AriusPOV
The moment our eyes met, the world stopped.
Everything around me - the sounds, the music, the crowd of people - disappeared. All I could see were her green eyes looking back at me with the same shock I was feeling.
It was her. The voice from the phone. I knew it without any doubt.
But she was also a Moonstone. My family's worst enemy.
My heart was beating so hard I thought it might burst. I tried to look away, but I couldn't. She was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen, and she was meant to be my enemy.
"Arius," Darian whispered anxiously beside me. "We need to move. People are staring."
But I couldn't move. Couldn't think. Couldn't breathe.
The girl - Selene, Darian had called her - was still looking at me. Her face was pale, and she looked just as confused and scared as I felt.
She had called to warn me. A Moonstone had tried to protect me from danger.
Why?
"Arius!" Darian grabbed my arm. "Snap out of it!"
I blinked and suddenly the world came rushing back. The noise, the people, the stress in the air. My father was across the room, talking to business friends but watching me with sharp eyes. If he saw me looking at a Moonstone girl, there would be hell to pay.
"Who is she?" I asked Darian, even though I already knew.
"Selene Moonstone. The kid." Darian's face was grim. "Arius, whatever you're thinking, stop. She's the enemy."
"She's the one who called me." The words came out before I could stop them.
Darian's eyes went wide. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. I don't know how, but I'm sure."
Before Darian could answer, a tall man with dark hair appeared beside Selene. He put his hand on her arm and started leading her away from the door. Even from across the room, I could see she didn't want to go with him.
"Who's that?" I asked.
Darian followed my eyes. "Cassius Moonstone. Her older cousin. Bad news."
Something about the way Cassius was holding Selene's arm made my blood boil. She looked nervous, almost scared. My hands tightened into fists without me thinking about it.
"Arius, don't." Darian stepped in front of me. "I know what you're thinking, but you can't start a fight in the middle of your own birthday party."
He was right, but it didn't make me feel any better. Why did I care if some Moonstone girl was uncomfortable? She was my enemy. I should be happy if her own family was giving her trouble.
But I wasn't happy. I was angry and scared and confused.
"I need to talk to her," I said.
"Absolutely not. Are you crazy?"
"She warned me, Darian. She tried to protect me. The least I can do is find out why."
Before Darian could stop me, I started walking across the room. People moved out of my way, probably feeling the determination in my steps. Some smiled and wished me happy birthday, but I barely heard them.
All I could think about was getting to Selene before Cassius dragged her somewhere I couldn't follow.
But as I got closer, I heard voices getting louder. Angry sounds.
"You're embarrassing the family," Cassius was saying to Selene. "Standing there staring at that Blackwood boy like a lovesick puppy."
"I wasn't staring," Selene said, but her voice was shaky. "I was just surprised to see him."
"Surprised? You've been asking questions about Arius Blackwood for months. Don't think I haven't noticed."
My steps slowed. She'd been asking about me? Why?
"That's not true," Selene argued.
"Isn't it?" Cassius's words turned mean. "Maybe it's time someone told your mother about your little fascination with the enemy."
I saw Selene's face go white with fear, and something inside me snapped.
"Is there a problem here?" I said, stepping into their talk.
Both Cassius and Selene spun around to face me. Cassius's expression instantly turned hostile, but Selene just stared at me with those incredible green eyes.
"No problem at all, Blackwood," Cassius said with a fake smile. "Just having a family discussion."
"Funny," I said, keeping my voice cool even though I wanted to punch him. "It looked more like you were threatening a lady."
Cassius's smile got bigger and more dangerous. "The lady is my cousin. I'll handle family business however I see fit."
"And I'll handle troublemakers at my party however I see fit."
The threat was clear. This was my land, my event. If Cassius wanted to cause trouble, he'd have to deal with me.
For a moment, nobody spoke. The stress between us was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Around us, other people were starting to notice and talk.
Then Selene stepped between us.
"Please," she said quietly, looking at both of us. "This is supposed to be a party. Let's not ruin it with fights."
Her voice was exactly the same as on the phone - soft but strong, worried but brave. She was definitely the one who had called to warn me.
But she was also trying to protect her cousin from me, even though he had been threatening her.
"You're right," I said, looking straight into her eyes. "This is a party. Would you like to dance?"
The question shocked everyone, including me. I hadn't planned to ask her to dance. The words just came out.
Selene's eyes went wide. Cassius made a choking sound. Even I couldn't believe what I'd just said.
But now that the words were out there, I realized I meant them. I wanted to dance with her. I wanted to talk to her. I wanted to know why she had called to warn me.
"I..." Selene started to say something, then stopped.
"She doesn't dance with enemies," Cassius said coldly.
"I wasn't asking you," I told him, never taking my eyes off Selene. "I was asking her."
Selene looked back and forth between me and Cassius. I could see the war going on inside her head - family duty against something else. Something that made her eyes relax when she looked at me.
"I would like that," she said finally, so softly I almost didn't hear her.
Cassius grabbed her hand. "Selene, no. Think about what you're doing."
But she pulled free from his grip and took a step toward me.
That's when the lights went out.
The entire ballroom plunged into full darkness. Women screamed. Men shouted. In the chaos, I reached out blindly for Selene.
My hand found hers in the dark, and she gripped it tight.
"Stay close to me," I whispered.
Then I heard a voice over a megaphone - cold, mechanical, disguised: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the real party. Tonight, the Blackwood and Moonstone houses will finally destroy each other. And it all starts with their sweet children."
Emergency lights flickered on, creating eerie shadows everywhere. And in that dim light, I saw men in black masks surrounding us.
But the most terrifying thing wasn't the masked guys.
It was realizing that Selene and I were standing in the middle of a circle, holding hands.
And everyone could see us.