A Dance Of Crowns & Thrones | Book I

Chapter 93 | Jealously Doesn't Look Good On You

"Jealousy definitely doesn't look good on you," With a joking tone that often got on Matthew's nerves, Eric had found the man alone on the courtyard balcony, his eyebrows raised, the blond then grinned at the Elder when turned his head over his shoulder to greet him.

"You've been creeping around Allegiant for a few hours now," Matthew studied the man, aware that Eric had been present before he approached him. He had known the elder's presence the moment he set foot on the academy grounds. Eric had also been sneaking in the background during the speeches, waiting for Matthew it seemed to have a private moment alone. "Surprised you'd be here."

The elder nodded, dressed in a black fitted suit that matched the attire of the soldiers and cadets. Matthew raised his glass to Eric and said, "I came to see you, in fact. I heard about the change of ownership."

"Highlight of my fucken life right now." Matthew said with a leering expression as he took another sip of his champagne. However, his eyes were fixed on the woman in the auditorium who was laughing. As she danced gracefully around the room with Luke by her side, adorned with her black mask, Matthew couldn't help but feel a sense of jealousy creeping in. They hadn't separated yet, and the longer they stayed together, the more intense his jealousy became as he realized he was being replaced.

"Walk with me," Eric said with a nod, pulling Matthew out of his thoughts.

Matthew turned his head to look at Eric suspiciously. "You've got something on your mind?"

Eric nodded in response and gestured towards the exit of the balcony, indicating that they should go somewhere more private to talk. He didn't want anyone overhearing their conversation. Matthew pushed himself away from the railing and followed Eric, but it was Toni from inside the ballroom, that sensed Eric as well, and he looked to Richie who had also noticed the two men.

Jesse and Jasmine were chatting with some staff members and soldiers by the bar, while Toni leaned towards Jesse and whispered something in her ear, touching her elbow gently. Jesse looked up and watched as Matthew disappeared from view. She then nodded in agreement with Toni.

Richie and Toni smiled at the guests in front of them before making their way towards the exit of the auditorium and out into the courtyard. As Richie looked around the crowd, trying to figure out why Eric was here, he accidentally bumped into a few couples along the way without realizing it was Eko.

The interruption brought her back to reality, away from Luke. She noticed that both himself and Toni were heading towards the balcony. Was it to search for Matthew? She hadn't seen him for the last two hours.

As Eko had been spun around, she glimpsed Jesse and Jasmine whispering in a large group of people. Mya was still dancing with Sawyer and Mackenzie nearby. Maybe it was nothing, perhaps they wanted to sneak out and take a break. After all, they were his closest friends, right? They could be discussing the headmaster debacle and ensuring he was in the right state of mind. She refused to believe that he would be with one of his fan clubs, as he had been with her earlier that night. No way, absolutely no fucken way.

Your over thinking things, you idiot, he'd find you. He'll come back and find you.

Luke caught Eko's attention and her furrowed brows instantly relaxed into a wide smile. "What's with the confused expression?" he asked.

Eko shook her head. "Nothing, I was just wondering where the girls disappeared to."

"I'm sure they're having fun, just like you should be," Luke reassured her.

Eko nodded and flashed Luke a bright smile. "I'm actually having a great time," she said.

"Excellent, which leads me to my next question," Luke said.