Chapter 165

Time kept passing, steady as ever. I turned twenty-one.

"Happy birthday!"

Janice clapped and threw the window wide open. Blinking against the cool breeze, I lifted a half-conscious hand in reply.

"Are you really not going to hold a birthday banquet? The young ladies from the other houses are apparently looking forward to it so much."

For months now, Janice had been insisting I needed to prepare a birthday celebration. I, on the other hand, wanted this particular year to pass quietly.

As a way of mourning my past self.

Twenty-one was the age my past self had died.

"Fine. If Diana doesn't want one, we'll let it go. Still, we should at least throw our own little party among ourselves, right?"

Rumdrax had come by first thing that morning. Ever since deceiving me over the whole Bella business, he'd been paying noticeably closer attention to me.

Watching him try…