Algernon Black

(Chapter 21) The Flip of a Coin

Algernon stared on, wide-eyed, just as everyone else did, except he was the first to look away from the raging fire when his ring grew hot. Twirling it around his finger, he looked back to the flames and then down to the girl standing before them.

Lucy had no idea where the words had come from, they had just appeared in her mind as clear as the heat of the fire before her. She stared up at the statue of the old king. With the flames settled, his gaze turned to stone again, though now she saw a softness in them, like a protective endearing kindness. She wondered why she thought so, and why that voice had seemed as familiar as her own. Perhaps maybe it was her own? Or just an imagining of what she wished to hear?

Lucy shook her mind free of those unexplainable thoughts and turned around to see what she had truly just sacrificed. The spectators were equally parts shocked and appalled by what she'd done. Their disapproving scowls only worsened as she forged down the aisle with her dagger still in hand. Only three onlookers observed her with entertained smirks pulling at the corners of their lips. One teacher, one upperclassman, and Pecilia.

"That was unexpected," Freya whispered when Lucy came to stand next to her again.

"I didn't expect it either," Lucy replied, taking a deep breath. She understood her act would bring about judgment, but she was more relieved to have saved a memory of her brother than to appease the opinions of strangers. And with her choice, the nerves of butterflies disappeared, even when the nobles abhorred glares froze the blood in her veins.

Lucy looked over to the boys of her class wondering if any of them were as critical as their parents. They were all watching as the next girl behind Lucy walked up the aisle to offer her sacrifice, except one.

Lucy made eye contact with the black-haired boy whose face was twisted to look back at her when his body still faced forward, though she could only meet the severeness of such eyes for a second before turning away.

She assumed with how expensive his black suit showed, he would have the same opinion as the others currently scrutinizing her. But Algernon's face reflected an emotion unlike any other. He couldn't even understand what it was he was feeling, as he stared at the girl with the tightest tugging from the back of his mind and in his chest.

Pecilia glanced at Lucy with an amused smirk. Well, she kept her promise. She thought, before looking out at the audience to see her father, not watching his daughter but staring at the section of first-year boys with an enraged scowl.

Pecilia followed her father's sight line and was fuming herself to see the black-haired boy of the most infamous, and arguably influential, family of Emora, with his eyes fixated in the direction of Lucy. Pecilia bit at her tongue, subtly praying for Lucy's sake that the only person that noticed Algernon's interest in her, was her and her father.

After the last students had made their sacrifice everyone applauded before families came to say their goodbyes. But with it, all those disdainful looks traveled from a distance away to all around Lucy, though it was the judgment from her classmates that gave her the most trouble, especially when they glanced her over before whispering to each other just loud enough for her to pick up on words like lowborn, nobody, and commoner. And their insults went down like gravel to Lucy's now very unsettled stomach.

"What a show," Pecilia said being the first to speak to Lucy, instead of speaking behind her back. "At least you meant it when you said you'd be entertaining."

"Thank you, Pecilia," Lucy replied meaningfully. Pecilia gave Lucy one last glance up and down before joining her parents. At least she had the kindness to say what she was thinking to my face, Lucy thought as a group of finely crafted very pretty girl's all turned to stare at her.

Pecilia made her way to her father as he continued sneering at Lucy as if he was looking upon all the sewage in the world. Pecilia knew it wasn't just because Lucy wasn't born into nobility that he looked at her with so much hate, but because she might threaten his plan. The one that was eighteen years in the making.

"You better not let all I've done go to waste," Councilman Row warned his daughter as his eyes veered to Algernon. "Remember what it was you were born for."

Pecilia followed her father's eyes as her face habituated back to its usual display of resting spite, if not a little more bitter.

Lucy worked her way through the crowd of families and happened to see Freya surrounded by hers. She had four older brothers, all of which were very tall and muscular while Freya was the only one who inherited her mom's small frame. Even so, her mom was feared as much as she was respected amongst all her children. She had a voice that could make a king cower and used it to spew warnings at her. Her father was just as tall as his sons, but was much softer at heart, especially when it came to saying goodbye to his only daughter. He had been crying for the last week, and it happened again now. Freya's brothers were crying too, and her mom tried to scold them into stopping.

Lucy smiled at the scene even as it made her painfully aware of her seclusion. And as bad as the stares made her feel, it felt even worse to be alone surrounded by families. She held onto her dagger a little tighter before deciding to leave.

Algernon was caught up in conversation with his mother and butler, though Hanagin had become more like family over all the years he worked for them, but his eyes wandered past their shoulders, to see the only other person garnering as much attention as him.

"That girl," Mrs. Black said, following her son's line of sight. For a moment she was too stunned to speak. A nearly impossible occurrence as his mother always had something to say, but it was the first time he'd ever seen her truly shocked. She recovered herself and turned back to Algernon. "She'll have the eyes of everyone on her here now," Mrs. Black warned. "Much like they've always had on you."

Algernon silently agreed. They gaped at him in reverence and recognition, though it was unwarranted and unwanted attention. And though he seemed to have it easier he understood more than anyone how in this class of people, respect bleed just as quickly into hatred, and it almost never went the other way around. And what was branded on her today would have lasting effects for her entire life here, just as his own branding had done to him. He felt bad for her just as he felt bad for himself because good or bad a target on one's back always ended up causing trouble to whoever wore it. Algernon wondered if she even understood how dangerous of a situation she had just put herself in as he swirled his onyx ring around his finger. He was well equipped to deal with the troubles coming his way but would she be ready for hers?