Chapter 29 Camellias At Dawn
Kira’s POV
I woke up feeling like I was on top of the world.
It felt like I’d slept on a cotton-candy marshmallow cloud. My body felt loose, my head sharp, and for the first time since I died and magically came back to life…three days ago to be precise…I didn’t feel like keeping my guard up and trying to learn the ropes.
I felt like setting everything in this realm on fire. Not literally of course.
I blinked at the sunlight sneaking up on me through the curtains and sighed. Another day to walk into that academy and watch Victoria’s obviously botched nose job twitch when I passed by.
Another day to be the ice queen everyone suddenly feared. Another day to put them all in their places if they dared breathe wrong in my direction.
I stretched like a satisfied cat, arms overhead, toes pointed, back arching, ready to step out and storm the academy. But just then, the memory slammed into me.
Mr Dominic’s office, his mouth on mine, the way he’d kissed me like he was starving.
My chest locked up so hard I actually rubbed the spot over my heart. The feeling was unexplainable. I felt disgusted with myself in a way that seemed unnatural thinking about the kiss.
But why should I be? It was just a kiss. Adrian was mad…and so what? Not like he ever valued Abby. Besides…he has a mistress and a son. I have no intention of playing tug of war with another woman just to win a man’s heart.
And I don’t want his heart.
I have far more important things to settle… Like revenge.
And revenge means leaving here. And leaving here means sticking with Mr Dominic. So that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
I’d asked him point-blank yesterday, breath still ragged from the kiss, “Are we lovers?”
He’d smiled that slow, filthy smile, cupped my cheeks with both hands, and said, voice velvet and sweet, “You’re my pet, little one…mine alone.”
Pet? His alone?
Ptff. As if!
But still, the word scraped something raw inside me. I still don’t know why it made me feel…dirty. Wrong. Like I was a pretty thing on the wrong leash.
What on earth was Abby up to anyway?
But I swallowed it, because I needed him. I need him to fly me to L.A. exactly like he planned with the real Abby. I need him distracted, thinking everything is still according to their script.
I can’t let him suspect I’m not her.
I rolled out of bed, silk sheets sliding off my skin that suddenly felt too tight, and that’s when I saw them.
On the vanity, lit up by the morning sun like they were glowing on purpose…an absurd, huge bouquet of red camellias.
Not roses, camellias. Deep, velvet, impossible red. The language of flowers drilled into me by months of boring etiquette lessons my mother made me learn screamed in my head…
I love you beyond cure.
My heart aches for you.
You are the flame in my soul.
Undying, ridiculous, dramatic love.
Those are what camellias symbolize.
I walked over like I was in a trance, lifted the heavy crystal vase, and buried my face in them. The scent hit me like a drug, sweet, rich, a little dangerous and I exhaled.
A tiny, traitorous smile tugged at my lips.
Then I remembered who must have left them here and my mood turned sour.
I scoffed so loud it echoed.
“Seriously? He thinks a bunch of fancy flowers fixes bullet holes in the soul? What am I supposed to be, a dog that humps his leg if he tosses me a treat?”
I was two seconds from throwing the entire bribe out the window when a soft knock interrupted me.
The door cracked open and Liana poked her head in, eyes bright, cheeks pink like she’d run all the way here.
“Good morning, Abby…uh, I mean, Your Highness,” she corrected herself so fast she practically tripped over the words, stepping inside with a tray loaded with a teapot and cups.
Liana’s smile froze the second her eyes landed on the camellias in my hands. Her whole face twisted like she’d smelled something rotten.
“Ugh. Did the king give you those?” She marched straight past me, breakfast tray rattling in her hands. “Don’t let him fool you with pretty weeds, princess. He stood there like a statue while Bianca and her minions ripped you apart. Flowers don’t erase that.”
I snorted, loud and ugly. “Please. Like I was going to swoon and write him poetry because he finally learned what a florist is. I’m not that cheap,” I said.
But there it was…that dumb tug in my chest, the one that comes with unsolicited butterflies. Honestly, my organs need to stop signing me up for emotional nonsense.
Damn stupid flowers.
Liana’s eyes sparkled with evil glee. “Want me to chuck them?”
“Trash it. All of it. Vase too, I don’t care.”
She didn’t need telling twice. She put the tray down, snatched the giant bouquet like it personally insulted her existence, and strutted to the fancy gold bin in the corner. Petals rained on the carpet as she crammed the whole thing in…stalks snapping, water sloshing, red blooms disappearing into the bin.
When the last camellia vanished, she wiped her hands together like she’d just taken out the garbage.
“Good riddance to bad luck. He doesn’t deserve to get you flowers,” she declared, then spun around…and stopped dead.
Her eyes went glassy. “Princess…how did you even sleep in here?” Her voice cracked. “All these gloomy colors…gray, olive-green, off-white…like a fancy tomb. I know how much you hate it. I stood at the end of the corridor half the night waiting for you to come running out screaming. Thought for sure you’d have nightmares.”
I stared at her like she’d grown a second head. “What are you talking about? This room is perfect. Adrian actually got one thing right for once.” I waved at the walls. “Give me dark and dramatic over that cotton-candy pink nightmare any day. Pink makes me want to puke.”
Liana’s eyebrows shot up so high they nearly vanished into her hairline. She squinted at me, head tilted, suspicious cat energy on full blast.
When I realized why she must be looking at me like I’d hit my head, I cleared my throat. The real Abby apparently bathed in pink. I could practically hear the alarm bells ringing in her head.
Crap.
I grabbed my temples and groaned dramatically. “Ugh—sudden headache. Must be leftover from almost dying. Weird how near-death experiences rearrange your taste buds, am I right?” I gave her my best fragile-princess smile.
She stared two seconds longer, then deflated, nodding slowly. “Right. Sure. Almost dying would mess anyone up.”
Saved. For now.
She turned back to the tray, lifted the teapot like it was liquid gold, and poured something thick and colorless like water into a delicate cup. Steam curled up smelling like herbs and earth.
“Here’s the tea I told you about, princess.” She puffed her chest out, proud as a peacock. “Exactly like I promised…will help you remember everything.”
Finally. Maybe I’ll get to recover Abby’s memories and understand what’s going on in her life.
I took the cup. Yesterday’s tea had been pale green. Today’s looked like ordinary water. “It’s… clearer than last time.”
“Stronger dose,” she chirped. “Drink up. School waits for no one, not even royalty.”
I glanced at the bin full of murdered camellias, sighed, and knocked the whole thing back in one go. Bitter, earthy, and weirdly thick…like drinking soil after rain. I slammed the empty cup down.
“There. Happy?”
Liana beamed like I’d just handed her a crown. “Perfect, my princess.”
I took two steps toward the bathroom to freshen up for school, and the world tilted.
My vision blurred at the edges, floor swaying under my feet like I was on a boat. I blinked hard, shook my head. Nope. Still spinning.
“Uh… Liana?”
My knees buckled. The marble rushed up to kiss my face.
Last thing I heard before everything went black…
A deep, commanding voice inside my skull, clear as a bell.
“Come find me.”
Then nothing.