Caterina’s eyes rested only briefly on Rahul. “Hello.” Turning back to Jaya, she said, “As I was saying—”

“I—I like your, the red. It’s very witchy.” Rahul pushed his glasses up. Jaya noticed the tips of his ears had gone red.

Caterina turned back to him, raising an imperious eyebrow. “Witchy?”

“In a good way,” Rahul rushed to add. His ears were practically flaming now. Neither Jaya nor Caterina said anything for a long moment. Jaya couldn’t think of what to say. No amount of royal training had prepared her for this.

“E-everyone loves Halloween,” Rahul blurted into the quiet.

Leo materialized from nowhere. “Do you want to go get a drink, my friend?” he said quickly, putting an arm around Rahul’s shoulders.

“No, not really,” Rahul said, but Leo practically dragged him away.

Jaya itched her eyebrow. What on earth was all that? Finally, turning back to Caterina, she shook her head and said, “You were saying?”

“Alaric.” Caterina blinked and looked around. “I don’t see him.”

Jaya tugged at an earlobe, making her chandelier earrings dance. “Ah… he’s… perhaps he’s in the bathroom? Or getting some fresh air outside the building?” The memory of Daphne Elizabeth rushing off to follow someone with very shiny black shoes flashed through her brain. She hoped her expression wouldn’t give her away. Daphne Elizabeth had become a friend of sorts. She couldn’t tell Caterina the truth, not without it feeling like a betrayal.

Caterina pursed her hot pink lips. “We’re on a rooftop. And he’s been gone a half hour.”

“Right.” Jaya swept her gaze around the rooftop. Where were Caterina’s friends, anyhow? Shouldn’t she be talking to them? A clot of people moved out of the way, and Jaya caught sight of three girls, Heather, Imogen, and Rebecca, all seniors, all Caterina’s friends, laughing in a group of people on the other side of the rooftop. Jaya got the feeling Caterina had purposely left them behind to come talk to her. She turned back to Caterina. “I really can’t help, I’m afraid. So, how is your semester going so far?”

“Okay,” Caterina said after a pause. Then, straightening, “Marvelously, as a matter of fact. I’m throwing a charity gala on a yacht the end of November. You’ll get an invitation.” She took a sip of her drink.

“Oh, are you?” Jaya said, relieved they’d moved on from Alaric. “How lovely!”

Caterina waved a well-manicured hand, careful not to spill her drink. “Well, it’s what we do, isn’t it? Galas and balls and event upon event for charity. Noblesse oblige and all that.”

Jaya smiled. “What charity are you raising money for?” Amma loved fundraising for charity. She’d probably be interested when Jaya told her about the mixer later (a very sanitized version that wouldn’t involve Grey Emerson at all, naturally).