Chapter 46

Chapter 46

AMALIA

S eated on her bed, watching her reflection in the mirror, Amalia made a face, twisting her mouth in distaste.

“I was thinking about cutting it,” Amalia admitted, touching her brown curls. She ran her fingers through the ringlets, trying to straighten them, but they just bounced back into place as they always did. Amalia sighed and glanced at Vee, with her shorter hair, enviously. “I don’t know if long hair is really… me.”

Vee cocked her head to the side, considering.

“I don’t know,” she said, scooting closer until their knees were touching. Amalia sucked in a breath, as Vee reached out and touched one of her ringlets, running the hair through her fingers. “I kind of like it long, you know?”

“You do?” Amalia asked. Her voice sounded too high pitched, too breathless.

Vee tucked the ringlet behind Amalia’s ear. Her fingers stayed on Amalia’s skin longer than necessary.

“Yeah, I do,” she said, moving forward a little more. Their noses were almost touching, and Amalia was too scared to breathe, too scared to move, in case it made Vee back away .

“I think it makes you look cute,” Vee said. Then she tilted her head to the side, leaned forward, and kissed her.

Amalia froze, eyes open. Vee was kissing her. Those were Vee’s lips pressed against hers. She couldn’t believe it, couldn’t believe it was actually happening. She had hoped, had dreamed, but…

The kiss was over almost as soon as it started, and Vee moved back, smiling.

“Goddess,” Vee laughed, seeing her face. “You are blushing so hard!”

“I…” Amalia brought her hand to her cheek, feeling how warm she was. “I’ve never… I’ve never kissed anyone before.”

“Seriously?” Vee asked, looking shocked.

Amalia nodded.

“Well.” Vee lowered her head and looked up at Amalia through her lashes, grinning. “Did you like it?”

“Oh yes,” Amalia squeaked, and Vee smiled.

“Would you like to do it again?”

Her voice was so inviting. Yes , Amalia thought—she did want to do it again. And again and again and again. Vee leaned closer, and this time Amalia let her eyes flutter closed, let herself lean forward, let herself?—

Someone at the door cleared their throat loudly.

Amalia jerked back immediately, mortified. But Vee didn’t move, not for several seconds. Then, when she shifted away, she did so slowly, leaning back from her as though unwilling to be startled away.

Linh was in the doorway, frowning at the two of them. She glowered as she took in the scene, the two of them seated close enough to be touching on Amalia’s bed, both flushed.

Amalia scrambled to her feet, barely able to contain her excitement. “Linh!” she squealed excitedly. “You’re here!”

But Linh wasn’t looking at her. Linh was looking past her at Vee. And she was scowling.

“Oh!” Amalia said. Goddess save her. She’d spent barely any time with Vee, and she’d already forgotten all her manners. “I’m sorry, please pardon me—Vivian, this is the High Priestess of the Air Coven, Linh. And Linh, this is my friend, Vivian.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Vee said, but the way she said it made Amalia frown. Her voice didn’t sound like it was a pleasure. It sounded… venomous. Angry.

“I’m sure,” Linh sniffed. Her attitude, at least, was not unexpected. Though Amalia had enjoyed her visits and company after her mother’s death, she didn’t have any misconceptions about how… difficult Linh could be. She was a sour woman, with a sour disposition.

“I thought Leandra was going to find you some appropriate friends your own age,” Linh said to Amalia, ignoring Vee entirely. “Some Witch friends.”

A growl rose from Vee’s throat, and Amalia felt a rush of anger on her friend's behalf.

“Vivian is my age,” Amalia heard herself say to Linh, in a voice she barely recognized as her own. “And I think she is a very appropriate friend.”

Linh inclined her head, her eyes betraying just what she thought of how appropriate their friendship was. “As you wish, Your Grace. Is she responsible for this… new look of yours?” She said with an undeniable sneer, gesturing down at Amalia’s new clothes. Vee’s hands clenched at her side as Amalia looked down at her pants and sweater.

There was nothing wrong with the clothes she was wearing. Nothing at all.

But the way she’d said it made Amalia feel a little sick. During Linh’s absence, she’d found herself wishing every day that she could come and visit. And now that she finally had… Amalia didn’t want her here. She found herself wishing she would leave.

“I think you are being very rude, Linh. I think you should apologize to my friend,” Amalia said, surprised at the steel in her own voice. “And I think you should leave.”

A look of disgust passed over Linh’s face, but still, she mumbled something that sounded like an apology. And she left, casting a suspicious look at Vee as she did.

When the door shut behind her, Amalia sat heavily on her bed, suddenly unable to continue standing. Her heart thumped hard in her chest.

What had she just done? Linh had been like a mother to her, even more than a mother, really. And now that she had finally come to visit after so long, Amalia had treated her like that?

“I can’t believe I just did that… I think I might be sick,” Amalia said, putting her head between her knees. “Could you pass me the waste bin, please? I don’t want to make a mess.”

Vee laughed. “What are you talking about? That was incredible. You sounded so… so…”

“Like a princess?” Amalia muttered.

“No,” said Vee, sounding amazed. “You sounded like a queen .”

Amalia almost smiled. If she didn’t know better, she’d say Vee was proud of her. Maybe she wouldn’t throw up, after all.

“What was her problem, anyway?” Vee asked, tugging at the ends of her hair. “ I thought Miss So-and-so was going to get you appropriate friends ,” she said in her best Linh impression. “ Not some… scoundrel mutt! ”

Amalia laughed. “She’s not normally that bad,” she lied.

Vivian pretended to shudder. “What a monster.”

Amalia sat up, hugging herself. “She was nice to me after my mother passed, you know. Well… not nice , but… she was there for me, at least. I think she figured I was going to be queen one day, so she might as well get on my good side.”

“You think she really believes that?” Vee asked. “That you’d be queen?”

Amalia shrugged. “I guess. I think a few of them did. Linh didn't like the idea of the council at all. She’s the one who insisted the other High Priestesses act as my advisors when I was the representative.”

“She’s on the council?” Vee asked, sounding disgusted.

“Yes. I mean, no, not really.” She struggled with how best to phrase it. It was hard to explain, wasn’t it? “She and the other High Priestesses were meant to… well, meant to help guide me as the Faction representative. But none of them are really on the council. The Witches only get one vote, same as all the others.”

“One vote, but many representatives?” Vee said. It sounded like she was teasing, but there was something hard under the words that sounded a bit too much like anger. “Doesn’t sound very fair to me.”

“I guess,” Amalia said with a shrug. “Anyway… I haven’t seen Linh fo r ages. She lives at the Air temple, just down the way, but she got sick, and… I guess she just stopped coming after a while.”

Vee reached out and took her hand. “Hey,” she said softly. “I’m sorry. But you don’t need that bitch, okay? She’s just… just awful.”

Vee shuddered again, and Amalia laughed. Maybe Vee was right, she thought. Linh had always been rude and critical, just like her mother. Nothing like Vivian. Maybe she didn't need her anymore.

After all, she had Vee, now, didn’t she?

Why would she need anyone else?