challenge.

“Congratulations. I guess that makes me your consolation prize.” Lily gestured at the three closed doors. “Room?”

Alkamy pointed to the door on the right. “There. That’s the second bedroom. You won’t last though.”

“Great. I’m Lily.”

“Abernathy?” Alkamy blinked. It wasn’t much of a reaction, but it was enough. Her new suitemate recognized her enough to fill in the surname Lily hadn’t offered. She wondered whether that recognition was via her on-again, off-again boyfriend or through the sensational criminal allegations against Lily’s father.

After nodding at her, Lily dragged her three bags into the room. Alkamy watched the whole time. Although Lily suspected that her new suitemate was trying to be intimidating, her whole routine was a lot less scary than she intended.

Alkamy was one of the host of girls who had been in the tabloids with Zephyr. Lily tried to remember if they were supposed to be an item currently. It would be just her luck to share a suite with the girlfriend of the boy who had just kissed her.

She started to hang her clothes in the closet, not bothering to look at Alkamy, who was leaning against the doorframe, arms folded, observing her.

“I’m Alkamy Adams,” she announced after several minutes.

“I know. I’ve seen you in magazines.” Lily withdrew a short blade that dangled in a holster and smiled. Shayla alternately sorted Lily’s weapons as clothing or jewelry, depending on how she classified any particular item. This blade was one of the more functional ones, resembling a small scimitar, so Shayla steadfastly insisted that it was “not jewelry.”

Behind Lily, Alkamy made herself at home on the overstuffed chair in front of the window. “I don’t think I’ve seen you in any magazines.”

“That’s probably true.”

“So?” Alkamy prompted. “What’s your story?”

“I’m new here this year.”

“Obviously,” Alkamy said, dragging the word out into more syllables than necessary. She stretched her legs out in front of her. It made her robe gape open, and based on how much skin she’d just exposed, Lily was fairly certain she wasn’t wearing anything under the robe.

Lily arched her brow. “Are you aiming for intimidating or alluring?”

Abernathy Commandment #5: Be bold.

For several seconds, Alkamy stared at Lily incredulously, and then she laughed. For someone with the reputation of being a badass, she sounded like a little girl who’d been flying high on the park swings. When she stopped giggling, she said, “You’re unexpected, Lilywhite.”

“It’s just Lily.”

“Whatever.”

Lily hung several more of Shayla’s carefully labeled outfits in the closet and lined up a few boxes of accessories on the shelf above them. The pretty wooden chests mostly contained daggers, but two held guns, one revolver and one semiautomatic, and ammunition. Some girls collected jewelry, and odds were that Shayla had packed that too, but these were the only items Lily had packed for herself. Every box was fingerprint pass-coded, so no one but Lily could access the weapons.

Without turning away from her closet, Lily said in a level voice, “Since you used my whole name, I’m guessing you’ve heard it before.”

“I’d heard you were coming here, but I couldn’t find any pictures of you.”

“Daidí dislikes it when my image gets out.”

Alkamy snorted. “My old man loves it. ‘No press is bad press, Kamy Girl.’ The paparazzi has always been . . . just there, you know? So what’s your father’s secret?”