by L Ward
A buffet stretched the back wall; servants were passing out drinks. It was hot with bodies; students donning every weird and wonderful monster, human or thing. Some, Evan noticed, had been drinking makeup potions temporarily turning their hair, skin and eyes wild colours. Dense, silken cob webbing hung from the ceiling, bulges wriggling with what he hoped weren’t live spiders.
“Thanks, you look amazing!” Cass was squealing at someone in the crowd as people showered her with compliments, washing away the anger from five minutes ago.
Evan wasn’t really feeling the party anymore and was seriously regretting leaving Nath.
“Hi, Evan,” a short, plump girl he’d never seen before giggled as she passed in a group of friends.
“Ask him! Ask him if he’s done it with the Prince yet!” said Krystin.
Evan moved away before they accosted him. People were staring at him and almost everyone he’d begun talking to had become distant ever since he started dating the prince. He was thankful to live in the three-hundredth year of sexual liberation because it meant, for the most part, the reason they were staring at him was because they now saw him as royal property; someone to pay caution to.
The evening wore on and a relaxed vibe settled through Court. The band returned to announce the winners of the costume contest. Evan gathered among the crowd of pornographic bumble bees and prostitute kittens; beyond the sea of badly wrapped mummies and bloodied vampires below the stage.
“In third place,” shouted the lead singer, a dirty-looking warlock with gleaming red eyes and a shock of lightning-blue hair. “Mr Baskell for his creative rendition of the Lady Cascade.”
A rush of applause greeted their ears and a baby-faced guy with ginger hairs jutting from beneath his curly black wig stumbled forward, struggling to move in his violet fishtail gown. The laughter died. Evan spotted Lady Cascade in the distance dressed in full witches’ robes and wide-brimmed hat wearing a twisted smile.
“Very good. In second place Miss Rayne Rivers for her stunning siren,” the singer’s eyes bulged as she sauntered up to the stage wearing a dress of most straight men’s dreams; low cut, nearly translucent, rippling with deep-blue water and studded with gems like a mermaid's treasure trove.
The din of masculine hooting reminded Evan of sexually depraved owls. He glanced at Jeremiah, staring silently.
Blaise’s high-pitched whistle stung everyone’s ears as he barged past wearing a Count Dracula costume. Tacky as fuck.
“What a beauty, am I right, fellas?” the men roared their approval.
Cass sucked in her lip disapprovingly.
“Now for our winner! In first place, Cassidy Ikenna for her magnificent vampire princess!”
Evan joined the raucous applause, watching Cass accept the gleaming ghost-shaped trophy and an entire bucket of living gummy worms. All traces of disapproval gone. Even though she’d been a bitch, she deserved it.
Music came back to life and Evan pushed through the crowd swamping Cass and Jeremiah. The doors were wide open and the welcoming wind whipped his cheeks rosy.
“I was hoping you wouldn’t be deep in the crowd.”
Evan jumped. “Fuck. You scared me.”
Nath’s eyes sparkled with mischief and magic. He looked brighter than when Evan left, the smudges beneath his eyes fading and his dimples glistened when he smiled. “Nice costume.”
Evan turned red and looked down, feeling Nath’s eyes raking over his slashed cream-coloured trousers plated with brown leather dueling armor; boots laced up his calves, torso strapped in a revealing leather tunic, and the great streaks of feathers pouring down his back in enormous golden wings.
“Let me guess,” said Nath. “You’re one of the angels said to have fallen in the Age of the Warlocks more than a thousand years ago?”
“Yes,” said Evan. “I can’t take all the credit, Kalani helped procure the pieces.”
Nath’s smile was wicked-handsome and drenched in flirtatiousness. “She has good taste.”
“Feeling better?” Evan raised his eyebrows.
“Thanks to my wonderful boyfriend,” he stepped closer. They were barely inches apart, so close Evan could taste the peppermint on his breath.
“Alright our here, lads?” Will’s voice cut like a knife. The enormous pumpkins holding the doors open blazed menacingly. “Bit chilly if ya ask me,” he held up his palm where a ball of flames ignited, bathing them in pleasant warmth and highlighting his costume. His shirt was bloodied and torn across his thick, muscular chest, slashed jeans, a short, fluffy tail and pointed furry ears. His fiery brown eyes melted to puddles of chocolate innocence. “What?” he asked, looking between them and sipping his drink, “never seen a werewolf before?”
“What do you want, Will?” Nath asked calmly.
“My boyfriend back,” he said.
“Leave,” said Nath, warning lacing his voice.
“Get over it.”
“Fuck off, Will.”
Will turned his unreadable smile on Evan and said, “he’s gorgeous, rich and royal. You’re plain, common and poor.” His eyes raked him up and down and he walked off without a reply.
Stung, Evan held his breath for ten hideous seconds.
“He’s jealous,” said Nath. The breeze picked up whirling the smell of harvest and magic about, humming pleasantly with the witching hour soon upon them.
“He’s right, though, isn’t he?” said Evan.
“If I wanted a noble, or even a foreign prince, I could have one, but I don’t,” said Nath taking Evan’s hand and leading him over to a bench sheltered beneath the trees and glowing with pretty lanterns. “Will was my only other relationship. It’s different for me when it comes to dating. The person I’m with has to accept what I am beyond a prince,” he said, staring deeply into Evan’s eyes. “I’m not perfect and I’m sick of dating what perfect is supposed to look like. I wasn’t looking for someone, but when I saw you that day…” he trailed off, face breaking in a devastating smile, “you were this light that brightened my whole world.”
Evan’s heart went intergalactic; he kissed Nath without a care if people were watching, or if this appeared in the papers. He’d seen a couple of journalists threading the party and would no doubt be looking for the prince.
When the kiss broke, Evan searched his face. “I want you to know that I’m not dating you because you’re rich or a prince. I’m dating you because you give awesome blow jobs,” he grinned and Nath’s face bloomed a brilliant scarlet.
“At least we cleared that up,” Nath laughed. “I was talking to Dad about your idea for dispensaries and he suggested submitting it to the Council directly. Pharmaceuticals would be permitted to offer extremely high grade medical cannabis if it’s regulated for medical resale.”
“What about coffee shops? They have them in the Netherlands, why not here?”
“It’s yet to be licensed for recreational resale. There were new laws put in place that anything considered a party drug or non-harmful substance must undergo investigation after a man was caught selling magic potions near Brighton that left six people with permanent lizardman mutations. Putting it forward is not a big task, but still one that requires Privy Council meetings,” said Nath. “If you’re still up for it we could start the write-up soon.”
“Can’t wait,” said Evan. “I wrote to my dad and asked if he has any input.”
“Fantastic,” said Nath, eyes twinkling, “we need some good news. Tomorrow the headlines will say the soldiers sent to the Dead Country were killed in combat- torn apart by werewolves. They’re being brought home. Apparently flowers were left with their corpses,” disgust tinged his voice.
Evan’s heart sank. “The king’s soldiers? What does this mean?”
“It means the national threat level has reached maximum capacity and troops are being deployed to the border to protect experts trying to secure the boundary enchantments. There’s a lot of unrest, apparently my mother’s letters are no longer abating the anger,” Nat
h replied dismally.
“I don’t get it,” said Evan, shaking his head.
“They don’t want the worlds to overlap, they want to create one world for us and unleash every abomination they’ve cultivated and created in the Dead Country. It’s about absolution, another Warlock’s Age in the name of Artemis,” he said lightly, lips twisting in smile that spoke a thousand miseries. “Their rulers will destroy the very balance mother nature intended and we’ll all live in ruin, like Wales,” said Nath.
Evan’s mind went haywire, and he was astounded to hear the Dead Country called by its original name. “That won’t happen, though. Demons can’t be sovereigns, they’re not anointed by the gods. What would happen if they tried?”
“A warlock claiming the throne would kill most of our world, and the Otherworld. The Earth would be leeched of all it’s magic, the life magic that the gods bestowed upon our universe, it will die leaving behind cursed land and darkness. Only evil would survive a place like that- if you’d call it survival,” Nath said bitterly. “I’m confident in Mum and Dad, they can handle this. It’s possibly a matter that tighter national security will resolve. They’re reinforcing the cursed boundaries as we speak and experts are stabilising the newborn rifts.”
Evan squeezed Nath’s fingers, his body burning with adrenaline as the darkness drew in around them. “I believe in the king,” he said. This was intense. “And the werewolves?”
Nath sighed, gazing at the star-spread sky. “I hope the executions will be carried out on-site, and they’re not brought to trial,” he said slowly. “Not because I want to see them die, but because I don’t.”
Evan shot him a quizzical look. “Won’t they die either way?” he asked.
“If they’re to die, rather there than here where I’ll have to pay witness,” his voice was barely above a whisper but the words haunted Evan to his core. Nath exhaled sharply and ran his fingers through his silver-spun hair. “I apologise sincerely for being so morbid.”
“I know the death penalty exists, Nath,” he said. “I think it’s important to discuss the big stuff: life, death, and everything in between.”
A smile from Heaven graced Nath’s lips and he shone with opalescent light. “I like spiritual people,” he said, drawing Evan in closer. “But I don’t like to see you shivering, want to get a drink?”
“Away from Court,” said Evan, tasting the stale wine of disdain.
Nath laughed and it was beautiful. “Tired of courtiers already?”
“Cass and Jeremiah never stop arguing. They’re a nightmare,” he sighed.
“We’ll go to the cocktail lounge,” Nath decided, wrapping an arm around Evan’s waist and leading him into the palace, heart fluttering all the way.
Chapter 22
Overnight a frost descended encrusting everything in a layer of diamonds. November was upon them; news broke of the soldiers’ deaths causing a wave of student anxiety and at dinner one of the chief members of the king’s guard addressed them with reassurances that the disturbances were hundreds of miles away on what is considered foreign territory and they were being dealt with. Nothing to worry about, right? No threats made to the palace, right?
Evan was beginning to notice the sheer number of courtiers lingering; nobles and people of rank milled in the entrance hall and took their constant leisure at Court with music and games; even allowing students to join them. It didn’t take him long to realise they were just awaiting fresh gossip.
“Will was born on Bonfire Night?” said Evan, sarcasm toying with his lips.
Nath laughed and said, “Guy Fawkes himself was a pyromancer, although he didn’t demonstrate that too well, did he?”
“I’d say not,” said Evan.
Sure enough, when Will strode in gleaming in platinum; arms bulging in his silk shirt, the girls’ heads snapped in his direction, pupils dilating like mating season. He shot Nath a sleazy smile made from the confidence of a true villain. Nath’s attention was on his rune dust as Will slid greasily into his seat. He spared Evan an arrogant smile which sent waves of irritation scuttling over his skin.
∞∞∞
The workload doubled, especially from their dueling theory sessions, and he was expected to write short essays on the official rules and regulations which were three hundred and seventy-two pages of size 7 print. Fortunately, Cass figured out a couple of short cuts that left them with free time and enough page fillers to satisfy Mr Dulcatt.
During Mysticism the following Friday, Angelika sidled over, pitch-black eyes boring holes in his skin.
“Your friend Cass,” she said, voice monotonous. “How serious is she with what’s-his-face? Tall, dark, and moderately handsome?”
“Jeremiah,” said Evan. “Why?”
“The other day I saw him through the window to the editor’s room,” she sank down avoiding Uncle’s watchful eye. “He was kissing Kristyn Fields.”
Evan stared. “Are you sure?”
Angelika nodded pursing her lips like a bleached anus.
“Okay.” He sighed, leaning back in his chair, eyes wandering to a trio huddled around some kind of chart which rapidly changed between a rain-soaked grey and tropical turquoise.
“Don’t shoot the messenger. I thought it might be easier on her coming from you than me,” she shrugged.
“Wait-what?”
“I assumed you’d be kind enough to tell Cass her boyfriend’s a lying cheat,” she said slowly.
Now Evan felt even worse and sighed so heavily Uncle turned his large, earthy eyes on him.
“I’ll tell her,” he said, rubbing his forehead. “You’re right, she deserves to know.”
“Atta boy!” She patted him on the back.
Evan glared under the weight of her burden.
“STOP TALKING YOU BITCH,” Uncle roared, flying at Angelika from across the room, seizing her book and throwing it out the window.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” said Evan.
Uncle smashed the door against the wall as he stormed out as he often did when upset (easily).
Angelika emitted a small, shocked noise.
Everyone stared.
∞∞∞
Three days died and Evan was still mulling over his conversation with Angelika. Cass had been her usual hard-working, bursting-with-confidence self, and Jeremiah had been as wrapped up in the newsletter as ever; joining her for meals and odd evenings in the sitting-room, but still noticeably absent.
Evan had lain in bed pondering, and that night confided in Nath over dinner in one of the royal parlours. Romance filled every pore of his skin during the twilight meal, glittering in crystal and bathed in spiced wine.
“I think you should be honest with her even if she takes it badly. She won’t be upset forever and she deserves to know,” Nath said delicately. Dozens more stars made an appearance tonight, playing audience to their courtship.
“It’s a shock. I haven’t known them that long but they’ve been together a couple of years and they seemed happy,” said Evan, brows knit.
“Things aren’t always what they seem. I should know better than anyone,” Nath’s handsome face dimpled in a smile, pupils glinting in the candlelight.
Evan’s lips curled up. “There’s something almost sexy about these secrets.” Setting his wine on the table, he continued, “I knew Court would be full of drama and gossip, but I didn’t think I’d be part of it, yet here I am, talked about every day.”
Nath chuckled and it came out a low growl. “You’ll be gossiped about more tomorrow. Someone photographed a kiss in the western gardens and it’ll be printed by morning.”
Evan blushed from head to toe. “Now the whole country will see me snogging the prince?”
“Is it such a dreadful thing?” Nath faked shock and Evan laughed.
“Not the kissing, what picture did they even take?”
“I can’t say as I’ve seen it, but Mum assures me it’s all above board,” he said with confidence, cheeks glowing like apples. “It lik
ely means they’ll request an interview with you.”
Evan clammed up. “I get asked about you four or five times a day as it is,” he said, gazing out across the eastern gardens, “now the whole nation will be asking,” his lips twitched in a smirk.
“Oh? What will you say to them?” Nath asked, wearing haughty better than Will.
“That you’re a terrible kisser with shitty manners, and you're a grope,” Evan said lightly as he twirled his fingertip around the rim of his wine glass. The desire to drop his boxers was strong.
Nath reached for his other hand. “That sounds an awful lot like my ex,” he said watching Evan’s smile break into a grin. “However,” he continued, “you’ve just said shitty at the dinner table.”
“It was worth it to hear it come out of your posh voice,” he nodded basking in the warmth of Nath’s excitement.
∞∞∞
When morning came, Evan was nervous. He arrived at Court with Cass and there they were. Magazines dotted about the room and the front page emblazoned with a photograph of them kissing among the falling leaves, both smiling like they were on top of the world. Evan’s heart soared and he felt no shame buying himself two copies and burying them in his bag. It was a matter of minutes before the spellograms arrived.
Oh my God, Ev, he’s hot as hell!! You didn’t tell me he looked like that. DAMN. Do you realise how lucky you are? - K xx
Kalani always made him smile. He must’ve sent hundreds of spellograms since he arrived keeping her up to date with everything. Not too many details, though.
His parents said much the same thing in their note; his mum vowed to have the photo cut and framed.
What Evan wasn’t prepared for was the sheer volume of attention. The photo was everywhere and people talked constantly of the commoner who stole the prince’s heart.
By the end of the day he was worn out dealing with all the gossip, the stares, and the two journalists who literally chased him across the gardens hounding him for an interview.