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I skidded to a stop. “Okay, that wasn’t the reaction I was expecting.”
“I—” Alex blew out a breath, rubbing his temples. “I’m sorry. I just wasn’t expecting to see you here. I told Callan to bring you to Sara.”
I shrugged. “No chance of that once he found out I was eighteen. They questioned me immediately after you left theroom. When I refused to answer, Callan offered me a one-way trip to the council. Coming here seemed like the better option.”
“Coming here isn’t optional, Aella. Neither is leaving.” He drew me in, rubbing my arms. “Okay, okay, let me think. It’ll be a thousand times harder to search for your mom with both of us here, but I’ll figure something out.”
I wished I could save him. Tell him the two of us were exactly where we needed to be, but Selene berated me for three days—warning me her allies were everywhere, and they’d act if I breathed a word about a single thing she told me.
Also, Alex was so cute when he worried his lip with that little wrinkle in his brow.
“—who’s that?”
“—with Alexander—”
“Oh my gods, he’s so gorgeous.”
Our bubble popped, letting in a tide of whispers and open stares. Everyone who passed was ogling Alex and sizing me up.
“Alex?”
“Yes?”
I flinched at a particularly nasty sneer that came my way. “Did you leave something out the other night when we were talking? Who are you in this world? Why do grown men call you master?”
“Xander.”
“Me?” He shrugged. “No one. But my father’s kind of important. And that master thing is just Callan. No one else calls me that.”
“Xander?”
“No, they call you sir. How important is your father? I overheard Stella and Luca talking about nobles. Is he one? Are you?”
“Aella.” He sighed. “My father is—”
“Xander!”
The shout sounded in my ear.
“Xander, did you hear me calling you?”
I looked up as a cloud of rose scent hit my nose, heralding the arrival of the most glamorous woman I’d ever seen. Her flowy, bloodred dress billowed behind her—marking a path through the people stopping and staring. Hair the color of roasting chestnuts fell around her shoulders, framing big brown eyes, an upturned nose, and a small mouth twisted in distaste.
“What’s this?” She raked me up and down as she curled her arm through Alex’s and pulled him close. “Go away.”
“Wow. Nice to meet you too.”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course it’s nice to meet me, but I couldn’t give a shit who you are. I said go away.” She shoved my forehead, nearly popping me off my feet. “Come on, Xander. Everyone’s here already.”
She led him off, leaving me standing there in shock and confusion. What the hell was that!
I fumed for a full minute, contemplating if I should follow. Alexander was the only person I knew at the academy. He was my friend and... possibly more. Although his choice of friends was shitty.
My eyes narrowed on the girl still hanging off his arm. She and Alexander fell in with a group of guys and girls. Demigods or mortals, I knew the popular crowd when I saw them. Each one was just as gorgeous as the other, and their mere presence created a barrier around them. People veered off and stared from the fringes—all eyes on them.
Alexander suddenly lifted his head and trapped my gaze. I heated as a slow smile curled his lips.
His eyes were on me.
