Holding her breath, willing herself to not feel a single iota of any of the hundreds of emotions swirling through her like a tempest—heartbreak, misery, yearning, anguish—Jaya descended the stairs.

Grey

Watching her glide down the stairs, Grey knew. He’d made the right decision. Fighting for Jaya, telling her he wasn’t going to give up so easily, would be the best decision he’d ever made. As soon as she was done descending, she was swallowed up by a small crowd of people, all eager to talk to her.

Grey smiled when her eyes met his, before turning away. He could wait. He didn’t have all the time in the world, but he had all night. Perhaps he should feel more anxious, more fearful, that his birthday was tomorrow. He’d caught a glimpse of Jaya’s pendant; he’d seen there were only two rubies remaining. But he didn’t feel anxious, and he didn’t feel scared. Because, whatever his future held, he knew that it also held Jaya.

Jaya

The school had arranged for transportation to take them to the ballroom so they wouldn’t have to walk in the snow with their expensive shoes and clothes. Jaya looked out the window when the van holding her and a few other students (but not Grey; she’d lost track of him, and hoped to continue avoiding him the rest of the night. Seeing him, those blue eyes, was just too painful) pulled up to the entrance of the ballroom.

The ballroom was always impressive; its domed roof and ornate stone pillars brought to mind Victorian-era balls and parties. But tonight it was absolutely captivating. Projectors hidden behind trees and boulders had transformed the plain roof into a shimmering dome made entirely of stars. The pillars held thick strands of ivy and twinkle lights, and dozens of large glass lanterns filled with flickering pillar candles and fake snow lit the path up the stairs and to the heavy wooden double doors.

“Wow,” Jaya whispered, one hand against the window, impressed in spite of her mood.

“Wait till you see inside,” Daph said. “St. R’s always goes all out for this. Come on.”

She was right. Inside the doors, Jaya stood looking around. “I’ve seen lavish parties before, but never at a school. Never like this.”