Chapter 8 Chapter 8
Amber
I walked back to my dorm in a daze, Damian's final words echoing in my head like a death sentence.
I had only seven days to somehow convince the most intimidating person I'd ever met that I was valuable enough to keep around without getting myself exiled or killed in the process.
My boots scuffed against the stone pathway as I climbed the stairs to room 237, my mind racing. What could I possibly offer Damian Blackwood? The guy who didn't want followers, didn't need help, and looked at me like I was a particularly annoying insect he couldn't swat away.
I pushed open the door to find Ellie sprawled across her bed, a textbook open in front of her that she clearly wasn't reading.
She sat up the second I entered. "Oh thank the goddess! I thought they might have actually killed you and dumped your body in the forest or something. What happened? Why were we all sent away but only you stayed in that hall?”
"Ellie. Breathe."
She sucked in a dramatic breath. "Right. But I am dying to know what happened."
I looked at her staring at me with those big, round eyes and hopeful smile. I have made 5 enemies and zero friends, might as well start working on that.
“Promise me you won't tell anyone.”
She held her hand to her heart while mimed zipping her lips shut with the other.
“I swear I wont.”
"My scent somehow affects all four alpha heirs who want me dead except Damian, who also wants me dead by the way, so I may have to share a room with him until they figure out how to..."
She didn’t bother to let me complete.
"What??" She scrambled off her bed and onto mine, grabbing my shoulders. "You're going to be roommates with Damian Blackwood? THE Damian Blackwood? Tall, dark, broody, probably-has-an-eight-pack Damian Blackwood?"
"Why would you assume he has an eight-pack?"
"Have you seen him? That man looks like he never skipped core day." She shook me slightly.
"Amber! Do you understand what this means? You're going to see him sleep! And wake up! With bed hair! Does he have bed hair? Oh goddess, what if he's one of those guys who looks even hotter in the morning?" she said dreamily.
"Ellie, he hates me."
"He doesn't hate you, he's just emotionally constipated. There's a difference."
She bounced excitedly. "And you're going to live with him. LIVE. WITH. HIM. Do you know how many girls would commit actual crimes for this opportunity?"
I stared at her.
"Did you miss the part where four alpha heirs wanted me dead?"
"No, I caught that part. But also you're the only girl in this entire academy who makes four alpha heirs lose their minds just by existing. That's like... main character energy."
"That's a death sentence!"
"Potato, po-tah-to." She waved a hand. "So when do you move in? Does he sleep shirtless? He definitely sleeps shirtless, right? Oh! What if he walks around shirtless?"
"ELLIE."
She blinked at me innocently. "What? These are valid logistical questions."
I groaned and fell backward on the bed. "It gets worse."
"I genuinely don't see how."
"He gave me one week," I said to the ceiling. "One week to prove I'm worth the trouble of keeping around. Only if I can make myself useful, he will tolerate me. And he specifically said I wouldn't last a day."
"Oh." Ellie's excitement dimmed for about three seconds. "Wait, that's actually kind of hot though? Like a challenge? Prove yourself worthy of sharing my space, human."
"Why is that your takeaway?"
"I read a lot of romance novels, okay? This is premium enemies-to-lovers setup!" She grabbed my hand. "But seriously what's your plan?"
"I don't have one." I sat up, pulling my hand back to run it through my hair.
"So!" She clapped her hands together. "Strategy time. Let's brainstorm. What does Damian need?"
"A smile?"
"Amber, focus." She tapped her pen against the notebook. "What if you... cook for him?"
I gave her a look. "I almost set my house…I meant my room on fire."
“How?”
“I tried to boil water.”
"How do you burn…never mind." She scribbled something out. "Okay, scratch that. Um... laundry service?"
"He'd probably kill me for touching his clothes."
"Right, Boundaries are important." She chewed on her pen. "Ooh! What if you become his personal…"
"Don't say maid."
"...emotional support human!"
I blinked. "What?"
"Think about it! He's all dark and broody and probably has like, seventeen different kinds of trauma. What if you just... listen to him? Be supportive? Maybe style his hair"
"I'm not touching his hair. Though he called me Carrot, Gingerhead and whatnot already."
"You're right, he'd murder you. But damn, he is already giving you cute nicknames."
I glared at her. “Nothing is cute about those names. I prefer Amber.”
She was quiet for a moment, tapping her pen frantically. "Okay, just hear me out without freaking out…what if you seduce him?"
"WHAT?"
"No, listen!" She held up her hands defensively. "You will live in close quarters, share a room, probably a bathroom…and you'll be there when he's vulnerable, like right after training when he's all sweaty and…"
"Absolutely not," I cut her off, my face burning. "First of all, that's insane. Second, he'd throw me off the roof."
"Or throw you onto his bed," Ellie said with wiggling eyebrows.
"I'm going to throw you off the roof." I huffed.
She giggled. "Okay, bad idea. But you have to admit there's tension there. I saw the way he looked at you in the assembly hall."
"He looked at me like I was a problem to get rid of."
"Exactly! You're a mystery! Guys love mysteries!" She grabbed my shoulders again. "What if you just... lean into it? Wear something low-cut, leave your hair down, maybe 'accidentally' walk out of the shower in just a towel, you know?"
"Ellie!"
"There's a fine line between danger and desire!" she protested, then paused. "Wait, I think I read that in one of my books. Ignore that. But seriously, what if you just... I don't know, be yourself? Maybe he'll like you?"
"He definitely won't."
"You don't know that! You could bond over your mutual hatred of the four heirs. Or your love of—wait, what do you love?"
"Not getting exiled."
"See? Common ground!" She scribbled in her notebook again.
"What if you save his life? Like, dramatically. Maybe jump in front of a knife for him"
"Where would I get a knife? And who's throwing knives?"
"I don't know, I'm brainstorming!" She threw her hands up. "Ordinary students just need to please the alpha heirs but you made them all obsessed with you on day one and the Mad King’s heir calls you ginger! That's not normal!"
“I guess I will just try to not get under his skin.”
Ellie sighed dramatically. "Fine. But if you change your mind about the seduction plan, I have a book you can borrow. Chapter seven has this thing with tongues that…"
"ELLIE!!!" She dissolved into giggles while I furiously blinked to not think of Damian's tongue.