House of Darken (Secret Keepers #1)(70)

Glancing down, I shook my head at what was probably the nicest dress I’d ever put on, black velvet, with a scooped neckline and long fitted sleeves. The design hugged my body, ending in a soft swish around my ankles. It was comfortable, as dresses go. I’d even let Star pile my hair in messy curls and pin it to the top of my head, along with some sparkling gems pinned in amongst the disarray. The only other jewelry I wore was my necklace, which somehow perfectly set off the entire outfit.

For a few moments after Star finished my makeup, I pretended to be as royal as the family I had temporarily found myself part of. But I got over that pretty quickly. If the dirty looks from the fellow House of Darken members were anything to go by, I was not going to find myself very welcome in this world. I was certainly never going to be accepted as a Darken.

“A grubber is equivalent to ‘piece of crap,’ right?” I asked Star as we made our way through the mountain city.

Her lower lip popped out as her face fell. “I really wish Daelighters would stop using that word. It’s rare now. Mostly from those who are too limited to see that both worlds need each other. Those who believe we have weakened ourselves by sharing power.”

“We’re not very tolerant of those who use it,” Jero added, from where he was trailing behind us. “It’s the name of a bug which lives in the dirt of the underworld, a creature which survives from eating the essence of those who don’t make it out of the cascades. Like a bottom feeder.”

I shuddered, trying not to think about what sort of bug this grubber might actually be. Safe to say, it was probably gross and scary. I wasn’t really offended by being called that, mostly because the word didn’t mean anything to me, so there was no connotation to hurt me. But it was nice that some Daelighters were insulted on my behalf.

Lexen, a dozen or more feet in front of us, caught my eye. I couldn’t read anything in his dark gaze; he was back to being aloof and uninterested, but I was too nervous about where we were heading and what information I might learn to feel upset by it.

I wasn’t so far gone though that I couldn’t admire how good he looked as a prince. The robes. The stance. There was no missing how important he was. Far more important than anyone at Starslight Prep could have imagined. They thought he was out of their league because he was rich and gorgeous and a member of the founding family. They had no idea.

No. Freaking. Idea.

I had to keep reminding myself that Lexen was so far out of my league we weren’t even the same species.

By the time we reached the cave entrance there were a few thousand Darkens behind us. Star had explained to me that not everyone would attend, only those who were willing, able, and interested. Apparently the Silver City alone held over a hundred thousand inhabitants – it was a big-ass cave. There were also many other cities within the Darken territory of Overworld, but, still, only a few thousand total would attend.

I knew they were planning on creating a temporary transporter, but I still expected the dragons to be outside when we emerged.

“No dragons?” I asked, not seeing any.

Star shook her head. “No, the only reason they met us yesterday was because of Lex. The draygones do not usually lower themselves to pull the oblong sphere. Qenita and her mate do that for Lex and only Lex.”

No wonder he was such an arrogant bastard. I wanted to hate him, mostly because it was easier than admitting he stirred other feelings inside of me, but after his comfort last night I couldn’t say that any longer and not be a straight-up liar. Something had shifted between us; there had been a wall up, a wall he had continued to reinforce by being such a dick all the time, but it was crumbling. He’d let me see some of the real Lexen and now I couldn’t unsee it.

As if he’d sensed the heavy thoughts I was having, Lexen shifted those broad shoulders so that they were angled in my direction. He held out a hand, and just as I was wondering what he wanted, Star hurried over to join her brother. Okay, then, not for me. Sometimes I was an idiot.

All of the feelings stirring inside of me had me acting like a lovesick fool. I’d never done that before, not even with my one serious boyfriend, Jake. We had broken up because he couldn’t handle me being an emotional wreck any longer. He would never admit that of course, but there was no doubt in my mind. I couldn’t really blame him either. I had been a mess. With no sign of ever recovering.

I eventually realized it was for the best. A long-distance relationship wasn’t something either of us were particularly interested in. He had been the first and only boy I’d loved – or thought I loved. He was my first in all ways, but whatever feelings I’d had had faded very quickly when he declared – two weeks after my parents’ death – that I was no fun anymore.

Apparently, according to him, sex heals all wounds, and I was just being selfish not indulging that truth. Funnily enough, “sex” had not been listed as one of the stages of grieving my therapist gave me, but apparently Jake Mcloughlin subscribed to a different theory.

Thinking back, I’d barely even noticed when he walked away. Compared to everything I’d lost, it was such a minuscule sliver of pain. I had a terrible feeling that it wouldn’t be that way with Lexen. That if I let myself care about him, and then lost him, it could destroy me. Which was exactly why I was going to step back. No more sleepovers. I would share with Star tonight.

“Emma?”

My head shot up as the girl in question called my name. I realized everyone was waiting for me; I was holding the line up. Fiery heat shot through my body. I lowered my head to dash forward, trying not to trip over the long gown. I wasn’t used to wearing something like this dress, especially with the black low-heeled ankle boots I had on underneath.