Seven Black Diamonds by Melissa Marr Read Free Book Online Page B

picture of him. It wouldn’t be useful to go to the club without being seen doing it. The headmistress at St. Columba’s didn’t comment on the plethora of photos that cropped up online or in magazines proving that Zephyr routinely ignored the rules about leaving campus. Headmistress Cuthbert was a fan of minimal conflict and maximum donations. Neither Zephyr nor his teammates—Alkamy Adams, Creed Morrison, Violet Lamb, or Roan Kenrick—ever caught hell for flaunting the rules. Not surprisingly, the four of them were often in the same pictures with Zephyr. It was only their friend Will Parrish who stayed clear of the club and the cameras.
    As he made his way toward the velvet rope, Zephyr scanned the crowd for interesting faces. Finding no one extraordinary, he reached his goal: the VIP section where he knew he’d find at least one of his friends.
    The bouncer at the rope nodded at Zephyr, but no conversation was needed. Being the oft-photographed Zephyr Waters was a good thing.
    Alkamy and Creed both lounged in plush chairs, seeming exceedingly polished and wholly jaded. If he didn’t know better, he’d believe they were both nothing more than the budding addicts they appeared to be.
    “Kamy.” He leaned down to kiss Alkamy, but she turnedher head so his lips barely glanced off her cheek.
    “Watch the face!” She pouted with the perfect mix of woe-is-me and aren’t-I-lovely. She was actually stunning. Her hair was a shade of black that made everyone assume it was dyed. It wasn’t. Nor did she wear colored contacts to get barely blue eyes. Her lips were naturally as ruby-red as they seemed, and her skin was so pale that she was luminescent in the dark. Alkamy was a living vision of a gloomier Snow White.
    He straightened and murmured, “Yes, dear.”
    Her smile transformed briefly into something genuine, and he matched it with one of his own. She might look icy, but she was sweet to him. In another life, they might’ve ended up something more, but in this life, any feelings were steadfastly buried. Even if Lilywhite wasn’t his future, Zephyr couldn’t let his feelings for Alkamy go in that direction. She looked so similar to him that he’d wondered if they were siblings in truth. That fear was reason enough to keep her at a safe distance. If he allowed himself to fall in love with her, he wouldn’t be able to let her go no matter what the queen decreed. More importantly, Alkamy wasn’t the sort to accept being told she couldn’t do something. Far wiser to stay friends, to keep a wall around those feelings, and plan for a future with Lilywhite.
    Alkamy flashed another real smile at him as she took in his appearance. “You look perfect, as always.”
    Creed snorted.
    Zephyr dropped into one of the plush chairs, intentionally drawing eyes to him. The Row House was all about being seen. The club made no apology for it. The VIP section was demarcated by a scarlet and gold rope, but it was in the center of the club. There was a back wall that was shadowed if one wanted privacy, but the front of the room was open, and the left and right sides were clear glass. Being here was being on display—and that meant strict admission rules. Unlike some places where anyone with a generous budget for the night could get access, the Row House was old-school: invitation or status were the only ways to cross the line.
    Being in the VIP section required looking like you were meant to be watched. They acted like it, and they dressed for it. Alkamy was wearing some sort of dress that appeared to be mostly transparent. Wide red straps covered her body in strategic places, but the rest of the dress revealed skin. In the hazy blue lights of the club, she looked otherworldly—but safely so. Creed, on the other hand, seemed to have put zero effort into his appearance. Artfully faded jeans, a T-shirt for some band, and heavy boots marked him as just another teen boy—except everything he wore was designer label and the jewelry