“I can’t make a judgment until you’re in the dress.”
Luna strolled through the door in time to hear Jax’s comment. “I agree with the gargoyle. The makeup and hair look nice. You should put in that effort every day.”
I swallowed my retort and headed upstairs to put on the dress. “I hope you brought that tape you were talking about.”
She held up the small roll. “Of course. I always come prepared.”
When I emerged from the closet with the midnight-blue gown in place, Luna’s eyes sparkled. “Okay, I was wrong.”
I clenched my fists but stood tall. “About what?” I braced myself for a snarky remark.
What she said was, “You’re stunning. You clean up really well. Just like your mother. Her pendant looks perfect with the cleavage you’re finally showing.”
Discomfited, I gestured to the low-cut front. “Uh, thanks. Could you help me make sure this dress stays in place?” Most of the ward marks were visible due to the design of the dress, which worried me more than falling out of it. I wasn’t sure how to hide them all. Then again, maybe I shouldn’t try to.
“Go for broke. Confidence, remember? They can’t use you if you don’t let them. In fact, if they try, you should kill them to make a statement.”
I shook my head with a wry grin. “That’d be a statement, but probably not the one I want to send. I’m not a cold-blooded killer. That’s my father.”
“I forgot to give you this.” She pulled a thin leather strap out of her pocket. “Thigh sheath. For wearing under your dress.”
I looked at the long dagger and sheath. “Um, how am I supposed to hide that thing under my dress?”
She patted one of my thighs. “You’ve got long legs. Here, I’ll show you. Spread ’em.”
I laughed but played along. I widened my stance and she wrapped the leather around my right thigh. “You’re right-handed, aren’t you? We’ll put it here, so you can grab it easily. You’ll need to wear it on the outside of your leg.” She adjusted it so the dagger sat as high up on my thigh as it could comfortably get, and then stood back to admire her handiwork. “How’s that?”
“Is the idea to hide it?”
“Not at all. See how this bad boy fits right in the slit of the dress? It’s obvious that you’re armed. Everyone else in attendance will be. The guest of honor should be, too.”
I took a few experimental steps. The weight didn’t bother me like I thought it would. Somehow, the strap stayed in place and the dagger didn’t wobble. “What if someone else grabs it?”
Luna smirked as she watched me walk around, trying to shake it loose. “It will only work for you. If anyone else tries to use it, it will be as effective as a butter knife. Come here for a second.” She tightened the strap and stepped back to view her handiwork. “Not bad. Most of the partygoers will notice the blade, not your ward marks. The best part is that the dress still looks amazing with it.”
Fourteen inches of blade would get anyone’s attention. Luna strategically placed a few pieces of tape to hold my top together. “You’re ready to party.”
“Tell that to my nerves.”
Luna patted my arm. “Think confident thoughts. The sharks in attendance today will be able to smell your fear. Or see it. Possibly both.”
“That’s not helpful.”
“No, it’s not. But the dagger and that gold on your arm are going to go a long way toward making your party better. They’ll be a hell of a lot more careful coming after you. It’ll give you a few seconds’ head start.”
“Still not helping,” I muttered, though I couldn’t help but notice how awesome the tattoo looked against the dark blue fabric. If it helped today, all the better.
“Confident thoughts,” Luna chanted in a singsong voice.
One last thing before I was ready. I dabbed a few drops of fragrance on the pulse points behind my ears and some more along my collarbone. It would help with the confident thoughts. I squared my shoulders and faced her.
Luna bared her teeth in a vicious smile. “Ready to knock ’em dead, birthday girl?”
Not hardly.
“As ready as I’m going to be.” We walked downstairs and found Teryl in the living room with Jax and Elion.
Despite the lines of exhaustion on his face, my buddy gifted me with a wolf whistle. “Looking good.” He gave me a big bear hug. “Happy birthday, too.”
I squeezed him hard before letting him go. “Thanks. How’s Gemma?”
“Better, I think. She hasn’t woken up, but she seems to be resting easier. Luna says her soul is still healing. When I look at her energy, I still can’t find loose threads. But I also can’t find her consciousness. It’s like she doesn’t want to wake up.”
When I considered what my father might have put her through, I couldn’t say I blamed her.
Teryl shoved his hands in his pockets. He was wearing a black tuxedo with silver vest and tie. Jax was also wearing a tuxedo, but he’d opted for a classic black suit and crisp white shirt. “You guys look nice, too.” What an understatement.
“Hey, what’s this?” Teryl grabbed my hand to study the ring on my left ring finger. “Did I miss something?”
I smiled at Jax over Teryl’s shoulder. “Kind of. We made it official.”
Grief twisted Teryl’s features for a second before he offered me another hug. “Congrats. You deserve this.”
Clio. I could have smacked myself. “I’m sorry,” I whispered as I rubbed his shoulder. “I wasn’t thinking. We should have waited.”
He gripped my shoulders. “No, don’t say that. Something good needs to come out of this cluster. I want you to be happy. Jax is a good guy, and I know he’ll treat you well. If he doesn’t, Elion will kick his ass.”
I smiled like he wanted me to. “Where is Elion?”
My uncle appeared, sitting in a chair, relaxed and watchful. Luna tapped Teryl on the shoulder. “Oracle, if anyone’s going to kick his ass, it’s me. Now let’s change the subject before she ruins her makeup.”
My laugh was watery, but I was okay. Teryl would be okay, too. Clio’s death wouldn’t be in vain. Nor would Gemma’s torture. “Can we talk about the Council seat really quickly? I’m not sure what to do about that.”
Elion stood and walked over to the window to look at the main house. Vans from the catering company, florist, and event-planning company were lined up out front, unloading last-minute items. “Accept the seat. Jedren is mistaken if he thinks that the Council’s rules will control a weaver goddess. Today will only be the formal bid to grant you the seat. You don’t have to do much more than smile and nod when your father makes the announcement.”
My fingers brushed the handle of the dagger as I walked toward the window. I was thankful I didn’t teeter on the four-inch strappy heels Luna had paired with the dress. “Basically, I need to show up.”
“Yes.”
I watched the florists carrying large, colorful arrangements to the gardens, where tables and chairs had been arranged. My view was partially obscured by trees, but I could see a large tent and strings of lights set up. The sky was partially cloudy, typical Seattle weather, but looked like it would hold for the duration of the afternoon.
Luna moved to my other side. “No rain for the birthday ball.”
“It doesn’t feel much like a ball. More like being paraded through the town square on the way to the gallows.”
“Except you won’t be the one dying today.” Luna sounded excited at the prospect.
The pendant warmed against my skin, glowing with a soft white light. Which was at odds with the sick churning in my stomach. So much could go wrong. “I can’t kill him until we find the souls.”
Luna sighed. “I know. Let’s try to make that happen today, okay?”
“I’m not going to rush into anything.” I kept my voice low. Teryl was in the other room, and thankfully he couldn’t hear.
She gave me a skeptical look but said nothing.
A warm hand held mine. I lea
ned back against Jax and took a deep breath. Protect your mate’s soul. The danger will come after the chaos. He was one reason why I’d make things go right. Teryl was another. I could spend all day listing the people who needed closure or justice. It was time to meet things head on.
I forced a smile on my face, although inside, I was shaking. “Shall we make an early entrance?”
“Showing up late is more fashionable. You need to focus on the guest list and layout.” Luna was all business now.
“I’ve got the guest list,” Teryl said as he watched the vans pulling out of the driveway to make room for guests. “I set it on the kitchen table if you want to look at it. It’s about who you’d expect. Council members, some with guests, some without. Higher ranking families, a few fae, and all of the hunters. A hundred and fifty total. It wasn’t listed, but I expect there will be triple the security on the grounds. Jedren favors shadow elves and gargoyles, so expect to see a number of them. Beyond that, there weren’t any surprises.”
He rattled the keys in his pocket and turned away from the window. “What’s your game plan, then?”
They all looked at me. “I thought all I had to do was show up and accept the Council seat. Oh yeah, and not die.” I’ve never been much for plans. Mostly because they tend to get shot to hell.
Teryl could hardly stand still. I imagined his nerves were on overdrive, too. “You’re killing him today, right?”
Damn, that was one detail I hadn’t shared with him. “No, I can’t, not until I figure out where the souls are.” When he cursed and paced away, I followed him and put a hand on his shoulder. “I want to stop him. Don’t doubt that for a second. But he’s hiding more people like Gemma somewhere. And the souls…he expects me to rethread them. I need to find out where they are.” I understood his frustration because it was my own. Going in with the proverbial guns blazing would be stupid. And deadly. No matter how much I wanted it over with today.
Teryl kicked at a chair leg with his toe. “My head knows you’re right, but my heart doesn’t care. Every morning, I wake up hearing Clio’s screams. When I try to sleep at night, I hear her begging. I don’t want anyone else to go through that.”
Fury flared in my stomach, burning through the jittery nerves. “None of us wants that to happen.” The mark on my arm warmed as my anger and determination grew. I’d have to get used to the sensation of it, like a hot band around my bicep.
“Holy shit, what is that?” Teryl pointed at the glowing symbol.
I watched in fascinated horror as the mark glowed and pulsed with energy. “Between the pendant and this mark, I’m a freaking beacon. I might as well stand on the stage and invite everyone to shoot me. They can’t miss.”
Elion didn’t seem to notice the glare I shot him. He studied the mark with an unreadable expression. “It’s in tune with your emotions. No different than Jaxon’s eyes changing or a phoenix creating fire. It’s who you are. You must remember you’re protected. The pendant, the dagger, the wards, and your scent.”
“My scent?”
“The perfume you made. It’s similar to a protection ward.”
That made me feel a little better, but I had trouble getting past the idea of an unknown number of people gunning for me. I was in an evening gown, going to a party full of people who all had a deadly or greedy agenda, and I was the unfortunate guest of honor. And my arm was glowing, of all things. “Speaking of phoenix, where is MacLean?”
“He said he’d meet us here. He’s acting as Brenin’s guard today.”
I wasn’t sure why Brenin would need a guard. My father, of course, would have Luke, but then again, my father had to be the most hated man in attendance.
Luna peeked out the window. “It looks like guests are starting to arrive. It’s a quarter to three, so you should get going. We’ll sit with Gemma and see if there’s any change.”
Ready or not…
Chapter Twenty-Six
More than thirty guests had already arrived. They milled around in small groups, sipping a variety of drinks. I pretended not to notice their considering stares. “Teryl,” I muttered in a low tone. “Can you avoid attacking your brother or my father?”
He laughed without humor. “Yes, I can control myself.”
I stopped abruptly, causing Jax to bump into me a bit. “Teryl, I’m serious. If you think you’re going to go after them, I need you to leave. I won’t risk your life today, and I won’t let you risk it, either.”
His brown eyes were hard with emotion. “It’s my life to risk.”
I waited, ready to have him escorted off the grounds if it meant saving his butt. “If you make a move toward my father, Luke will have his knife at your throat in a second. I’m not burying any loved ones this week.”
He clenched his jaw and looked back at the guesthouse. His tone was surly when he finally said, “I can control myself around your father. No promises when it comes to Maxim, though.”
“Fair enough. Luke won’t kill you over Maxim. I have to find Jedren, so I’m going to leave you to watch the guests.”
He gave me a curt nod before heading toward the buffet table.
I rubbed my palms on my thighs, accidentally bumping the dagger. The presence of the magical blade calmed me a little. I could get through this.
Jax offered his arm. “Ready, little gem?”
Protect your mate’s soul. The danger will come after the chaos.
I stared into his gray eyes, knowing his heart was reflected in mine. “Yes. Let’s go find him.”
Jedren stood next to five other people, who wandered away as I walked up. His charming social expression was firmly in place. It was designed to put guests at ease and encourage them to converse freely. I wondered how many of them ever looked closely at his eyes. Their coldness made a mockery of it all.
“Elleodora, you look fitting today.”
Translation: You look as appropriate as you can make yourself, given your flawed nature. I looked over his suit, which probably cost more than my shop made in a month. “So do you.”
He nodded at a couple walking past, but I saw the brief flash of irritation cross his face. Score one for me. When they were out of earshot, he turned back to me. “I suggest you consider your words carefully today. I’m the only thing standing between you and the hunters.”
Shock ripped a laugh from my throat. “You’re the one who sent the hunters after me in the first place. Now you’re protecting me from them?”
His look turned condescending. “I’m sure you’d like to paint me as the only villain in this scenario, but I can assure you, I’m not. There are those who would gladly see you dead because of your bloodlines.”
“Your bloodlines, you mean.”
He didn’t take the bait. “No, your mother’s. You’re a threat to many here.”
“I’m a threat to you and Luke.”
He lifted a hand in greeting to more guests and flicked me a look ripe with impatience. “Believe what you will. You’ll quickly learn I’m protecting you from those who wish you real harm. They can’t see the potential.” His gaze landed on the mark on my arm. A genuine smile lit his face.
It scared the hell out of me.
“The weaver’s mark combined with your mother’s pendant,” he said on an exhale. “You’ve come into your powers early. How extraordinary.” He sounded as if he’d just uncovered a diamond mine.
Oh, this was bad. Jax tensed beside me, and I prayed he wouldn’t shift to gargoyle just yet. The party hadn’t officially started, and I already knew it was out of control. I could tell from the shift in my father’s energy that he was deciding how to capitalize on this unexpected turn of events.
I should have worn a cardigan.
The smile stayed on my father’s face, lighting something in his pale, cold eyes I’d never seen. “This is wonderful news. Let’s go greet guests, shall we?”
I refused his arm. “No, I’ll stay with Jax.”
“Very well. Make sure you chat with as many peop
le as you can. They all want to know you and your new mate. I had a feeling you’d pick Jaxon. We can take care of the marriage contract on Monday. My guards are posted everywhere, so have no fear for your safety. Ah, Maura, hello.”
With anticipation, I turned and watched the hunter sashay toward us. The silver halter dress she wore was tiny, the hem skimming along the tops of her thighs and barely covering her butt. Not a classy look. Her dagger rested in a jeweled shoulder harness. She eyed my thigh sheath with a smirk. “Nice dagger, princess. Did you buy that at a pawn shop?”
I touched the hilt and stared down into her cold, black eyes. “No, it was a gift from the gods. And this?” I held up my left hand so she could see the shine of the emerald-cut diamond. “This is from my mate.” I couldn’t help myself. I knew it would piss her off.
“Girls, girls,” my father said, his tone mild as he looked out over the growing crowd. “Act like adults. Elleodora, we’re thrilled for your alliance, but there’s no need to be tasteless by brandishing the ring about like that. Now, if you’ll excuse us.” Without waiting for a reply, he led Maura away. She threw one last seething glare over her shoulder before following like the good paid soldier she was.
Jax watched my father welcoming guests, a sulky Maura by his side, with a pensive expression on his face. “I think he really believes the alliance is good. And he’s planning something.”
“Of course he is, but why does it matter what he thinks of our alliance?”
“It doesn’t matter to me, but the king of shadow elves shouldn’t easily accept an alliance when he’s trying to position his heir as a Council member. He’d be focused on the most strategic mate, regardless of what your fate stipulates. Let’s mingle and see if we can find MacLean.” Jax kept me close to his side, stopping occasionally to exchange a few inane words of pleasantry. Most of the guests were unknown to me. A few faces looked familiar, but I couldn’t recall their names. I was more interested in separating friend from enemy. I kept a smile in place, wondering if it looked as brittle as I felt. Was this the chaos Gwen had mentioned?
Stone Cold Revenge (Set In Stone, Book Two) Page 24