Was that supposed to make me feel better or worse? I glanced back at Kaz who winked at me. At least he didn’t seem troubled over it. I would watch out for myself, though. No matter how trustworthy Kaz or Evander might come across, I couldn’t trust anyone blindly. The word trust could be interchanged with deceit depending on the person who uttered it.

“You will share all your classes with him, so please get familiar with each other. He will be your guide, as well. Ask him if you need anything. We want your stay here to be comfortable. I know you didn’t come here willingly, but since you’re already here, I hope you can find some enjoyment throughout your stay.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hughes. I take my role solemnly and earnestly. I won’t disappoint.”

Amusement tugged at the corner of his lips. “No, I don’t think you will.”

A knock on the door startled me and I felt my face flush at my lack of control. Evander hadn’t even blinked. I knew their senses were heightened though and realized he most likely knew someone was there before they even announced their presence.

“Kazem, please show Ms. Levant to her dorm room.”

“Of course, Sir.”

“I hope to see you around, Ms. Levant,” Evander said to me.

I resisted the urge to bow. My research told me that was reserved for royalty only, and although Evander held grace and sophistication, he was not a member of the royal family. I couldn’t help but think he would make a great leader and how did he end up at Regia? Would someone like him be a true ally to me? Would I find trust in him? Could I believe his words?

After bidding my goodbyes, I headed for the door just as it swung open.

The sensation that crawled over me froze me in my steps.

A stranger swept in, black cloak billowing behind him with his lithe movements. Kaz bent over in a bow, placing his forearm to his chest. My breath caught in my throat and I remained motionless.

As the young man’s glittering golden gaze passed over me, it felt as if time slowed around us. The color gave away his status. Only the royal bloodline held that regal hue. He was the crown prince.

His mouth twisted, lips curving down as his eyes pierced into mine, pinning me down. Cold, hard, and burning with barely concealed disdain. Hair the color of coal curled over his forehead, immaculately parted to the side. It looked soft— unlike the sharpness of the rest of his features. His jawline seemed to be carved by the gods themselves, skin kissed by Apollo. Gold shimmered on his ears and at the hollow of his throat, wrapped around his slender neck.

I couldn’t turn away. My body felt heavy, as if unseen hands were forcing me to bow before him. I felt caught. Rooted by his effect. Trapped in his deadly snare. Suffocating inside his pull. As if he controlled gravity, attracting everyone and everything toward him. Each step he took echoed in my ears and rattled my chest.

I fought to break it.

And then in a heartbeat, just when it felt my knees were just about to give out, the moment passed. He narrowed his eyes briefly and then his attention came off me and onto Evander. I could breathe again. I could move.

Kaz gently grasped my elbow, guiding me out of the room. My mind felt stuck in a mire, fighting to pull pieces of thought together. “What was that?” I managed to get out.

“Sway,” Kaz responded. “I didn’t realize it would have any effect on humans.”

My fingers went to my throat, feeling my pulse racing under it. “He can’t control people with it, can he?”

Kaz laughed. “No. It’s just to remind us who we serve.”

I found it hard to find any amusement in that like the way Kaz did. I’d never felt so out of my own control. Even if I had wanted to run, it would have been futile. My body now felt exhausted, reminding me of times where I’d sparred with my father for ten hours straight. I’d read about that Sway during my research, but the papers sorely underestimated it. The readings made it sound like a light intimidation, like watching a jaguar through a cage. But in reality, it felt like an invisible knife to my throat, ready to cut at the first sight of disloyalty.

My hand never strayed from my neck as I followed Kaz back into the courtyard and to the buildings settled on the furthest left side. He was explaining something to me, but I couldn’t focus, only picking up on the fact that these were the dorms.

“They’re co-ed, so your room will be next to mine,” he said, now catching my attention.

“Co-ed? What’s the other building for then?”

“This building is for nobility, the other for everyone else.”

I frowned. “So even in this society rich people are regarded as higher beings.”

Kaz chewed on his bottom lip. “The rooms are all the same. This building just has more security because of our social status. All the students are treated fairly, otherwise.”

“I see.”

I wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or worried that I was placed into the high-security dormitory. Having Kaz near me eased my anxiety a little bit, though. If there was ever a problem, he was right next door.

Perhaps trusting Kaz so quickly wasn’t smart, but if I stayed on guard my entire time, I would never trust anyone.

Each floor in the building had a small common area that led to the dorm halls and was guarded by two well-dressed and intimidating vampires. We headed to the highest floor, taking the stairs even though I saw an elevator. Upon arriving I counted only four single doors and one set of carved-wood double doors at the furthest end of the hall. Kaz walked toward the double doors and pointed at the single door closest to them. “That will be your room. And mine is the one opposite yours, right here.”

“That room at the end of the hall is…?”

Kaz offered me a sympathetic look. “Prince Claude’s. I think it’s part of the headmaster’s plan of getting you two closer.”

Prince Claude. I let out a slow breath. What had my family gotten me into? They didn’t trust me to take out a vampire, but they trusted me to befriend the prince? How did that make any sense?

“Get some rest. I’ll come fetch you in the morning to show you around the grounds, okay?”

Rest sounded good. I gave him a sleepy nod and took my suitcase from him before moving into my room. The door hadn’t been locked, but I figured three guards outside of it equaled out to the same amount of safety.

Moonlight shining through a bay window acted as my only source of light. I blindly felt along the wall until I reached a switch, flicking it up to light the chandelier on the ceiling. My mouth dropped. They considered this a dorm room? A Victorian-style four-poster bed rested along the left wall made out of carbon grey stained wood, complete with a matching dresser and side table. Across from it sat a deep blue upholstered couch, loveseat, and coffee table.

This was more space than I had at my own house.

A desk was placed in front of the center bay window and I could already imagine studying there with the breeze making the delicate curtains dance. To the side of the window, a glass door led out to a small balcony. I couldn’t wait to see the view from it.

I opened a door on the left side of the room and gaped. And a bathroom en suite? I flipped on the lights and almost blinded myself by their fluorescence. The floor was made out of white tile and there was a double vanity along the furthest wall, made out of grey oak and marble. And not only did the room have a claw foot tub, but a corner shower stall as well. The toilet was hidden by a little wall outing for added privacy.

I’d always had to share a bathroom with someone. I couldn’t fathom having my own. Baths uninterrupted? Showers without my sister barging in to use the toilet? Not having someone occupying it when you really had to pee? Was coming here really so bad after all?

I walked back into the bedroom and didn’t resist the urge to launch myself onto the bed, falling onto the softest comforter I’d ever felt. I closed my eyes and groaned, the tension leaving my body. I buried an arm under the comforter to find silk sheets. I felt bad about how excited I was. Was it okay to find solace in a luxurious room?

Part of me said no because luxurious or not, it was still smack in the middle of enemy territory. I was still sent here against my will. But the other part realized this room was a quiet place to relax, a comfortable bed with lots of space to myself, no family to hound and belittle me…

Yes, maybe I could enjoy this one thing. My family forced me here. I had to take something out of it.

Knowing I couldn’t sleep in the clothes I’d traveled all day in, I slid my body off the bed and stumbled back to my suitcase. I didn’t bother to sort anything out. I emptied out the contents, looking for my pajama shorts. Once located, I shook them out to unfold them. As I did so, a paper fluttered from the pocket of the shorts.

“What is this…?”

Claude is a false prince. Find the hidden heir within Maiestas Regia.