House of Korba: The Ghost Bird Series: #7 (The Academy) (17 page)

I quelled my thoughts as Luke pointed to one of the shops. “Hey, there’s a jewelry store. Let’s go look.”

It was enough of a change of topic that I focused. Not all the shops were open on a Sunday; some had their doors closed and lights off. The whole interior of the shopping center was much more elegant than the mall they’d taken me to last time. The floors were marble, and there were fancy chandeliers hanging from the wall. There was a station down the hallway with a row of seats and places to prop up feet, and it took me a minute to figure out it was for shining shoes, something I hadn’t seen except in movies and couldn’t believe still existed.

Luke was pointing to a display case filled with necklaces and rings just outside an open jewelry shop. The display was pretty fancy, with velvet-covered neck models and boxes decorated with crystals. There was a tiny jeweled clock and a gilded box covered in expensive-looking gemstones inside as well.

“Gabriel’s birthday is coming up soon,” Kota said.

“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Luke said.

“His birthday?” I asked. I knew his birthday was in November, but I’d not thought of things like birthdays for a while. I usually forgot my own. Remembering to think of someone else’s was new to me. “Should we do something?”

“Be on the lookout for something he’d like,” Luke said. “Might as well take a look while we’re waiting.”

I walked in, staying as close as possible to Kota while Luke moved forward and started looking at the display cases. My arm brushed his, and his hand reached out to mine, holding onto it. I clasped it back, waiting with him.

A salesman checked us out. He didn’t say anything, but he kept his eyes on us. I suppose because of our age, he probably thought we were just browsing.

I checked out the closest display that was filled with diamond bracelets. I didn’t see a price tag on anything in the shop. I supposed you’d have to ask. My eyes kept getting distracted by sparkling here and there. Kota moved further down the line, and I followed to stay near him and hang on to his hand still. I wasn’t really looking at anything in particular, but admiring the settings and the pretty colors of the rings in the cases.

Jewelry was one of those things that had never crossed my mind much growing up. I knew it existed, but I didn’t wear any because I didn’t have any. It was like knowing caviar existed but if you never were going to experience it, why waste time thinking of it?

“Your ears aren’t pierced?” Kota asked.

As he did, I sensed movement behind us, and noticed the salesman had moved to lean against the front of the counter and was staring at us. It was making me nervous.

“No,” I said quietly.

“Did you want to?” he asked. “I guess with your parents you probably never got a chance, but we could...”

“No ear piercings,” Luke said. “I like that she doesn’t have any. She’s like this perfect little clean slate.”

Kota released my hand and turned to Luke, touching a finger to the corner of his glasses to adjust them. “Did you ask to see if she wanted them pierced? What if she does?”

Luke’s brown eyes widened in surprise. His head tilted and he looked at me. “You’ve never mentioned it.”

My face heated and I took a small step back, almost knocking into the glass case. “I haven’t really thought about it.”

Kota put a palm at my back to guide next to him again. “We could if you’d like. You can tell us what you want to do.”

My heart raced a little. I appreciated the thought and how they both looked eager to hear what I had to say, but the truth was, I didn’t really know what I wanted. Something like getting my ears pierced hadn’t been on the table as an option before, like many things in my life. Now suddenly I had every opportunity and didn’t know where to start.

The problem was maybe I simply never assumed I’d ever have such a chance, so I never thought about exactly what I wanted. I also liked knowing what the guys liked. If I didn’t really like something, I’d say so, but some liked me in sporty clothes, and some liked me to dress formally. I liked it all, and wanted to wear what was comfortable. Something like getting my ears pierced probably wasn’t a big deal, but I didn’t have a strong opinion about it one way or another, and Luke’s confession about liking me without made me wonder if I shouldn’t.

The unease inside me told me I didn’t want to get my ears pierced, at least not today. “I don’t want to at the moment,” I said. “I’d rather look for something for Gabriel.”

This seemed to appease them both. Luke reached back and adjusted the clip in his hair. When a couple of locks fell back against his face, making a nice frame, I stared. With the high cheekbones and the strong chin and friendly eyes, he reminded me of male models in magazines. “I usually get him some new crystal earrings, but I’m thinking he might like a gold hoop or two. Or maybe a ring. Something for his pinkie.”

“He mentioned getting his tongue pierced,” Kota said. “Or his lip.”

“Mr. Blackbourne said no to the lip piercing. But he could have one of those magnetic ones or the fake hoops that don’t require...”

“Excuse me,” a voice said and we all turned, looking at the salesman. He’d approached us quietly and he kept his hands behind his back. “May I interested you three in anything?”

“Pardon us. We’re still browsing,” Kota said in an easy tone. “We’re thinking of—”

“If there isn’t anything specific,” he said, cutting Kota off, “why don’t you try the jewelry store at the mall.”

From his tone, I gathered if we weren’t going to buy, that he’d want us to move on. My spine rippled, sensing he was displeased with a few kids talking about piercing body parts. I imagined it wasn’t the type of thing he’d want other customers having to listen to, even if we were the only ones in his boutique at the moment.

Kota’s eyes narrowed and his lips pursed, but only for a quick moment. Then he straightened and the expression was completely gone, replaced by one that was unreadable. “Actually I was interested in something in a tanzanite,” he said.

The salesman blinked at him. “Pardon?”

Kota’s eyebrows lifted in mild surprise. “Tanzanite. It has a purple-blue color tone throughout. It’s a rare—”

“We don’t have any,” the man said quickly, his lips twisting down.

“Actually, I saw two in that case over there,” Kota said, pointing to one of the fancier display cases on top of the counter.

The salesman flicked his eyes toward it, and then scrunched his eyebrows. “You mean the sapphire?”

“That center ring is a tanzanite, not a sapphire. There’s a difference. A pricy one. Another store was selling one similar for around ten thousand.”

“It was twelve thousand,” Luke said. I looked between them, trying to figure out if they were lying, but it didn’t appear to be the case. Were they really looking for something like that? Luke moved toward the case with the tanzanite ring, studying the contents before poking at the glass once. “But now that you mention it, I like the other one better. It had more purple.”

“I suppose we should go back,” Kota said, with a slight sigh at the end, like he didn’t want to.

“I could show you the ring,” the salesman said, an edge of eagerness in his voice now, his demeanor changing. “If you were looking to buy today...”

“Why would we ever go into a store without the intent to buy?” Kota asked, and while his face held a look of mild indifference, there was the hint of an upward lift at the corner of his mouth. “But you’re right, Luke. Victor Morgan has a particular taste in such things. We’d want to make sure to get the best one, no matter the cost.”

At the mention of Victor’s name, the salesman’s face dropped. “Did you say Morgan?”

“Are you talking about me?” Victor’s voice said from behind us. I turned, spotting Victor in the lead, followed closely by Mr. Blackbourne and Gabriel behind them. To my surprise, Gabriel was dressed classier, with dark slacks, and a fitted dark blue shirt, the bottom hem untucked in a stylish way. He wore black loafers and his hair was combed back. Even the blond locks were combed in neatly. He was dressed to shop in expensive stores.

The change in his appearance blew me away. The three of them together, with Victor’s usual Armani shirt and black slacks, and Mr. Blackbourne’s tailored suit, maroon tie and perfect features, were simply stunning.

I stood a little closer to Kota, who was dressed a little more casual like I was.

“Mr. Morgan,” the salesman said, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. I sensed Victor had been in the store before.

“Did we see anything interesting?” Victor asked, looking directly at Kota, studying him.

There was a flurry of silent communication, a slight twitch of an eyebrow, a lift of a lip. Kota and Luke were explaining without saying a word.

Kota spoke, “We were looking for something fitting for your next concert. Something a little extravagant. I didn’t see anything of interest. Apparently they aren’t carrying tanzanite.”

“That’s the popular stone these days,” Gabriel said, his tone more formal than what I was used to. “Next month, it’ll be back to emeralds. Not those South American pale ones, but the African ones with the rich color.”

“Still,” Mr. Blackbourne said, not missing a beat. “If there isn’t anything of interest here...”

“Perhaps I could show you—” the salesman said.

Victor put a hand up, waving at him dismissively. He reached out for my hand. “It isn’t about me today, anyway.” He tugged me toward him until he could wrap an arm around my shoulders. “Let me show you this one shop across the way. I heard they have some new fashions in from Paris. You have to pick the clothes before you pick the jewelry to go with it. Right, Gabriel?”

“Right-o.” Gabriel winked at me, looking highly amused.

We walked away and the salesman’s face looked panicked.

Victor placed a gentle hand on the back of my head, massaging my scalp through my hair and getting me to turn my head around. “Don’t look,” he said. “Just walk away.”

“How did you know...?”

“I can take a hint,” he said. He looked over at Kota, who was walking on my other side. “Rude?”

“He was trying to kick us out for talking about getting her ears pierced.” I guessed since we were really talking about Gabriel’s birthday, and Gabriel was right there, they avoided that topic to not spoil the surprise.

Victor’s fire eyes ignited with curiosity. “She wants to?”

“She’s thinking about it,” Kota said.

Mr. Blackbourne spoke from behind us. “I believe Miss Sorenson can tell you if she’s interested or not. She’s right next to you. Don’t speak for her.”

I sucked in, stood taller and stared straight ahead. It was the boys who were getting a lecture and I felt them stiffen beside me.

“I wasn’t trying to,” Kota said quietly.

“I didn’t mean to,” Victor said.

“There’s no need to speak around her,” he said.

“It’s just conversation,” Luke said. I turned my head, finding his brown eyes. “And she’s very quiet when there’s a lot of us around. But she says something when she wants to.”

“I don’t want anyone to forget she is very much a part of this group and should be listened to,” Mr. Blackbourne said. He looked at me, his lips softening a bit and his steel eyes demanding my attention. “Would you like your ears pierced, Miss Sorenson?”

My fingers fluttered, tempted to touch at my lip, but I forced my hand to my side. “Maybe not today? I haven’t really considered it.”

Mr. Blackbourne nodded. Luke smiled; since he preferred my ears not to be pierced, I think he liked that I was at least not going to do it today.

Gabriel moved ahead, then stopped and turned, facing the rest of us. “Okay, now that we’re here, who wants to start?”

“Where are we going, anyway?” Luke asked.

“The shop should be on the second floor,” he said.

“There’s a second floor?” I asked.

Gabriel kept his crystal eyes on me, grinning. “Yeah, Trouble, we’re at the good spots, now. Time to indulge a bit.”

“We don’t have too much time,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “Let’s focus on what we need for homecoming.”

“After that, we can play,” Victor said.

I glanced back at Mr. Blackbourne, waiting for him to say something like we would have to get back to work or back home. He said nothing of the sort and simply continued walking with us.

With six of us together, it turned into Victor and Gabriel walking beside me and Luke and Kota falling back to talk with Mr. Blackbourne. It felt odd to have Mr. Blackbourne hanging out with us. Was this normal for them outside of school? Now that we were together outside official environments, changing gears to having Mr. Blackbourne present as a part of the group, the
family
, was an interesting development.

At the end of the hallway of shops, the building opened up into an elegant black and white titled center space, with two winding staircases going up to a second level, a large chandelier hanging down between the staircases. Below and behind the stairs was an elegant restaurant furnished with leather wingback chairs and rich woods. There were people in the restaurant and some above on the second floor, but most of the space was quiet.

This certainly wasn’t a regular mall.

Gabriel hooked an arm around behind me, putting a palm on my lower back and leaned in as we started up the stairs. “And who the fuck dressed you this morning? Haven’t I taught you anything? We need to buy you something better.”

“I was little busy,” I said quietly.

“No shit,” he said. “Thank god I’ve got the night off.”

We finished climbing the stairs, where there were more stores. Gabriel directed us to the last one at the end of the hall.

Tissu Deux
was painted in gold across nearly every wall, in different fonts, styles and angles. There were no racks at all in this store, just displays of each outfit ensemble on a mannequin, complete with shoes, handbags, hats, and other items. There wasn’t a receptionist desk, just a center section with pure white leather sofas surrounding a short center platform in front of a row of mirrors in the middle.

“I was lucky to get in an appointment,” Gabriel said. “I had to drop a name.”