Staying Under

Epilogue

Epilogue

"...and I know told Ethan there's no chance of us getting back together, but I gotta have a date for this dance, you know? It's either him or that guy in my Fire Dance class, and he sucks at dancing. How do I look?"

"Very beautiful. That's just an excuse. We could always go together, all the three of us."

"Yeah, but you're not going to dance at all and Riley is with Luke."

"I'm not with Luke. He probably has a date already."

"Oh. Right. You guys are back to the love-hate thing."

A month had passed since Samhain. The academy always held a ball before winter break and summer break. Every year, if I went at all, I went with Dee, while Amy went with her date. She was never without a date. She told me that being dateless in her school proms was as good as not going at all. I didn't know how regular school proms were, but the balls held in Asphodel were definitely larger and different, since all the teachers and guardians or parents were invited to attend.

Dee usually spent the time talking with his uncle in the corner of the hall, while I spent it eating the desserts until it ended. It wasn't much fun.

"Riley, are you sure you're going to the ball like that?" Amy pointed at my hair. I had turned it red again.

"Lord Ellison will disapprove," Dee told me. "He will be there."

"I doubt he will be there. I caught a supervillain for his Council. I have a right to decide my hair color."

After I practically dragged the dark prince's unconscious body into the principal's office, dripping wet because the water had also nullified my magic, the Council had taken over and imprisoned him in their infamous dungeons. I heard that they fed him the water from the lake every day to make sure he was incapacitated. I would have to attend his prosecution in the winter solstice as a witness. Until then, I was just glad no further dramas had happened to our academy.

Well, there were always rumors about me being in collaboration with him, or having his secret love-child, being a black magician myself, and so on. But I could handle talks. I was just glad that nobody else was going to die because of me.

"You know," Amy said, "I kinda wished that Principal Edgerton said, 'Get off my school!' Harrison Ford style."

We headed off to the ball. Amy's date Ethan Kowalski offered her his arm in a mock gentlemanly way and escorted her inside. Dee and I exchanged an eye roll, knowing they were going to get into a fight before the night was over. It happened that way every time. Dee went to find his uncle, who was already waiting for her in the corner of the hall, sipping red wine while he read a book.

Though Dee would kill me if I ever admitted it to her out loud, her uncle was a very handsome man. He was young, only thirty or so, and had the dark charismatic effect that made me wish I was ten years older. Even Amy said so, when Dee wasn't there to hear us.

He gave me a friendly wave and began talking to Dee about the current job he was working. I went to my usual spot in the ball, the food trays. Their menu didn't change much from last year, either. I took a cupcake and licked the icing off, tasting minty sweetness and savoring the creamy texture.

A slight hush fell over the hall. I knew that reaction. Lucas Island walking inside the ball in a formal suit would do that. He was alone tonight, like he had been for the last couple balls. Girls like and Dee had him to thank for making it a trend to come dateless to the ball. Well, people still came with dates, but it was no longer a shameful thing if you came alone. Because freaking Lucas Island did that.

His eyes found mine easily—maybe because I was always in the same place every year—and he made his way to me.

"Williams."

"Isla."

The green in his eyes sparkled. His finger rose and brushed the tip of my nose. The cupcake icing. "Mint chip?"

I was suddenly self-aware of how I looked tonight. I wore my Winter Ball dress. I had been wearing it for five years, because I only had two dresses: one for winter and one for summer. Compared to the fancy makeup and dresses the other girls in the hall had, I looked plain and drab.

"No," I said. "Blueberry mint." I didn't want him to go yet, so I asked him, "Are you joining the January's Underwater Championship?"

Luke produced a half-smile, half-smirk. "Why would I miss a chance to make you a loser, Williams?"

"You know it's not fair, right? You win because you're practically a fish. Well, quarter fish."

"So? You have a Greek god's blood running in your veins. That's not fair for us, too."

Luke was the only one I had told about the bit Carter told me. Everyone else was too preoccupied with catching the dark prince to care about the conversation I had with him. I would testify in the Council later, anyway. The day I turned in the dark prince, Luke had found me sitting alone in the bank of the pond, watching the sky. He had lay down beside me and listen to me talk about everything that happened. And then he had kissed me.

And then we had kissed again after that.

And again.

But other than the kisses and our usual teasing, I didn't really know the status of our relationship. I also had too much pride to ask him about it. Besides, I was scared that if we put a name to whatever was going on between us, we were going to ruin it.

I sighed dramatically. "We're both abominations. We shouldn't join."

"But how else are we going to have fun together?" Warmth filled me at the way he said 'together'. The half-smile expanded. "Dance with me?"

I let him lead me to the dance floor. I wasn't really sure I knew how to dance, but I'd watched people enough to learn the steps. Still, when the waltz rose to a crescendo and he spun me in a full turn, I almost knocked off by falling to his chest. I lay there for several seconds, enjoying the feel of his hands on my waist and the synchronizing beats in his chest that rivaled the racing in mine.

As we continued to sway to the rhythm, he whispered in my ear, "Maybe we should take advanced Fire Dance together next semester."

"I'd rather beat you in advanced Archery, Isla."

"You're welcome to try, Williams."

He leaned down and I rose up to meet him, but before our lips met, a loud sound of someone clearing his throat stopped us. We stepped away from each other and turned. It was Lord Ellison. His white-blond hair was tied to the back of his neck and he wore a formal tuxedo that looked very normal on him, compared to the flashy Council robes he usually wore.

"Niece," he said. "Your hair is appalling. So is your attire."

Luke muttered to me that he was going to get us drinks and left. "Yeah, yeah," I said. "I'm a disgrace to the Ellison name, blah, blah. Why are you here?"

"Why, I received an invitation as your guardian, of course."

"Don't pretend to care. Why are you really here?"

My uncle smiled, as if he was proud that I saw though him, which was disturbing. "The dark prince's prosecution has been moved up to this Monday." That was two days away. "Until then, you're staying with me. I've come to pick you up."

Hi there! First thing, I want to apologize for the bad quality. I wrote this whole thing in less than a week (four days + sth) on an impulse and I haven't taken any time to edit/proofread it beforehand. As a picky reader, I think I wouldn't have read this either unless I'm up for something very light.

That said, I want to thank any of you who stuck with me to the epilogue. Thank you for your patience. I'm very sorry if you don't enjoy this.

Bye!