"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" I asked Miles as he went to unlock his door. He turned to me, startled.

"Don't do that!" He clutched his hand to his chest and steadied himself against the wall. "Anyway, I should be the one asking where you've been."

"I was just looking around," I admitted.

"Without me?" He gasped, unlocking his door and stepping through it, shopping bags in hand.

I went in with him. "I'll make it up to you, promise." It was then that I began paying attention to the room I was in.

It was no different, size wise, to mine, but leant against his chest of drawers and rested on the window sill were what seemed to be dozens and dozens of paintings.

"What?" He asked when he realised I was just stood in the middle of the room, in awe.

"This is mad," I said. "You made all these?" He nodded. "Bloody hell, these are incredible."

It was no wonder he had secured a scholarship for art at Attwood, especially if all his work looked like this. I paid particular interest to one with him as the muse, spatterings of yellow looking like war paint across his face.

"Come on, let's just go," he said, pulling me away and out of the door.

***

We'd ended up at the stables, despite Miles previous refusal. Something was on his mind, I could tell. He just seemed a little detached. I put it aside when he seemed less than willing to delve into it.

"Do you think we'd be able to sue if we die right now?" Miles asked as we neared the stable entrance.

I thought back to all the papers we'd had to sign. "I reckon they made us agree to a waiver."

"Damn it," he muttered.

On either side of us, horses were in their areas, various shades of brown, black, and even a few white ones. They were all huge, towering above even Miles.

"Holy—"

"I'm out," Miles said, going to walk away before I caught his sleeve. He groaned in annoyance.

"It's not that bad," I said, my words attempting to back track as quickly as possible as I caught sight of two figures, one a boy and the other a girl. Not just any girl and boy, though.

It only had to be Archer and the dragon girl, didn't it?

Miles followed my gaze and this time, he was the one to catch me before I hightailed it out of there.

"Come on, you were the one that dragged me here."

I huffed a sigh, "Fine."

Archer and Michelle were talking between each other at the far end.

As they noticed us, Archer leant in to her and whispered something. He was in his usual attire whilst Michelle stood looking like a professional horse rider. Neither looked particularly happy to see us there.

"Are they still looking?" I asked Miles, both of us now leant against one of the horse's gates.

Beside the odd worker, we were the only ones there and to say I felt intimidated would be an understatement.

"Isn't it a bit strange that they're here... alone?"

I cocked a brow. "No, why?"

"It's just there was this article and apparently Archer's got a girlfriend, as in his first ever one."

"Why's that so strange?" Whether Michelle and him were a 'thing' didn't really concern me, like at all.

"Babe, he's the most eligible bachelor right now, people are piiissed." He started fiddling with his hoodie strings. "Shit, shit, he's coming," he muttered to me whilst tapping me repeatedly, being way too obvious.

I turned slightly.

As Archer passed, he seemed impassive, but I noticed him glance over at us, even if for only a split second. He was gone before I could analyse it too much.

"Can we go now?" Miles whined. "I'm hungry."

"You go, I'll catch up with you later." It was strange for me not to be hungry. Usually the stress of everything made me binge eat like crazy, but this time it was having the adverse effect.

He wandered, more like cantered, off. I watched him go, my back now against the door.

I yelped and ducked my head as I was hit by a tail from behind. I stumbled to the side, a bucket clanking to the ground loudly.

I landed on the floor with a 'thud' and winced.

I heard her before I saw her— her slightly heeled boots hitting the ground, clacking with every step, bringing her horse with her. She had looked reluctant, but upon seeing me on the floor, she made her way over.

She was above me now, so I had to crane my neck to see her. A hand was pushed towards me, and she nodded at it, encouraging me to take it.

"Thanks," I mumbled. "But... why are you helping me?"

She pushed her red hair over to one side. "I was out of order the other day."

"Is this your way of apologising?"

I doubted she apologised much. I would have to take whatever I could get.

"Some may say that... but don't push it." She went to turn away, back to the largest horse I'd ever seen. "This doesn't mean I like you, by the way." I went to say I did know, but she was heading towards the exit.

Two girls appeared, having been obscured during the altercation with Michelle. I expected them to pass, ignore me as usual, maybe even shout an order, but no, that would be too easy.

Preferring to skip greetings, one stepped forward. "Don't talk to her again, peasant."

Okay bitch. "By who's authority?"

"Mine," she said, in a 'duh' tone. I scoffed. "The rules here are the same as they are in society.
You are lower class, you do not associate with those of upper class, like us, like them, by any means. We ride the horses, you clean up their shit, got it?" Before walking away, she stepped closer. "And maybe sort those eyebrows out, they do cover most of your face."

My insides started boiling. "I'd say the same if you, you know, had any."

She huffed. It seemed she couldn't do any better than that, so walked away, head held high but clearly embarrassed.

"Bitch," I muttered.

***

Sounds from my window awoke me. I groaned to myself, threw off the duvet and slumped over it. Just as I was about to close it, I spotted several figures— too dark to distinguish.

Their voices were low, but I caught snippets of their conversation. Something about payment and weights of packages. I couldn't piece any of it together.

I was leaning now, my face peaking over the edge. Nothing more could be seen than that they were large and each wore cloaks. There seemed to be two separate groups: two people wearing hoodies and masks over half their faces, and the other two less wanting to hide themselves. Though they didn't wear anything to hide their identities, I was still unable to recognise any of them.

Deciding I did not want to get involved in any of whatever they were doing, I fumbled for the handle.

Fuck, I thought to myself when it stuck and I couldn't budge it one bit. I yanked it, hard.

I breathed a sigh of relief when it didn't slam.

As I looked back towards them, one of them must have felt my gaze as theirs flickered upwards to me. I flung myself sideways and out of view.

It wouldn't scare me all that much if a stranger had seen me, but it wasn't just a stranger.

I'd recognise those sea blue eyes anywhere.