"What are you still standing there for? Get moving!" Elsie barked at Grace, who jumped at the loud command.
Without hesitation, Grace snatched up her phone and began typing, her fingers shaking a little. The outside world saw Grace as lucky since she was Elsie’s efficient and indispensable assistant who managed all her accounts and activities. If only they knew the poor girl lived in pained paradise.
The uncomfortable truth was that Grace was Elsie’s servant who was bound to her by a debt of gratitude and a ruthless hierarchy. Elsie didn’t care about her in the slightest.
Grace wasn’t an elite; she was simply a poor human she had plucked from obscurity. Everything Grace had, the fame, respect, admiration, and wealth, it all came from her. Without Elsie, Grace would be nothing, and both of them knew it.
Before Grace could finish typing, a voice broke through the room. "And you think that’s a good idea?"
Every head in the room, including Elsie’s, turned as Natalie Avax entered the closet with an elegance that could rival any runway model. She moved with effortless confidence, her presence undoubtedly magnetic. Such that even in a space filled with the finest luxury items, she was the one thing everyone couldn’t help but notice.
Elsie’s face hardened into a scowl as she turned toward Natalie, her voice filled with irritation. "I believe I called for you hours ago?"
But Natalie barely spared her a glance, walking past her as though she weren’t worth acknowledging. Her sharp eyes scanned the room, taking in the opulence without a hint of awe.
"Don’t push your luck, Elsie," she said coolly. "I’m not Grace, someone you can order around, and I’m certainly not jobless enough to come running like a dog to its master."
The jab hit its mark, and Grace flinched, her face reddening as she risked a glance upward. Her gaze briefly met Natalie’s before she jerked her head down again, too humiliated to hold the contact.
A muscle twitched in Elsie’s jaw as she regarded Natalie. Natalie had never been an enemy, but she wasn’t a friend either. It was her brazen arrogance that infuriated Elsie the most. As the reigning queen of the academy, Elsie was used to being worshipped, feared, and obeyed. But not Natalie.
And for good reason.
Natalie was an Avax. The Avax family was a powerhouse, tech giants with wealth and connections that dwarfed even Elsie’s. Even the human president and the werewolf king relied on their support.
Nearly every student at Lunaris came from money, but no one matched the Avax family’s clout. Their connections, especially with the underground, made them untouchable. To cross them was a fool’s errand, and Elsie knew better than to try.
"Fine," Elsie said through gritted teeth, forcing a tight smile. "If you were busy, then..."
Her words were an attempt to save face, but inside of her, anger and hatred burned. If Natalie weren’t so rich and untouchable, Elsie would have taught her a lesson long ago.
Natalie, unfazed by Elsie’s attempt at reconciliation, strolled over to the upholstered storage bench where three other elite girls sat, their postures stiff with unease.
"Hello, girls," Natalie greeted them with a breezy wave, her tone light and unconcerned.
The three girls exchanged hesitant smiles and awkward waves in return. They were already aware of the tension between Elsie and Natalie, and it made their presence feel painfully awkward. They buried their faces in magazines they clearly weren’t reading, however, they pretended to be disinterested in the scene unfolding before them.
"So..." Natalie placed her impossibly expensive designer bag beside her, crossing one toned leg over the other, elegantly. "I heard something interesting about you wanting to boycott the Oracle. Please tell me you were just joking?"
She finished with a smile that didn’t touch her eyes, her voice sharp even though it feigned sweetness. The room was silent as
all eyes turned to Elsie, waiting to see how she would respond.
But Elsie’s jaw only tightened, especially as she stared at Natalie, who lounged on the bench like she owned the place.
"Since you seem awfully concerned about what I do, let me ask you then, Natalie. Why would you care about that? The Oracle crossed a line and someone needs to remind her who’s in charge." Elsie said, standing tall and crossing her arms.
Natalie chuckled softly, the sound dripping with condescension. "Ah, Elsie, always so quick to play the role of the dictator. But tell me," she leaned forward slightly, her hazel eyes meeting Elsie’s blue ones, "what happens when the Oracle retaliates? She’s not just some gossipmonger. She’s untouchable for a reason."
Elsie’s lips pressed into a thin line. She hated that Natalie had a point, but she wasn’t about to back down.
"What do you mean by untouchable? She’s just a human hiding behind a keyboard. Moreover, the Oracle was nothing. At the start, no one would read or comment on her useless gossip pages nor buy her magazines, not until I came into the picture!"
She continued, her voice getting louder, " I sponsored her! I gave her the wings to fly! I gave her the content! And it was all about Moi!" Elsie pointed to her chest, declaring, "I made her who is she? So trust me when I tell you she wouldn’t dare go against me publicly."
"And yet you don’t even know who she is... you are not even sure whether she is a he or she."
"I don’t care!" Elsie said, "I made her and I would undo her. I’m Elsie Lancaster. "
Natalie could not take it anymore and stood up. She faced Elsie, saying with a cutting tone, "I thought you were smart but it seems to be you’re a dumb bimbo. Or perhaps the fame has gotten to your head, you think you’re untouchable?"
Elsie’s eyes flared with anger, her voice rising immediately. "How dare you—!"
But Natalie didn’t let her finish. "The Oracle has dirt on everyone in this school," she said, her words slicing through Elsie’s outrage. "And I do mean everyone. What do you think happens when you push her? She’ll push back. Hard."
Elsie’s lips pressed into a thin line, but Natalie wasn’t done. "The Oracle has always been an encyclopedia of secrets. Even if you hadn’t helped her rise, it was only a matter of time before someone else realized her worth and did the same. And let’s not forget, you benefited from her, too. Look at you, Lunaris’ Queen Bee. All that attention, all that control. You wouldn’t be where you are without her"
Natalie’s tone wasn’t mocking, but it wasn’t sympathetic either. It was neutral, detached, and somehow, that made her words sting even more.
"You fed a lion," Natalie’s lips curved into a faint, humorless smile. "And now it’s grown big enough to see you as a meal. Trust me, you don’t want to be a lion’s meal. It’s unpleasant... and messy."
Elsie’s expression darkened further. The joke clearly wasn’t meant for her enjoyment. Neither was Natalie fazed by the hostile energy radiating from her. She just didn’t care.
Her tone became more serious. "Moreover, even if you wanted to boycott the Oracle, do you really think it’s that simple? Asher, Alaric, Roman, and Griffin are all still subscribed to her. They rely on her as much as everyone else. Like it or not, the Oracle is integral to Lunaris’ ecosystem. She keeps the students entertained, and happy students mean less chaos."
Natalie came closer to Elsie, placing a hand on her shoulder. The gesture was both disarming and dominating, a subtle power move that made the others girls in the room hold their breath.
"With her holding secrets over all of you, it’s like she’s maintaining order. Imagine what would happen if you wolves decided to play gods and tyrants without someone like her around to keep you in check. In this case, the Oracle isn’t just untouchable, she’s necessary. She can’t go, don’t you think?"
The insult was slight but obviously woven into Natalie’s calm and calculated reasoning. But the girl’s expression remained neutral, even pleasant, even though the message was clear as day : the Oracle was untouchable, and Elsie would be wise to remember that.
Elsie said nothing, seething inwardly instead. Even Grace stood awkwardly in with the phone still in hand, unsure whether to continue typing or retreat into the shadows
"But then I know what your problem is, " Natalie let her hand drop, "Violet Purple isn’t it? " she said, watching as Elsie’s eyes widened slightly, however she quickly masked her expression.
"You’re threatened by her position, aren’t you? "
"I am not —"
"My time is valuable, Elsie Lancaster and I did not answer your call to waste it further. You want me here because you have obviously noticed my recent interactions with Violet Purple and want to know where my loyalty is? If not demand something from me?"
Natalie lifted a brow while holding her gaze, "Am I wrong?"