SERAPHINA'S POV
It seemed like a fantastic idea in my head to approach Lucian, but as I draw closer to the group of guys he's with, self-doubt and nervousness flood over me.
Just when I'm about to retreat, our eyes lock-his silver eyes meeting mine. We both freeze for a moment, suspended in time.
His eyes widen as if he's seeing me for the first time, or maybe he's just taking in my new look.
Whatever it is, it seems to catch him completely off guard.
"Hey!" he's the first to break the silence, pulling away from his friends almost immediately.
"Hey!" I echo, injecting my voice with enthusiasm as I attempt to cloak my nervousness.
In mere seconds, he's closed the distance between us, standing close enough for me to catch the mix of his cologne and a slight, manly musk.
"Awesome party you've got going on here," he says, edging even closer.
Fumbling awkwardly with my fingers, I suddenly become hyper-aware of my outfit, my makeup, every little detail.
But even in the midst of my self-consciousness, there's a strange sort of electricity in the air, and for better or worse, it's utterly intoxicating.
"Yeah, thanks. Credit mostly goes to Alice and Juliet." And Artemis.
Lucian nods once and seems to be in a daze, his eyes scanning my face as though seeing me anew. Finally, he shakes his head slightly as if snapping back to reality.
"You look breathtaking tonight. And congratulations again, on winning."
"Thank you." My cheeks burn, nervously twirling a lock of my hair around my finger, feeling every bit the archetype of a high school girl about to get asked out.
An awkward silence stretches between us. Gathering my courage, I'm about to ask him to dance when one of his friends interrupts.
"Lucian, you coming?"
He glances back at his friends, then back at me, looking torn. Eventually, his shoulders slump in resignation.
"Sorry, Sera. Duty calls. I gotta go chug some beer."
"Oh, no, it's fine," I reassure him, even as a tinge of disappointment hits me.
"Maybe when I'm done, we can do something together?" His question sends a wave of fireworks exploding inside me.
"Sure!" I respond, a little too eagerly, then try to temper my enthusiasm. "I mean, sure."
"Great."
"Great."
He chuckles, taking a few steps backward while maintaining eye contact, before finally turning and jogging over to his friends.
I let out a sigh of relief as he disappears into the crowd, the tension that had built up inside me dissipating.
I walk over to a table not far from where he and his friends are gathered, picking up a can of Coke. As I sip, my eyes find him again, lost in laughter and the camaraderie of his friends.
Every so often, his eyes meet mine, and he gifts me with a smile that makes my heart do little somersaults.
Is this what having a crush feels like? This giddy sensation that spontaneously brings a smile to my lips, tingling my cheeks in the process?
I laugh to myself, taking another sip of my drink, just watching the night unfold.
Everyone is having fun; Alice and Juliet are downing more shots and dancing. The only person missing now is Olivia.
I miss her, but she's still recovering, and the nurse says it'll be a week before she can return to the dorm room.
Minutes pass, and Lucian is still fully engrossed in his game. I decide to clear my head and flush the remaining alcohol from my system with a walk.
I pass a few people making out in corners, averting my eyes in the process. For some reason, my mind wanders to Artemis.
Where is he anyway?
It's almost an hour in, and there's no sign of him.
I can already spot the rest of his friends. Ace is making out with a girl at one end of the dance floor, and Jasper is flirting with a group of girls.
Don't tell me he didn't come to a party he helped plan-my party.
Who cares anyway? It's not like we're friends.
Still, my heart stings at the thought of him not being here right now. I got all dolled up and everything.
Feeling bored and alone, I continue my walk, sipping my coke and sulking about Artemis's absence.
Then I hear a faint whisper as I approach a small shed in a more secluded area of the party.
Tuning in, I strain to make out the soft, whispery voice coming from the shadowy corner.
"Artemis," she murmurs, her words punctuated by moans and a low feral growl follows the sound of it.
My heart sinks, plummeting into my stomach, as I dare a glance around the wall's edge. There they are-entangled.
He leans into her, her legs sensually coiled around his waist. Their lips and bodies are magnetically fused, hooked on each other like a second apart could kill them.
Even from my vantage point, the wet sounds of their kisses reach my ears.
A strong wave of indefinable emotions crashes over me.
How could he be passionately making out with some random girl, especially here at my own party? And when he hadn't even had the decency to say hi when he arrived?
I bite my lower lip, a sharp pang shooting across my chest, mirroring the emotional sting.
As I turn to walk away from the scene, my heart suddenly races, beating so hard and so fast that the thumping party music fades into a distant, inaudible echo.
All that's left is the sound of my rapid, shallow breathing, filling my ears as the world around me starts to spin.
I walk briskly away, bumping into a few people, until I collide with someone and her drinks pour over my dress instantly.
"Hey, watch it!" she screams at me, but I don't wait to hear the end of it, running off immediately.
So much for a fun night, and all it took to ruin it all was Artemis being a fucking asshole.
I don't understand why I am so angry, why my entire body is reacting this way, why my heart feels like it's being ripped with poisoned claws, but I know that it's all his fault.
I finally stop once I'm a good distance away from the party, in the dark and next to this large boulder-looking structure, breathing so hard that my chest burns from the inflow of freezing cold air.
I sit atop a huge rock, resting my back and closing my eyes, but all I can see is that scene playing over and over again.
Him pinning her against the wall and kissing her.
It's nothing surprising.
I've always known he was a player, sleeping with everything; just... I haven't seen him with any girl, so I guess I forgot that side of him.
I groan, slamming my fist against the large boulder, wincing from the pain that erupts from my bruised fist.
I swear under my breath now, invested in my own pain, until I spot someone dressed in all black, in a cloak.
He emerges from the party, meeting up with another guy in the shadows, talking to him. I'm close enough to make out a few words from their exchange.
"He's looking for you. He made strict orders not to attend the party or be seen in public until everything's in place with the plan."
"I just wanted to see the bitch that got Morgan out of the election race and has the balls to throw a fucking party to rub it in our faces," he sneers, his timid voice trembling with malice.
The words 'Morgan' and 'bitch' draw my attention now, and I remain silent, hiding from their line of sight the moment their eyes wander around to check if they're being watched.
I suddenly have a strong inkling that whoever these guys are, they're with Morgan. What they're doing here, though, I don't know.
"Where is he?"
"Come on," he responds to his counterpart, turning to leave now.
I wait a few minutes after they've walked away before peeking out from my hiding spot, my heart now pumping with adrenaline.
Questions pop up in my mind. I have no idea what they're talking about, but I have a feeling they're definitely up to something, clearly related to the elections.
I know I should go right now and report this to Artemis, the head of the investigation, but I immediately remember he's too busy kissing a girl.
Then a good idea-probably fueled by the alcohol in my system-pops up in my head: what's the fastest and easiest way of following them without getting caught? Why can't I uncover and expose them myself?