by K L Rymer
The dress is a bandeau style that hugs the waist and hips, but flares at the legs, and now I feel like a mermaid. I just hope I can walk in this thing. I will be wearing heels of course and dancing in them too.
Not to worry. My good fashionista friend Felicity (who knows a thing or two about shoes), taught me how to walk, and now I can wear all kinds of heels from boots, wedges, and even stilettos.
A stream of orange gems spreads from under my right breast to my left hip, and I trace my fingers along.
It’s real gemstone. Who the hell paid for this thing?
I put it out of mind and gaze back at myself in the mirror. My light blonde hair has been tied back in an up-do style, leaving two loose strands to fall over my shoulders. And when I turn left and right, I catch faint sparkles in my foundation and smile.
My eyes pop with fake eyelashes, and I’ve never noticed how green they were before. Last but not least, my usually boring, plain lips have been painted red, and I smooch before the mirror now, pretending that I’m Marilyn Monroe.
I sure do scrub up well. The academy even sent us makeup artists and hairdressers, along with the dress fitters. They really go all out for this ball, and again I wonder if it all comes from the school’s budget.
I just hope Matthew likes me in my dress tonight. However, if I can look this good, then Angelina will have men worshiping the ground she walks on.
I put that bitch out of mind and slip my red silk gloves on, hiding my dragon tattoo. Normally, I’d be proud to show it off, but not tonight. I’m going for the elegant, sophisticated look.
Also, I imagine Matthew will be looking sharp tonight himself, and I turn hot just thinking about dancing up close to him with our bodies pressed together.
Now’s not the time, Bryn. Just focus on getting out of the door tonight.
I wink at my reflection. “Looking good, Bryn.”
Yes, I’m talking to my reflection like Gollum, but I’m one fine looking Gollum tonight.
I go down to meet the others in the common room. The girls will wait for their dates to arrive, but Thomas and Jack will have to leave soon to go and pick up their dates.
So traditional.
I can already hear Nora and Felicity as I step carefully down the stairs, trying not to trip. There are butterflies in my stomach but I keep it together, holding my chin high.
I enter the room, and my fellow Mendacious stop gabbing instantly as their eyes fall on me. They don’t make a single sound.
“B-Bryn...” Felicity breathes, staring at me as if she is seeing the 8th wonder of the world.
She wears a light pink prom dress that brings out her perfect, petite frame, and she’s never looked more like a precious doll. Her white-blonde hair falls down to her waist in ringlets, and a crown of pink flowers rests atop her head. Felicity is like the doll I always wished for as a child, and I resist the urge to put her up on my shelf.
The pixie is slightly taller tonight in her silver heels, yet she won’t take those big, blue doe eyes off me.
Nora blinks at me several times, and like Fel she won’t stop staring at me. Her sentient hair has been tied up, and I see the poor things trying to wriggle free. She wears a vivid green dress that accentuates her flawless curves, bringing out those huge breasts. Her dark skin shimmers like silk, and her jade eyeshadow matches her dress.
I turn to Zahara, and just when I thought I could count on her to not look at me like a stupefied idiot. She gawps at me like I’m a living marvel, and I get sick of the attention now. The Unseelie wears a dark, navy blue Victorian-style corset with a wide skirt, and her fair skin has never looked so translucent. Unlike me and Nora, she wears her long, shiny hair down, and it cascades her back like an enchanting, black waterfall.
“Seriously, what?”
Zahara smiles. “Damn girl... you brush up well. That colour suits you.”
I roll my eyes, picking up my skirt. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Before I take another step further, I catch those two other pairs of eyes and peer over at Jack and Thomas.
Well, well, well... Don’t we look handsome?
Thomas has lost the glasses and the turtleneck, and now he wears a snazzy black suit and white bowtie. He even has tails and I resist the urge to laugh. Most of all, I’m shocked by his hair. It looks like he finally got that wolfish mane cut. Now it’s smoothed back against his head, bringing out that strong jawline that I’ve never noticed before.
His sexy cat’s going to be smitten when she sees her wolf tonight.
I crane my neck and get a good look at Jack, and if only Megan were here now to see him. He wears a similar suit, and it brings out his muscular, titan physique. It must have taken the tailor hours until they found the right fit (most likely having to stand on a stool to measure Jack’s seven-five two frame).
The boys won’t stop staring at me, and I put my hands on my hips. Thomas is the first to speak. “You... look nice, Bryn.”
“Thank you, Thomas. You look very handsome too.”
He blushes and tugs on the collar of his shirt, and I raise a brow. Was it something I said? I meet Jack’s gaze. “And you too, Jack. You’re looking pretty good all the way up there.”
He gives a small smile but keeps his thoughts to himself.
We all stand in silence for a moment. Finally, I address the room. “Well, good luck tonight, everyone.”
They all mutter good luck, and I see I’m not the only one who’s nervous. Thank goodness it’s not just me then.
Jack and Thomas take their leave next and now it’s just the girls. My heart feels like it’s about to explode. This is the worst part. The waiting...
I just hope none of our dates stand us up.
The first knock comes and we all jump.
“Um... c-come in...” I call out.
The door opens, and there stands Nora’s sexy merman with his blond hair tied back in a ponytail. His eyes expand when they find Nora or her breasts more specifically. The gorgon girl turns to us. “Wish me luck.”
“Good luck,” we all say.
She takes a few deep breaths then flashes that bright smile of hers and steps toward her date. He kisses her hand and she chuckles nervously, fanning her face.
I don’t know what she’s so anxious about. Those girls will do all the work for her tonight.
They leave at last and now it’s just me, Zahara, and Felicity.
A few awkward moments tick by. All the while Zahara makes an annoying sucking sound with her teeth, and I roll my eyes toward the ceiling. She could have at least flossed her teeth before she left her room. The Neanderthal.
The Unseelie girl gets the food chunk at last, and now she looks to me and Felicity pleased with herself.
Another knock and all three of us jerk upright. Felicity makes a nervous titter. Zahara answers this time. “Enter... at your own risk...”
The door creaks open, and Zahara’s handsome Seelie walks into the room. He has his white hair tied back into a ponytail like Nora’s merman, bringing out his angular features and pointed ears.
His light blue eyes enlarge when they settle on Zahara, and he stammers, trying to get his words out. “You... you look...”
Zahara smiles. “Yeah, I know. Sexy as sin.”
He blinks. “Well, I would have said—”
She marches forward and yanks him away by the bowtie. Before she leaves, she turns back to us and smirks. “Have a good night, girlies.”
The Unseelie disappears out the door. On her way down the stairs, Felicity and I hear her saying to her date, “You’re a fool if you think you’re going to get a sneaky gander under this corset tonight, Seelie boy.”
“N-no! I wouldn’t dream...”
I don’t hear the rest of what he says since they’re already half-way down the stairs. Yet Zahara’s loud voice still makes its way up to us. “And if you think...”
Now it’s just me and Felicity, my pretty little pixie friend. She keeps her gaze riveted on the doo
r, her big, jewel-like eyes wide and terrified.
The awful seconds tick by until the next date arrives. It could be her date, Macson, or mine, and the anticipation kills me.
I really hope Macson arrives first. I don’t want to leave her here alone. He’s one of Matthew’s jerks after all. Although Matthew seems to have turned a new leaf, I can’t say the same for his friends. I still remember the way the Unseelie tripped her up a few weeks back, so naturally, I don’t trust him.
Of course, he acted the part on the night of the assembly, but I didn’t buy his bullshit. He’s still a bully, and I’ve seen enough teen movies to know how the shy girls fare.
If he stands her up, or worse, I will kick his ass. Just after I kick Damien’s and Jonathan’s asses first, too, that is.
My “asses to kick” list is getting pretty long.
Something moves in my peripheral vision, and I glance toward Damien’s old, shadowy corner. I’ve made a point of staying far away from there since the demon weirdo ran out on us. Not that I liked going anywhere near there when he was still around.
That corner gave me the creeps back then and it gives me the creeps even more now. It’s a gateway to hell after all.
I keep a suspicious eye on that shadowed corner. Something definitely moved.
Felicity whimpers beside me, and I take her small hand. “Fel... it will be all right. He will come.”
She closes her eyes, fighting back tears. “I... I hope so.”
“He’d be a fool not to. You look beautiful.”
She really does. Any guy would be lucky to dance with her tonight.
The third knock arrives, and my heart pounds.
Uh oh.
For some reason, I know that this knock is for me, and I turn to Felicity heartbroken.
The pixie takes in a deep, shaking breath, braving a smile. “It’s all right, Bryn. I’ll be fine. Go and enjoy yourself tonight. Hopefully, I will join you soon.”
I fight back tears as I hate the thought of leaving her up here all alone, but she squeezes my hand and pushes me forward.
“You’ll knock him dead in that dress. I know it.”
Suddenly, I want to run back to my room and declare tonight a failure. I can’t do this.
Felicity calls out to the door in her wind chime voice. “You may enter.”
The door opens, and there he is at last.
Matthew Humphrey.
I suck in a breath as I take him all in.
Oh my.
Chapter 25.
Matthew won’t take his eyes off me. All we do is stare at one another.
I never would have thought anyone could look so sexy in a pristine white suit, but hot damn. Mattie...
His suit hugs his muscular frame, and all I want to do is rip it off his body and have my wicked way with him right there in the common room; Felicity and that creepy shadow can watch for all I care.
Eek, my panties are dripping wet and I gasp for breath.
I need to sit.
He’s still staring at me, and his gray eyes have never looked so round and captivated before. His face glistens with sweat and I see those stipples gathering along his upper lip. His chest heaves, and he dabs his face. “You... you look...”
I wave him off with a nervous laugh. “I know... I scrub up well for a human, don’t I?”
Matthew blinks then finishes his sentence. “Enchanting...”
My eyes nearly pop from their sockets. He... called me enchanting. No boy has ever called me enchanting before.
Matthew crashes back to earth at last, and now he offers me his hand. The moment I touch his palm, a buzz zaps throughout my body and I gasp.
He seems to feel it too, and our eyes meet once again. His gaze is searching at first, but then those usually smug grays soften next as he places his lips to my knuckles. “Well, shall we?”
I turn to Felicity, and my heart shatters when I see her there in her little pink dress. I really don’t want to leave her all alone to the wolves.
The pixie fights back tears and whispers, “It’s... all right, Bryn. I’ll... be fine...”
Her tiny voice breaks, and I almost forget about leaving with Matthew so I can stay with her. But one look into Mattie’s smoldering gray eyes, and I finally make up my mind. I can’t miss an opportunity like this. I’m going to a ball with the most beautiful man in the world.
“All right... Good luck, Felicity.”
A lone tear drips down her cheek. “You... you too, Bryn Bryn.”
We leave her alone. On my way out the door, I spy that shadow in the corner of the room.
Whoever they are... I hope they keep her company.
She’s going to need it.
...
Thank god I decided to wear the gloves. Otherwise, I would have bitten all the shellac off my nails.
The moment I entered the grand chamber, arm in arm with Matthew Humphrey, time seemed to stop. No one made a sound. Every pair of eyeballs was trained on us or me.
It’s like no one recognized me at first. All at once I felt the envious gaze of every other girl and those lustful eyes of every guy.
Do I really look that good?
My dress rustles along with my gait and I feel like I’m floating. I steal a peek at the ceiling and gasp. The room’s festooned in pink and red flowers as they trickle down to the floor like water, and I take in every detail.
The academy really did go all out tonight. Even my senior prom wasn’t as nice as this. Not that I went, having no date and all, but still... Nothing could compare to this beauty.
The lights, the flowers, the pretty dresses... It’s like being in a fairy tale.
Matthew watches me carefully, and it’s like he doesn’t even see the decorations.
“Everything looks so beautiful,” I say.
He smirks, and I try not to groan at the sight of his lips. “Yeah, it does...”
I narrow my eyes. “Are you even looking?”
His smirk changes next, and now it starts to resemble a genuine smile. “Of course I am.”
He takes my chin and looks me fervently in the eyes, and a troubled crease appears between his brows. I see the apology now: sorry for being such an asshole to you these past five months. And as stupid as it sounds, I forgive him.
I’ve never seen a more sincere look.
But then something else appears, and now his apology turns to anger. Not anger at me, but someone else.
I study those conflicted grays. What exactly is going through his mind?
Suddenly, his gaze falls to my lips, and now his anger turns to desire. “That... red lipstick looks good on you, human.”
I grin. “Yeah... I really do brush up well, don’t—?”
Matthew leans closer, and my breath catches in my throat. Even though we are standing in the middle of the chamber with every pair of eyes on us, I don’t care. I want to feel his lips on mine... I want to feel his hot breath mixing with my own.
“Uh-hum...”
We pull away. Angelina stands with her arms crossed over her chest. Swamp Boy hovers just three feet behind her.
Bless him. It seems he did make an effort tonight. He wears a clean suit, looking at Angelina like she’s something good to eat. If not for the creepy gaze and the oozing green stuff, I’d even call him handsome.
Who could blame him for looking at her like that? Angelina wears a blue silk dress in the same style as mine, her bleached-blonde hair tossed over one shoulder. Whereas my little tummy makes an appearance through my dress, hers brings out her flat, toned stomach, and my confidence dips.
I suppose that’s what I get for having one too many donuts.
I doubt Angelina eats donuts. She drinks blood and only blood. A shame she’s not wearing my red dress tonight. It would look much better on her anyway.
Matthew gives her an irritated scowl, and I’m surprised he doesn’t run back to her. “Angelina...” he says, his tone neutral.
“Matthew,” she replies, her voice sharp. He
r eyes give off a faint glow.
I peer back and forth between the two of them, confused. I’m definitely caught up in whatever this is that they have going on here.
I guess Angelina didn’t like the sight of us kissing. I mean, they are supposed to be a couple, right? Who would want to see her boyfriend kissing another girl?
Still... I never sensed any real affection between them. Not that I’d know since I’ve never been in a relationship, but their coupling was merely professional. As if they are playing a part in a play.
As I said, the academy is still like high school.
Whatever is going on between them, they obviously need some time alone to talk it through. So I excuse myself and move toward the familiar faces of Nora and Zahara. “I’ll give you two a moment.”
Angelina tears her angry gaze away from Matthew and snarls at me. Matthew, on the other hand, smiles graciously. “I’ll come and find you in a moment.”
I nod and walk over to my friends, horribly aware of one absent face. “Hey,” I say when I reach Zahara’s side. “You two all right? Where are your dates?”
“Left to get us drinks,” Zahara replies, chewing her black lip.
I focus on Nora. She, too, looks troubled. “What’s wrong?”
Nora’s sentient hair wiggles in its up-do style. “It’s... it’s Felicity. She should have arrived with Macson by now.”
“Well, maybe you just haven’t seen her yet. I mean, she is small.”
Nora shakes her head, and fear runs through her vivid green eyes.
Zahara releases a shuddery sigh. “Look... one of us can go back up to the common room and see if she’s still there. Maybe Macson is just running late.”
My blood boils. “He better be... or I’ll be kicking his ass into oblivion...”
“You and me both,” Zahara whispers, looking equally as dark and determined as I am.
We’ll both kick him into the next dimension.
Nora gasps next and points toward the doors. “There she is!”
All three of us turn, and I feel the weight lifting from my shoulders. Finally, I can enjoy myself now knowing she’s arrived with her date.