Chapter 175

Camille and Instructor Robin weren’t the only ones to unexpectedly complicate Natalie’s life. Immediately after her first academic class of the day and headed for her next, Natalie found her passage through the halls blocked by a familiar face.

And not familiar in a good way.

Elida. Natalie nearly walked straight into the woman, she appeared so suddenly. She even started to apologize for almost running into her, but that bit of politeness dried up the second her brain registered the woman’s features. The long, straight red hair, green eyes, and the faux-friendly, arrogant expression on her face. Any of Natalie’s lingering good mood disappeared.

“Now that’s a scowl if I’ve ever seen one,” Elida said approvingly. “You must have been thinking of me, this past week. I’m flattered.”

“Elida.”

“Natalie,” she replied, tone filled with false sweetness. “Mind if I steal a moment? We need to talk.” Her eyes flicked to Jordan and Sofia. “Alone.”

“About what?”

“Oh, just friendly chit-chat.” She smiled, and, while ostensibly friendly, there was something about the expression—maybe the amount of teeth she bared—that genuinely made Natalie feel uneasy.

Natalie looked at Jordan and Sofia, and while both of them looked wary, neither had expressions that suggested she should ignore the woman. Natalie would love to tell Elida to fuck off on principle, but that didn’t seem smart. Plus, her curiosity had been piqued. What would Elida need to talk to her about?

“Guess I’ll catch up,” Natalie said. Jordan, in return, gave her a significant look that could only mean ‘be careful’. Natalie would know; she’d gotten that one about a million times before.

“See you in class,” Jordan said. After a brief hesitation, she and Sofia kept walking, leaving Natalie and Elida alone.

Elida’s calculating green eyes followed them as they went, which aggravated Natalie with surprising intensity, even if Natalie didn’t see any hostility, there. She just hated the snake’s attention being directed at Jordan and Sofia in any capacity. Several times more than herself.

“So,” Natalie said tersely. “What do you want?”

Elida calmly faced back to Natalie. “Oh, come now, Natalie. Is that any way to speak to a classmate? Where are your manners?”

“Stop acting like we’re friends and get to the point.”

“Maybe not friends,” Elida said musingly, “but we are colleagues. Truly, the hostility is unnecessary.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

Elida rolled her eyes. She folded her arms and gave Natalie a patronizing look. “Don’t tell me you’re still crying about that altercation in the dungeon. How long has it been? It’s water under the bridge.”

Natalie stared at the woman, a mix between impressed at her audacity, and, obviously, infuriated. She had intended to moderate herself in this conversation—heeding Jordan’s advice—but, unsurprisingly, she failed to keep that conviction.

“Just wondering,” Natalie said, “but are you trying to be a giant bitch, or does it just happen?”

The woman’s eyebrows went up, though, unfortunately, she didn’t seem offended: just surprised at Natalie’s bluntness. She laughed, even seeming amused by it.

“Did you really just call a Parda-Halt a bitch, and to her face, no less?” Elida asked. “My, my. I mean, you’re right, of course, but what a terrible idea. You wouldn’t last a day in court. I suppose it’s refreshing, if nothing else.” She waved her hand dismissively. “No, but really, we aren’t enemies, Natalie. Or, rather, my hostilities concern Elizabeth. And in extension, her team. But not you.”

“I’m on her team.”

Elida quirked an unimpressed eyebrow, as if annoyed that Natalie didn’t understand her point. And while Natalie did, she also found it unbelievably stupid. Jordan herself had been the first to suggest that Elida wasn’t necessarily their enemy, and that the whole event in the dungeon didn’t involve them personally, however much it technically, literally had. But the crazy part was that Elida expected Natalie to be okay with getting caught in the crossfire. To accept she’d been collateral damage of the feud between House Beaumon and House Parda-Halt and not think twice about it.

Natalie shifted from side to side, her agitation growing. She tried to keep Jordan’s advice in mind. Because however annoying this encounter was, becoming a target of Elida’s would be much worse. The Parda-Halts were dangerous. And not in the stuck-up, snide, irritating way of most arrogant nobles, but genuinely dangerous.

Unfortunately, logic and keeping a cool head had never been Natalie’s strongest suit. Something about the smug, patronizing expression on Elida’s face really got under her skin. In a way even Sofia couldn’t.

“Okay, look, bitch,” Natalie said. “Maybe I’m not your enemy, but after what you did, you’re mine. And you know that. You can read it on my face. So do we really need to play games and pretend otherwise?”