Skulls and Bones

Chapter twenty

Rick explained to me that the coronation will be held in the ballroom. I didn't even know that they had a ballroom and I could feel my stomach filling up with nerves. Rick's hand burned inside mine and warmed my body. My mind drifted back to the kiss. With all that was going on I wanted it to happen. I still wanted it to happen. I hated that I cared about him. So much that I was afraid to the extent.

"You're so quiet," Rick observed and hearing his voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Is there something wrong?"

Yes. There was something wrong. I had to hurt him soon, maybe even worse. There were more things wrong then right in my life and the pressure was building inside me. Looking at his beautiful face didn't help at all.

"I'm just.... confused," I told him. It was the truth. "Nothing makes sense any more to me. I feel like I'm stuck in a world between what I want to do and what I have to do. And then there's you....." I stopped and looked down at the ground. I felt that I was telling him everything without using the words. "You're so confusing. Just yesterday you made me feel like crap and now today.... I don't know. You kissed me but you told me not have feelings for you and- and I'm just confused."

Rick stopped walking and placed his palms on my cheeks. I looked into his deep green eyes and waited. "I'm sorry for making you feel this way," he sighed. "It's just that I thought I was doing a good thing by trying to pair you with Marc. You're so innocent and pure and I'm not. Marc was the better choice and I thought acting like an ass would fling you into his arms. I don't know what I want from this, I'm still not certain that even Marc wants this. But I'm prepared to take it slow if you want to, I want to try. Because I care about you. A lot."

"Hazel told me your ass personality wasn't an act," I said and he chuckled, a glint forming in his eyes.

"It was when it came to you," Rick said. "I would never do anything to hurt you, I now realize that I can't."

Zain's words flashed in my head and I instantly took a step back. I became so lost in Rick that I almost forgot that he was the bad guy. And while he stands here telling me these things, I couldn't stop thinking about the lies. If I crossed them after the coronation then I would be drained and discarded. That's if Gabriel didn't get to me first.

"Let's just get inside," I muttered and Rick frowned but said nothing.

He opened the doors to the ballroom and I became momentarily stunned by what was inside. The chandeliers lit up the entire length of the ballroom and the long, rectangular tables lining the room held more food then I or anyone in this room could possibly eat. Music played through the room and everyone was lost in the beat. A grand chair was the main focus of the room and was currently unoccupied. I felt Rick's hand slip into mine and I looked at him.

"This is all for you," he said with a bright smile. "We didn't think you'd be happy with a dull coronation so we made it into a party. A celebration if you like that word better."

"What am I suppose to do?" I asked as I looked at the crowd nervously. I didn't expect there to be so many Skulls and I now knew why I didn't have to go to the mortal world every couple of seconds. There was enough for me to go days without having to resurfaced.

"Party for now," he said. "Mingle. Try to get to know your fellow Skulls."

"Do you know all of these people?" I asked.

"I don't try to know all of them," he said. "They don't do anything for me. I only know them if they try to know me."

"So why do I have to get to know them?"

Rick chuckled. "Because you're our queen, " he said. "Now get out there and start introducing yourself and if you start to feel overwhelmed, come find me."