Chapter 3 Arya

With Ashlyn making a scene on the dancefloor with Jackson, and Tobias standing with his parents on the other side of the Great Hall, I was left as a wallflower next to the punch bowl, watching everyone else dance with their dates.

It was awkward, and honestly, quite boring. I'd hoped to borrow Ashlyn for a dance, but she had stormed across the floor and dragged Jackson away by his sleeve. I could only imagine what that was about.

I turned toward the long table filled with food and treats of all kinds, debating whether any of these items would make the night more enjoyable.

"May I have this dance?" A finger tapped me on the shoulder.

I spun around with a burst of excitement, which deflated immediately when I saw Niko standing before me. If I hadn't been so anxious for Tobias's company, I would've recognized the voice.

"Oh, uh, really?" I asked, a little flustered.

Niko shrugged, and I had to admit he looked rather dashing in his suit—even with the shaved sides of his head. "Seeing as both of our ‘dates'"—he curled his fingers in air quotes—"for the evening are preoccupied with each other, I figured you and I might as well have fun without them."

"Your date?" I baited, arching an eyebrow with an amused smirk.

"The general, of course," he replied jokingly. "Though, I guess if anything, I'm actually more of an unpaid escort."

I laughed. "Well, if he expects a nightcap, make sure he at least gives you a tip."

He grimaced, shutting his eyes and shaking his head. "There's so much wrong with what you just said."

We both threw our heads back in laughter.

"Alright, why not, I'll dance with you," I said.

"Don't sound too excited," he teased as he pushed through the crowd to an open space.

He took my hand and assumed the waltz position, and I tried to ignore how awkward it felt to have his hand on my waist—I mean, he was my best friend's ex-boyfriend.

"I don't understand why they're only playing classical-type music," I groused as Niko led me in a turn.

"I believe Kai takes the concept of a ball too literally," he said. "It was the same thing last year. He doesn't realize that our generation would prefer to just sort of wail around to pop and hip hop."

I snickered. "Well, I guess it could be worse. There could be couples low-key dry humping each other to a Nikki Manaj song."

"Yeah, that would definitely be worse." Though his tone was playful, his smile didn't reach his eyes, which seemed to hold a sadness in them.

"How are you holding up?" I asked sincerely.

His smile faded. "As well as can be expected, I guess."

I frowned. "Is the general at least nice to you? After he basically volunteered you as my guinea pig, I was concerned for your safety under his authority."

He sighed, his shoulders lifting and falling under my hand with the motion. "Fortunately, he hasn't offered me as bait or a lab rat to anyone else, so hopefully, it was a one-time thing. Mostly, I just fetch him food and drinks on demand when I'm not standing idly by while he has tediously dull conversations."

"That sucks." I glanced over his shoulder at the asshole in question. Lady Dracul beside him wore a longing sadness that tugged at my heart. "He doesn't seem to treat anyone very well, not even his wife."

Niko didn't have anything to add to that, and we swayed in silence for a moment as I let my gaze linger on the three members of the Dracul family.

"So, how serious are Ashlyn and Jackson?" Niko asked, forcing my attention back to him like a whip. His voice sounded almost gritty, but the look in his eyes was vulnerable.

I let my shoulders sag slightly. It wasn't my place to get involved, but the wounded crease to his brow loosened my tongue.

"Honestly, I really don't know," I said. "But what I do know is that she still cares for you. Why don't you just talk to her?"

His lips flattened, a scowl forming. "I already did that tonight, and I'm pretty sure I made it worse."

Ah, so that explained why Ashlyn stormed off with Jackson in tow.

"Well, give it time," I suggested. "If it's meant to be, things will work themselves out."

"Like you and—"

"Can I cut in?" This time, I did recognize the voice, and my belly fluttered with joy as Tobias's handsome face appeared beside us.

"Of course," Niko said, withdrawing from me.

Tobias easily took his place, and Niko nodded to me before retreating through the crowd.

"The prodigal son has been relieved of duty?" I teased, curling my fingers into the hair at the base of his neck.

"Arthur got distracted by Caesar and Celeste, so I decided to slip away and deliver on the dance I promised," he said, tightening his hold on my lower back. The heat of his hand there felt so good, making me want to feel it everywhere else.

"Just promise me you'll make another appearance to kiss me at midnight," I said.

His eyes heated as he smiled devilishly down at me. "Anywhere you want."

Warmth flared at my core and spread across my flesh. "I'll hold you to that."

He inclined his head to kiss me, and for one brief moment, it was as if we were the only two people in this large space, the music playing just for us.

"Tobias," a slightly familiar female voice said with a clearing of her throat.

He broke from my lips with surprising speed, and my eyes fell on the pretty face of his mother.

"Mom," he gasped, reacting as though he'd been caught doing something he wasn't supposed to.

And the look on her face was equally out of place, pinched slightly with concern. Was I missing something here?

"Your father will be looking for you," she said. "He should return any moment."

The way they looked at each other hinted at some silent understanding I wasn't privy to.

"Right," he said, looking more like the robotic boy I'd first met. "Thank you for the dance, Arya." He stepped away from me and bowed before returning in the direction he'd come.

"Very nice to meet you, Arya," Lady Dracul said, something akin to pity twinkling in her eyes before she walked away.

I slowly made my way back to the snack table, my mind boggling over that strange exchange. Why had he seemed worried about his mom seeing us together? Was there a deeper reason he had avoided me all night? What the hell was up with the Draculs?

Finally, I decided that I didn't have the energy to contemplate those questions and that I was over this whole ball thing. I went up to my room, hoping I wouldn't be left to bring in the new year solo.

So much bad had happened this year. Mom getting murdered, the mer bitches tormenting me, Kendall betraying me. And judging by the current state of things with this war, the next one didn't look very promising. But that wasn't going to stop me from trying to make the best of it. As long as vampires didn't kill me, I'd consider that a win.