by Sadie Moss
Heat snaked down my spine, and my body shivered involuntarily. “Something like that, yeah.”
“Lana? Are you ready, sweet girl?”
Beatrice poked her head into the kitchen, her short white hair perfectly complemented by the blue gemstone earrings she wore. Her eyes softened when she saw me, an expression like pride stealing over her face. She took in the men, her eyebrows rising and a small smile playing across her lips. “Ah, you’re all ready, I see.”
Although I wasn’t prepared to fully trust Beatrice, now that several days had passed with no Peacekeepers banging down the door to haul the men away, my wariness had faded a bit. I’d begun to suspect that part of her motivation stemmed from the simple fact that she was incredibly lonely. She’d lost her entire family to the Great Death and spent over a decade living in this museum of a house all by herself. She never actually joined us when we gathered in the kitchen, but she’d find excuses to pop in and say hello from time to time, and I wondered if the sound of voices floating through the house was as comforting to her as it was to me.
“You’re sure the other Representatives will allow us all in?” I asked again, brushing my hands over my beaded dress.
She stepped fully into the kitchen, seeming taller than her five-foot stature. “Dear girl, that is not up to them to decide. You’re with me. These men are with you. That’s the end of it.”
I didn’t think that was the end of it at all, and nerves turned my stomach into a rock, but I nodded anyway.
“Okay. Then we’re ready.”
The white marble facade of the People’s Palace glowed like a star as Tarik pulled up at the entrance. The car behind us rolled to a stop as well, and as the green-haired fairy opened the door for Beatrice, Akio, Jae, and Fenris stepped out of the second vehicle. Corin pulled the handle on his side of our car and slipped out, holding the door open for me.
He didn’t offer to help me out of the car like the others usually did, and I could’ve kissed him for it. I didn’t mind when the other guys made such chivalrous gestures, but Corin had hunted bison with me on the Great Plains of Wyoming. We’d climbed trees together, made love under the stars in the vast open grasslands, and stolen from any Gifted person foolish enough to visit the settlement. He knew what I was capable of, and for him to treat me like a prim and proper lady belied our entire history.
So instead of taking his arm as we headed up the steps to meet the others, I grabbed his hand, lacing our fingers together. Like partners.
A red carpet once again adorned the wide stairs outside the palace, and my heart slammed harder in my chest with every step we took toward the imposing entrance. Beatrice led the way, and the rest of my four flanked me protectively, eyes scanning the crowd.
Unbelievably, this celebration was held in an entirely different room than the Grand Ball had taken place in. How many ballrooms did this place have? It was enormous enough to hold dozens, so I probably shouldn’t have been surprised.
The tone of this gathering was much different from the Grand Ball as well. The crowd was smaller and obviously more comfortable with each other, given the volume of conversation that greeted us when we stepped into the opulent space. Live music floated down from an elevated platform on one wall, where a group of demons played instruments I didn’t recognize. Fairies—both male and female—flitted through the crowd, laughing and entertaining the guests, their brilliantly colored hair gleaming in the light.
Like the other ballroom I’d been in, a dance floor took up the middle of the space, and just like last time, it was mostly empty. Apparently, the Gifted really weren’t big on dancing.
So why the fuck did they keep throwing balls?
I tried to suppress my bitterness as we made our way through the roomful of people chattering and sipping expensive champagne. Was this what the Gifted government did every week while people in the Outskirts were starving? The thought marred the brilliant sheen that glittered over everything here, and I gripped Corin’s hand tighter.
Heads turned toward us, and I swore I could hear conversations die as we walked by, only to resume in hushed whispers after we passed. Beatrice seemed aware of the gossip too, but she staunchly ignored it, keeping her head held high.
When we were about halfway across the room, a man I didn’t know caught Beatrice’s eye and gestured her over. She turned to face us, grasping my hand lightly.
“I’ll just be a moment. Enjoy the festivities, and…” Her brow furrowed for a brief moment as she looked over my shoulder at the men. “Stay together.”
She turned and swept through the crowd toward the Gifted man who had summoned her. He had dark skin, receding short gray hair, and a gaunt face. Who was he?
“Eben Knowles,” Jae murmured in my ear, answering my unspoken question. “Another Representative, and probably the most powerful wizard in the country.”
I wasn’t surprised to hear that. The ballroom was a sea of different powers, but that man’s magic stood out even in this crowd, radiating from him so strongly I could feel it from here.
“Thank gods he can only cast spells from scrolls.” I shook my head. “I can’t imagine how big of a threat he might be otherwise.”
“True.” Jae shifted his gaze away from the man as Beatrice reached him. “But don’t make the mistake of thinking he’s handicapped by that. Given his position in the government, he has access to almost every spell ever transcribed.”
I shivered, casting my gaze around the room again. We couldn’t afford to forget for a second that we were in the middle of a viper nest. This place was dangerous, and the odds of us finding the information we wanted without getting bitten weren’t great.
“Right. So, we need to get these people talking. How do we do that?”
A warm hand fell on my back, and I turned to see Akio leaning toward me. He dipped his head to murmur in my ear.
“Dance with me.”
Chapter 8
An unladylike snort erupted from my mouth. “What? No! We’re here to feel out the Representatives; we need to get them talking.”
“That’s what I plan to do.” The smile he flashed me was pure sin.
My face flushed. “Well, I… I don’t really dance.”
“I’ve seen you fight. You know how to move. Dancing follows the same principles, just with less violence.”
“Yeah, but that’s the fun part,” I muttered.
The incubus smirked before collecting my elbow and leading me toward the dance floor. Corin released my hand with a sympathetic smile. I glared at him as I was pulled away, then quickly added, “You three stay together. Be safe.”
He nodded seriously. “We will.”
I turned around, walking quickly to keep pace with Akio’s purposeful strides. “You know, we don’t have to do this.”
He swept us into the middle of the large marble dance floor, spinning me around to face him. Ornate stonework decorated the floor in a beautiful pattern of white, red, and gold. A few fairies twirled by with Gifted guests, but otherwise, we had the entire thing to ourselves.
“Oh, but we really do,” Akio shot back. “You want to get to know the Representatives? To draw them out? The best way to garner their interest is to steal the spotlight.”
I scowled. “I’m pretty sure I already did that when I blew up part of a balcony.”
The incubus quirked a perfect eyebrow. “I think we can make a better impression on them than that.” He wrapped one strong arm around me, large palm pressing firmly against my back, and grasped my right hand in his left. His dark eyes glinted in the light from the magical chandeliers as his gaze skated down my body. “Or maybe I just can’t resist you in that dress.”
Before I could try to come up with a response for that, he moved.
Without even thinking, I moved with him, stepping back as he stepped forward. We began to glide across the floor, turning and whirling in time to the beat of the song. It was a lot like fighting, I realized. I had no idea what the actual steps of this dance were s
upposed to be, but I just followed the cues of Akio’s body, responding to the subtle tells that gave away his next movement.
Unbidden, memories of my first encounter with him rose to my mind.
The night I’d tried to kill him.
It was almost impossible to believe I’d really done that, and guilt still roiled my gut when I thought about it. What if Jae hadn’t been there to heal the incubus? Would the stab wound I’d inflicted have killed him? Although the incident was weeks behind us, panic filled me as I imagined what could’ve happened if I’d succeeded in my mission.
Shoving those dark thoughts from my mind, I tightened my grip on Akio’s hand, leaning into him a little closer, his spicy scent filling my nose.
His eyes flashed, and he shot me a burning look. “Remembering our first dance?”
Surprised that his thoughts had mirrored mine so closely, I met his gaze. “I… Is that what you call it?” I swallowed, almost missing a step. “Look, Akio. I’m sorry. I know I said that before, but I—”
“It’s forgiven, kitten.” He brushed aside my apology as he spun me and lowered me into a deep dip. He stared down at me from this new vantage point, light and shadow highlighting his angular features. “I must admit, I think of it often. Your legs wrapped around me, your breath gasping in my ear. The little noises you made as you strained to keep your grip. The feel of your body pressed flush against mine.”
My eyes widened, and breathing suddenly became difficult. Heat flashed through my body as if a blast of magical fire had been let loose in my veins.
Before I could go completely boneless, Akio swept me upright again, guiding me backward across the dance floor in a series of twists and turns. I moved on autopilot as I tried to restrain the urge to climb up his body and play out the actions he’d just described, wrapping my legs around his lean waist and squeezing tight. Only this time, I’d have a much different goal in mind than murder.
Was he fucking with me? Using his incubus charm to drive me insane in front of the gathered crowd? Was that what he’d meant by “stealing the spotlight?”
My mind went blank as I wrestled with my feelings, and I kept pace with Akio’s lead when it became more aggressive. He spun and twirled, pushed and pulled me, and my body moved with his as though we’d done this a thousand times. I didn’t even realize the song was over until he swept me into another low dip, holding the position as applause broke out around us.
I glanced around.
All eyes in the room were on Akio and me.
The dance floor had emptied completely except for the two of us. The gathered government officials clapped for our little show; several of the men stared at me lasciviously, while the women looked with interest between my dance partner and me. My gaze darted to Akio as the incubus slowly pulled me back up to stand in front of him.
The corner of his mouth rose in a slight smile. “You want to speak to the Representatives? Just sit back and wait for them to come to you. You’ve just become the most interesting person in the room, kitten.”
He was right. As soon as we stepped off the dance floor, several women in elaborate dresses with skirts almost as wide as they were tall greeted us, fluttering their hands and speaking over each other.
“My darling, where did you come from?”
“Who is that delightful creature with you?”
“Your hair is so lovely. Who’s your stylist?”
I shot a panicked look at Akio. I wanted to glean information from the Representatives, not get sucked into a discussion of the latest Gifted fashion trends with these women.
“Excuse us, ladies,” he said smoothly, extracting me from their clutches. “But I’m sure Lana is parched from her exertions. I’ll bring her right back. I promise.”
He pulled me away, and I glanced over my shoulder at the women. They reminded me of chickens in their poufy, colorful dresses, whispering and clucking as we walked away.
“Why did you tell them you’d bring me back?” I hissed under my breath. “I don’t want to go back there.”
“Relax, kitten. I lied.”
As we made our way through the crowd toward where we’d left the other three men, another woman stepped into my path. She was the complete opposite of the gaggle who’d just accosted me. Her dress was a simple but elegant gray-blue sheath, the color a perfect complement to her ash blonde hair. She had a thin face and high cheekbones, and the most startling eyes I’d ever seen—light blue irises rimmed with a darker blue, making her gaze almost hypnotic.
She held out a long-fingered hand to me, the gesture smooth and regal. “You must be Beatrice’s granddaughter. I’m Olene Romo. I serve on the council with your grandmother.”
“Representative Romo.” I dipped my head slightly, and Akio did the same.
“You cut a striking figure on the dance floor; I’ve known Beatrice for many years, and I can see the resemblance between the two of you. I must admit, I’ve been hoping for the chance to meet you. Your grandmother told me a bit about the circumstances of your reappearance, and it sounds quite astonishing.”
My muscles tensed. Had Beatrice told her the whole story? She’d promised to allow me to decide whether and how to publicly reveal my previous life as one of the Blighted. Then again, I supposed a twenty-year disappearance was intriguing enough even without the added twist of long-suppressed powers resurfacing.
“Well, I’m not sure how interesting my story is,” I said demurely, “but I’m happy to speak with you. My grandmother was kind enough to give me a place in her world, but I wish I knew more about it.” I gestured to our surroundings, encompassing the entire ballroom.
“She didn’t give you anything you didn’t deserve. You earned a place in this world,” Olene corrected with a smile.
I bit back my sharp response. How had I earned anything? My magic made me powerful, but it didn’t define who I was, and it had nothing to do with my value as a person. But I knew this wasn’t the time to start that argument with one of the Representatives.
“Thank you. Maybe if you’re—”
My words were cut off by a voice that rose above the crowd.
“Filthy fucking Blighted! Who invited you?”
Ice filled my veins, and I looked past Olene toward where my other three men stood. A Gifted man was pacing in front of Corin, shouting in his face while Jae and Fenris tried to get between them.
Pushing past the mage and wolf shifter, the man invaded Corin’s space, angling his head to speak into his ear as he held up a hand. “What do you say, Blighted boy? Want to see what real power looks like?”
Zaps of electricity that resembled little lightning bolts flickered from each of his fingers, intersecting above his palm with a crackling sound.
The man sniffed at the side of Corin’s face loudly, his nostrils flaring. “Nope. Don’t smell any magic in you. All I smell is fear.” He gave a thin, lazy laugh.
Not even bothering to excuse myself from Olene, I forced my way through the crowd, heart hammering in my chest.
By the time I neared them, Jae and Fen had stationed themselves beside Corin, who stood still as a statue, spots of red dotting his cheeks. His jaw clenched rhythmically, and I could feel the anger raging inside him like it was my own. Hell, maybe it was my own. My blood was nearly boiling as I raised my voice, cutting across the man’s angry tirade as I barreled toward him.
“Hey!”
He turned just in time to see my palms slam against his chest, striking him with such force that he stumbled back several steps. The man was middle-aged, with a saggy, sullen face and eyelids that hung half closed.
The spark of magic in his hand winked out in his shock, but as soon as he recovered himself, he raised his hand again, reigniting the arc of electricity above his palm. He lunged toward Corin, who flinched involuntarily but didn’t give way.
Red filled my vision, and the sounds of the ballroom faded into a rush of white noise as rage overtook me.
I didn’t think.
I just
leapt for the man, shifting into wolf form as I moved. We collided with a crash, my paws slamming into his shoulders and driving him backward. He overturned a small table on the way down, shattering glasses and sending drops of champagne flying as several screams rose up from the crowd. He landed under me, letting out a harsh grunt as his back hit the floor. Seconds later, my teeth were on his throat.
The Gifted man’s rancid breath came in sharp gasps, and his hands scrabbled at my fur.
I didn’t bite down. I wasn’t stupid. But I put just enough pressure on his neck to let him know I could kill him if he tried to attack.
“Lana!” Beatrice walked quickly through the crowd, which parted to let her through. Her eyes were wide, her face stark. “Release him! Representative Constantine, control yourself.”
Representative?
Ah, fuck.
Chapter 9
Warily, I unclamped my jaw from the man’s neck, backing up enough to allow him to stand.
I sent up a silent prayer to all the gods I could think of that I’d be wearing clothes when I shifted back, and then let the magic flow through me. At least one god must have been listening, because I didn’t add to the clusterfuck of this evening by reappearing naked in front of a roomful of Gifted officials.
The dark-haired man scrambled to his feet and clenched his hands into fists, but Beatrice stepped forward, her voice a harsh whisper. “Nicholas! That is my granddaughter. Think about what you’re doing.”
The man, Nicholas Constantine, sneered as his half-lidded gaze darted to her.
“What is this? Is your granddaughter a shifter, Beatrice? I thought she was a mage. I thought she was pure.” He spit the last word in my direction. “And why is she standing up for this filthy Blighted man? For that matter, why is a Blighted man a guest at the palace rather than serving me my drinks?”
“Nicholas.” Beatrice’s voice was low and firm. “You know as well as I do that some of the Blighted are allowed to be here. There were several in attendance at the Grand Ball, and you didn’t object to that.”