Chapter 84: One word: Candace
WILLA POV
The punishment from the sentinel had sounded simple enough.
Move every evacuation crate from Storage Hall A to Storage Hall C. That was it.
Unfortunately, the petty bastard had added one tiny, sadistic condition: one crate at a time.
Storage Hall C was nearly eight hundred meters away.
Which meant every miserable trip took about ten minutes, with the heavy crate digging painfully into my arms and chest.
By the third trip, my shoulders burned. By the fifth, I was seriously considering murder.
It didn’t help that the route passed directly beside the training fields.
Most students had already gone home for spring break, but some had stayed behind to prepare for the upcoming interhouse competition.
Which meant dozens of people had a front-row seat to Verah and me hauling crates across campus like unpaid laborers.
"I’m going to kill him," Verah muttered for what had to be the twentieth time.
"You said that five crates ago," I replied, arms stretched wide as I adjusted my grip. I winced as a muscle popped in my shoulder, but it did release some of the built-up tension.
"And I meant it every single time," Verah seethed, sweat dripping down her temple.
"We have twenty more left," I reminded her, grimacing inwardly at the thought. "Maybe using your charm right now would be better instead of thinking of murder."
Verah stopped dead in her tracks, glaring at me. "Yeah, I should waste my seduction skills on a prick like him. Thanks but no thanks."
"I’m just saying," I pointed out.
"I don’t want to hear it." She turned away, continuing to walk while muttering darkly under her breath. "If he dies tomorrow, I swear I won’t even shed a tear for him."
"I’ll call upon the vultures to take his rotting flesh and enjoy watching them feast on him."
"Who does he think he is?"
A small smile formed on my face as I watched Verah stalking away, still muttering curses under her breath. It was weird, but I couldn’t help feeling there was something between her and that sentinel. I had seen the way they stared at each other when he was issuing the punishment. Verah had seemed so sure earlier that he wouldn’t actually go through with it.
Even though he had changed the punishment, this version felt worse. I wondered if he was trying to prove a point to her.
"Elyse!"
I spun around to see Lance running toward me. I quickly turned back and hurried after Verah instead.
"Wait up!" he called.
I didn’t answer. I kept moving, picking up my pace. It wasn’t even necessary — I could have just told him off — but right now I probably looked like someone being chased by a clown and running for her life.
"Elyse!"
I hated how he kept calling my name, drawing even more attention. Students were already watching, whispering, and staring.
"Please, Elyse..."
I stopped too suddenly. My ankle twisted awkwardly beneath me. I gasped, swaying backward. My eyes widened as I thrust my arms out, desperately trying to regain my balance.
But it was too late.
I fell face-first onto the wet grass, my cheek barely an inch from a jagged rock. Pain throbbed through my head from the impact. I groaned, rolling onto my side in the damp grass.
"Are you okay?!" Lance asked, reaching me in seconds.
"Does it look like I am?" I snapped, still sprawled on the ground. He was the reason I was in this humiliating situation, and by the Goddess, I had managed to embarrass myself even more.
I lifted my head to see him standing right in front of me, hand extended. I ignored it.
Pushing myself up into a sitting position, I brushed blades of grass and specks of dirt from my sweatshirt, refusing to meet his eyes.
"Are you alright?" I heard Verah call from behind, her voice laced with worry.
"I’m fine," I answered, still sitting on the damp grass.
I stayed there for another few seconds while Lance crouched in front of me, staring intently.
"What did I do wrong?" he started.
"That’s the reason you’ve been calling me?" I said in disbelief.
"Yes," he said, letting out a frustrated sigh. "You won’t even pick up my calls. I fucking called you twenty times last night and thirty times today. What else would you have me say?"
"Maybe you deserve the lack of response," I mumbled, pushing myself up from the ground.
"Maybe," he said quietly.
I tested my leg on the ground. Luckily, it wasn’t sprained. Then I glanced down at him. He was still looking at me.
"I don’t even know what I did that makes you keep avoiding me," he murmured, rising to his feet. "If you can make me understand better, then I won’t bother you anymore."
"One word," Verah interrupted, stepping closer. "Candace."
Lance frowned at her as she continued.
"And she doesn’t want you, bro. Give it up. She said no to a date. Why do you keep trying to force her?"
She gripped my hand, pulling me along. "Twenty crates won’t carry themselves. We don’t have all day to waste here."
"Hold up," Lance said, stopping us again. He moved in front of us, blocking our path. "Did you just say Candace?"
"Yes," Verah snapped. "That dirty little man-stealing whore, Candace."
"What does that have to do with me?" Lance asked, his confusion deepening.
"Maybe because you were flirting with her earlier," she pointed out.
Lance looked from Verah to me. His gaze lingered on my face, causing a faint blush to rise on my cheeks.
It took a minute for his eyes to widen in realization.
"Thank God," Verah muttered. "Now we don’t have to try to make you understand."
"Wait!" he said. "I don’t know what you saw, but nothing is going on between us."
I snorted. "Nothing? You were laughing with her... no," I shook my head, the image still burning behind my eyes. "I don’t even care if you laughed with her. But I saw you leave the courtyard with her, and you’re standing here telling me nothing is going on."
Lance chuckled softly, but it sounded forced. "Give me some credit, Elyse. I was in the common room speaking to Elliott."
Was he really?
"What were you discussing with Candace then?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
"Nothing interesting," he answered quickly.
Too quickly.
"Hesitation," Verah said, her tone dripping with mock sweetness. "Good one, cousin."
"Why are you making this worse?" Lance growled through clenched teeth, shooting her a glare.
"Am I?" Verah replied, flashing a bright, innocent smile. "Go to the dance by yourself, since you can’t come clean."
"Hopefully, Kol, Eric, or Dash will ask her out and she’ll surely agree," Verah added, clearly enjoying herself as she made everything worse.
I didn’t try to stop her. Part of me wanted to hear Lance’s reasons but he wasn’t giving any.
"Let’s go," I said, turning away from him.
"Damn it, Verah!" Lance snarled behind us.
