Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 167671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 838(@200wpm)___ 671(@250wpm)___ 559(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 167671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 838(@200wpm)___ 671(@250wpm)___ 559(@300wpm)
“Why don’t you just talk to him?”
Her face turns white as snow beneath the mask. “Ha-ha, absolutely not.”
“They used to be best friends,” Océane says. “Or so I’ve been told because I see none of it.”
“We grew apart.” She shrugs. “Doesn’t matter. As long as no one draws attention, he won’t notice me, and I can just enjoy the night.”
But I can’t stop staring at the three dudes in the doorway, with their lean-cut muscles and olive skin. One has short pitch-black hair and icy-gray eyes, while the other has curly blond hair and such an androgynous-looking face, I’m mesmerized. The third has black hair, a middle-parted fringe, and a scorpion tattoo. Levi. But I don’t recognize the others.
“Who are those other guys?” I ask.
Océane throws her arm over my shoulders. “The blond guy with the curly hair, the sharp cheekbones, and the bushy brows, that’s Orion. He’s in the Tartarus House, though. The guy standing next to Levi, the one with the broad shoulders and that blackout tattoo on his neck and arms, is Apollo. He’s in the Phantom Society.”
“Apollo?” I snort as I take a look. “What kind of a name is that?”
“Oh yeah, it gets worse,” she says. “His younger brother’s name is Atlas, but he’s not here at the university yet. Their parents obviously went with a theme.”
“Greek gods?” I make a face. “Cringe.”
“They act like they are, though,” Aspen says, ogling her eyes out. “And look at those muscles. I can’t remember Apollo being this … well-endowed.”
“Girl, you grew up with them. What do you even mean?” Océane jests. “Your parents are friends.”
“That doesn’t mean I saw them every day. Maybe every other month. I’m just saying … he filled out.” Aspen bites her lip, then looks at us, giggling. “What? A girl can fantasize about anyone and anything.”
“Right.” Océane rolls her eyes. “You just can’t stop drooling over those Torres boys, can you?”
Aspen’s jaw drops. “I am not drooling.”
“So wait, those Torres boys, are they all related?” I ask.
“No, Apollo and Atlas are Levi’s cousins,” Aspen says.
“No wonder he’s the only one with a normal name.”
Océane laughs. “Glad I’m not the only one who noticed.”
“I think they’re all fine as fuck,” Aspen says.
“Stop letting those ovaries do the talking.” Océane rolls her eyes.
“Easy for you to say, you already have a boyfriend to jump,” Aspen replies.
“That’s not important.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“I know how to appreciate a nice physique without lusting after it,” she says.
“Appreciate a nice physique?”
Talon’s stern voice makes us all look over our shoulders with dread.
He’s standing right behind Océane and looking madly obsessed. Or borderline psycho, I can’t tell.
“Don’t tell me you were ogling those Tartarus and Phantom Boys. They like the attention too much. Especially from pretty girls like you.” He grips her shoulders and leans in. “I might have to break their legs to take them down a notch.”
“What?” I gasp.
“He doesn’t mean it,” Océane says.
His fingers dig into her shoulders. “I don’t?”
She sighs out loud and says, “Talon’s gonna go grab me a drink. See ya, guys.” She grabs his hand and leads him through the crowd, but his gaze seems fixated on her.
“He’s madly in love with her, isn’t he?” I mutter.
“He’s something all right.” Aspen snorts. “Anyway, I’m gonna go find the bathroom. You coming too?”
I shake my head. “No, I actually wanna look around for a bit. See if I can find more familiar faces among the sea of white masks.”
“Oh, well, good luck then. I’m going to go find Mavis after this, so if you need me, call me, okay?”
We hug and each head in a different direction.
But I’m not interested in finding anyone in particular.
In fact, where I’m going, I’d rather not anyone recognize me at all.
Heath
We pick up the white masks lying near the entrance of the Phantom Society building and put them on before heading inside. The building is huge, and the glass dome in the middle of the roof lets in an eerie light from the night sky. With its wooden paneled walls and tapestries, the place itself looks haunted by ghosts of the past. A perfect place for someone interested in the occult, and I smile at the thought of digging in to all the books this place has to offer. Mavis would have a field day.
“Now I remember why I never came here,” Silas scoffs, looking around. “All these fucking creeps.”
“Like you’re any better.” I snort.
“What? They’re all liars and cheats.”
“And the Skull and Serpents are killers. We all know the gossip.”
He tilts his head and smirks. “It’s not gossip if it’s true.”
I roll my eyes and take two champagne glasses off a server walking around with a tray, and I shove one into Silas’s hand. “Here. You need to relax.”
“I’m calm.” He looks around like he’s trying to find someone.