Chapter 2

Everyone else immediately caught on.

"Exactly, Your Highness, Prince Nico. Your house rivals Versailles. Forget just our class, the whole school could probably fit inside, right?"

"Your place is so massive, I wonder if we could even finish touring the whole thing in our three-month break."

"And when we get there, I won't even ask for much. Just ten servants each to wait on us shouldn't be too much trouble, right?"

Everyone watching burst out laughing, sizing me up like they were watching a show.

I shook my head. "You can't come. My house only lets people in. It never lets them out."

My father always said the Three Realms each had their own rules. Gods could only stay in the Heavens, the living could only stay in the mortal world, and ghosts could only stay in the underworld.

I was the one exception, the one he'd secretly pulled strings to send out.

Humans weren't like us ghosts. Once they set foot in the underworld, there was no coming back.

Getting a little anxious, I said, "You really can't come to my house."

That only made the whole crowd roar with laughter.

"What, afraid we'll expose your lie and find out you're not really a prince?"

"Three years of playing a rich heir, and even after graduation you still won't come clean. Shameless."

"Now, now, don't be so harsh. Maybe His Highness just thinks we're too common to be worthy of visiting his house!"

Seeing that everyone's mood had soured a little, Tyler put on a fake, sympathetic face and clapped me on the shoulder.

"Nico, don't listen to them talk nonsense. They're just jealous of you! I believe you really are a prince. I'm trying to help you here. Take us to your house, show them your palace, and really put them in their place! I'll even go live and stream the whole thing to prove who you are. The monarchy's not dead after all!"

In three years, Tyler had never said this much to me at once. He must really want to help me, I thought, to go to such lengths to prove it. Which was exactly why I couldn't possibly take him.

"No can do, Tyler. If you come to my house, you'll never be able to leave."

A flash of impatience crossed Tyler's eyes, but his tone stayed playful all the same.

"Nico, it's a palace we're talking about. Forget never leaving in this lifetime. I'd be thrilled to stay there for the next eight hundred lifetimes! Right, boys?"

He turned and shot the rest of the guys in the class a look. Everyone caught on immediately and chimed in.

"Yeah, Nico, I'd gladly stay at your place forever and never come back!"

"Come on, just say yes already!"

Right then, Preston Anders, the person I was closest to and the only one who actually knew who I really was, walked in.

Tyler arched an eyebrow, his tone dripping with mockery. "We're planning a trip to Nico's place over break. What business is that of yours?"

Preston glanced around at everyone, then his eyes landed on me. He grabbed my arm and tried to pull me toward the door, but the crowd blocked his path.

"You're going to Nico's house? You have no idea that he..."

Preston caught himself before he said anything more. I'd told him once that he could never reveal who I really was, or it would throw the Three Realms into chaos.

Preston was the smartest, kindest person I'd met in three years. He never asked where I lived or who I really was. He wouldn't even let me pay when we bought things together, and he was always inviting me over to his place. If it weren't for the rules of the Three Realms, I'd have loved to invite him over too.

Preston was usually even-tempered, but this was the first time I'd seen his face flush with anger at someone.

I patted him on the shoulder.

"Preston, what's wrong?"

Preston turned to look at me. "It's nothing, Nico. Let's just ignore them and go."