by Sadie Moss
“I have no idea how I’m going to handle this,” I admit, sitting in front of my mirror and watching Bianca fix up my hair.
“You’re going to handle it fine.”
“Are you sure?” I grimace at my reflection.
Bianca and Theo have spent all of this week coaching me on how to behave in these kinds of situations, but I’m still nervous as hell. How am I supposed to be a hostess? How am I supposed to handle these people?
“Just remember what I’ve taught you,” she soothes. “And you’ll be just fine. You’re good with people, and you’re better at doing this than you think, okay?”
I take a few deep breaths. “Okay.”
We finish up my hair and makeup, and then I change into my outfit. I feel horribly like that Aesop’s fable about the sparrow who has the peacock’s tail, but Bianca tells me I look good.
“Dark blue is a classic color,” she tells me, helping me with the draping. This dress doesn’t exactly have a ton of layers like Cinderella’s gown, but it’s all gauzy and trails across the floor, so I need some help arranging it. “You’re going to look classy and sophisticated.”
The dress has that scattered crystals thing going on, making it look like the night sky. I love it, although I nearly had a heart attack when I saw the price tag while Bianca and I were out shopping for it.
“Wow. You do not come from money,” Bianca said, laughing as the cashier rang up the dress.
Yeah, no shit, Sherlock. But it went right onto Roxie’s credit card, and her father pays that bill, so I guess I don’t have to worry about it. I still feel guilty though. Roxie wouldn’t give this a second thought, and I’m technically being her, filling in for her, so I really shouldn’t feel bad. But in a way, it feels like stealing.
“By the way,” Bianca adds as she helps me finish up, “thanks for defending me to the police. I could hear you from the hallway.” She grins. “I may have been eavesdropping.”
“Sure. I mean…” I shrug. “We gotta stick together, right?”
Her grin widens. “Yeah, we do.”
A second later, the door to my dorm room is busted open by Cross, the other two falling in behind him.
“Nice of you to knock,” Bianca notes dryly.
“Hey, just cause I’m dressed like a gentleman doesn’t mean I have to act like one,” Cross says with a lopsided grin, and I think I actually hear her choke back a laugh.
I chuckle, running my gaze over the three men. He and the other two are dressed to complement me. I initially said they could just wear the same things they wore to the charity ball we snuck into, but Theo and Bianca both looked scandalized by the very notion.
So now Cross is in all black with a dark blue shirt under it and a dark blue pocket square, Kasian’s suit is various shades of dark blue with a black waistcoat, and Theo’s is black with dark blue patterning on it, almost but not quite like the fleur-de-lis.
“Damn, we look good,” Kasian notes, raising his eyebrows.
“I told you,” Theo replies, never above gloating.
He’s right. The guys all look… fucking hot. It’s not just that their outfits are perfectly tailored, and that they look amazing in them—it’s the harmony, the three of them all wearing the same theme, my theme. I feel possessive, almost, and proud. When we walk into that ballroom, everyone’s going to know who these guys belong to, and that I belong to them.
It’s the first time that we’ll be really open about our relationship in a social setting, and I’m nervous about it, but also…not. I’m a bit excited, even. I want to show off my guys, and I want everyone to know that these amazing men chose me.
“Oh, for crying out loud.” Bianca waves her hands, rolling her eyes. “Are you guys going to keep staring at each other forever? Should I make myself scarce?”
“Maybe,” Cross shoots back. He doesn’t pull his gaze away from me, and neither do the other two men. They’re all staring at me hungrily, making my whole body heat up from the inside out.
“Ugh. Where’s a man who’ll look at me like that?” she mutters. Then she kisses me on the cheek. “You’re going to do great, okay? Have fun.”
I wave goodbye to her, and she leaves.
The second the door closes behind her, the men converge on me.
Hands are everywhere, sliding all over my body, squeezing and caressing, and I gasp, arching, clawing at all three guys, wanting them closer. God, I wish I could just tear their clothes off and have them fuck me right here, just like this. I wouldn’t even need all of my clothes off, just shove the dress up and out of the way—
My mind floods with a hundred dirty images, making my core clench.
I feel a bit desperate. Who knows how long we’ll have together? The closer we get to stopping the cult and figuring out what to do, the closer we get to my no longer being here. Roxie will be here instead. And we’ll all be separated.
The guys seem to be pretty desperate too, holding onto me tightly, their mouths hot and insistent, and I can practically feel the need in them. Well, I can feel it. I can feel them getting hard against me, and I want them so badly—
Theo wrenches his mouth away from my neck and I moan. I want him back, I want him to keep going, Cross’s hand is sliding up my leg and I want his fingers inside me… but Theo pulls him away, and then Kasian stops, his chest heaving.
“We have to go,” Theo points out. His voice is hoarse. “Before we get too disheveled and have to start all over.”
He’s looking specifically at Cross as he says it, or more specifically, at Cross’s bronze-streaked hair, which clearly took some time to tame. Cross just shoots him a deadpan look, still a little flushed from our kiss.
I double-check my makeup in case our impromptu make-out session smeared it, and then we head out, Theo driving us in his car.
Going back to Roxie’s family’s mansion is… interesting. I feel nervous about the ball, but I also feel oddly like I’m trespassing. This is Roxie’s home, the place where she spent her childhood. I spent a week here during the Everwinter holiday break, but I still don’t feel like I belong here.
“Holy shit,” Cross breathes as we pull up.
The house has been transformed. I thought it was lavishly decorated for Everwinter, but that was nothing compared to this. Now it’s lit up all over and decorated to the nines, with gorgeous floating lanterns leading the way up the walk, and large flower bouquets with twinkling crystals and lights inside of them sitting prominently in the windows.
Clearly, this ball is important to Roxie’s father.
“Yeah,” I echo. “Wow.”
We slide out of the car, and the guys escort me down the walk. We’re among the first people here, obviously, since I’m supposed to be helping to host—except when we step inside, the first person to greet me isn’t Roxie’s father. It’s her siblings.
“Oh, Roxie. You’re late,” Luna comments in an airy voice. She sounds a little gleeful about it, actually. I’m sure in the decades-long game of sibling rivalry she and Roxie have going, I just lost points.
I glare at her, a little annoyed. Luna does care about Roxie underneath it all, I think. She pulled me aside over the winter break because she was worried about the way I—well, Roxie—had been acting. But the siblings are still very competitive, and I shouldn’t have expected her to suddenly turn around and be a totally sweet, supportive sister.
“Well, now I’ll just have to make an extra good showing,” I reply, putting on my haughtiest tone of voice. It’s not one I used much until I started impersonating Roxie, but I think I’ve gotten pretty good at it. “Show Father how lucky he is to have me here.”
Luna is wearing a stylish black dress, with the kind of cutting-edge fashion style you’d see on a runway. She looks herself up and down, then looks me up and down, as if to say, you sure about that?
I straighten my shoulders. Yeah, I’m pretty damn sure about it.
Huh. Pretending to be Roxie has apparently given me a competitive streak.
“Huh. I’m surprised Father let you bring your… friends,” Nash says.
He’s the oldest sibling, and honestly, if I could find an excuse to punch him in the face, I would. He’s never approved of my boyfriends. Roxie’s mother and Luna both warmed to them almost immediately, although that may have had something to do with the fact that they also drooled over them like prime pieces of steak. But Nash still seems to think this is my first step on the road to shaming the family name forever or something.
“Oh, he invited us particularly, mate,” Theo says, sounding innocently cheerful, like this is the best thing in the world. “We’re so thrilled to be here. I’m chuffed your father asked us to come.”
Nash stares at Theo like he’s grown a second head. Kasian manages to school his face into something resembling cheerful, but Cross looks like he stepped in shit and is struggling to hide it.
“Well.” Nash clears his throat. “I’ll just leave you four to it, then, shall I?”
“See you around!” I reply, forcing cheerfulness into my voice.
Luna gives me a suspicious glare, and then goes off as well in a different direction.
Okay. Okay. I can do this. Deep breaths.
The guys and I head toward the massive ballroom near the back of the house, and I have to work hard to keep my head from swiveling back and forth as I take in the opulence around me.
It’s stunning. Ornate decorations have been brought out, and carafes to refill people’s wine glasses float through the air. Candles carved into elaborate shapes burn bright, giving off the scent of lavender, and music fills the space, seeming to come from nowhere and everywhere at once. Colorful crystals are the source of light in the rooms, giving everything a warm golden glow. I can’t see any servants or waitstaff, and it looks like the same magic that’s making the wine float around is making platters of food float around as well to serve to people. I have to admit, it’s a lot less obtrusive than having people take care of it.
A few guests are here already, and everyone is dressed in outfits that must cost thousands of dollars. They look amazing, making me glad that Bianca insisted I buy this crazy expensive dress. The guys and I fit in perfectly here.
Okay. Time to make nice.
As the ball starts up, I do everything Bianca and Theo taught me. I greet Roxie’s father’s guests, shaking hands and laughing at jokes I totally don’t get. I also have to dance with people.
I dance with my guys, and my father, and then with others, making polite conversation as we spin and twirl across the ballroom floor. I discuss my interests, and I find that I don’t have to lie as much as I thought I would. I do have to talk more about things like alchemy, because that’s what Roxie’s interested in, but I find the study of magic to be fascinating, so it’s easy to get sucked into conversation. The guys help. They’re always hovering nearby, ready to swoop in when people ask a question I can’t answer or I find myself on the verge of stumbling. Roxie apparently knows some of the people who are here already, and I have to fake knowing them, but Bianca coached me on that since she knows them too, and the names and information come readily back to my mind.
I guess she was right to drill me for as many hours as she did.
I’m actually starting to think I’ve got a handle on this. My guys are ready to provide backup, the guests seem to like me, and I can’t help but remember what Bianca said about how I’m good with people. Maybe she was right? I seem to be holding my own, anyway, and I even get a pleased smile from Roxie’s father at one point from across the room.
Then Roxie’s mother comes out from another room, leading a group of people who look like they must be the crème de la crème of the party guests. She’s got her broadest smile on, and her hands move gracefully as she gestures. When she catches my gaze, she inclines her head slightly, summoning me over, and I try to emulate her bearing as I cross the room.
The group of guests are talking amongst themselves, and the conversation seems to be dominated by a middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair. He looks a bit imposing, definitely comes from money, and is dressed in an old-fashioned black tux and tails.
He’s talking about the stock market of all things when I reach them, and as he speaks, I realize—I know his voice.
I’ve heard his voice before.
Of course, he’s being a bit quieter now, at a party and not addressing a huge crowd, but I still recognize him.
My blood feels like it’s turning to ice. Because I know him.
He’s the leader with the owl mask who rallied the cult at Night Elements.
Chapter 11
It takes me a full minute to realize that the conversation around me has ground to a halt. Roxie’s mother has paused and is staring at me.
“Darling, why on earth are you staring like that? You’re being incredibly rude.”
I realize that I am in fact staring at the man, and I start. “Um, I—sorry.”
The guy is looking at me now, and I know he knows who I am. After everything that happened at the club that night, he knows I can’t possibly be Roxie, so that leaves only one person I can be. My heart is hammering in my throat, and I swallow hard, trying to breathe.
He walks over, and he reminds me of an owl in that moment with his wide, sharp eyes locked onto his prey. “Ah, this must be your youngest.”
“Yes, she is.” Mother digs her elbow into my side. “My apologies for any… immature behavior on her part.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” I manage, totally on autopilot. We shake hands, and holy shit, holy shit, what the fuck is this guy doing here? “I’m Roxie.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” he replies. “I’m Nathan Hawksmith. I’m sure you’ve heard of my family.”
“Of course,” I choke out.
I actually have, but only because Bianca drilled me on it along with everything else. Fuck, the Hawksmiths are super important people, old bluebloods just like Roxie’s family. But I had no idea one of them was the leader of the Cult of Singularity.
Shit, how far up does this conspiracy go with this damn cult?
I have zero clue what I’m supposed to do now. Is he going to attack me? He wouldn’t do that right out in front of everyone, would he?
“Perhaps I might request the honor of your next dance,” Hawksmith goes on.
“Certainly,” I reply. I don’t see what other choice I have, especially with Roxie’s mother looking at me like the world will end if I say no.
Hawksmith takes me out onto the dance floor. He’s obviously an accomplished dancer, which is good because he’s leading, and I can just follow his movements. I’m all right at the waltz, but my expertise is in hip hop, modern dance, those kinds of things, not ballroom.
“Bold of you to come here,” I point out.
“Well, when issued an invitation by one of the premiere families in magical society, I can’t exactly refuse,” the older man replies.
I catch sight of my guys standing at various points around the room, all watching me. I can’t give them a signal that something is wrong without drawing unwanted attention, so I just keep a polite look on my face and hope that one of my boyfriends has suddenly developed mind-reading powers or something.
No such luck, unfortunately.
“You’re doing remarkably well at this little game of ours,” Hawksmith goes on, keeping his voice low. He’s studying me like I’m a particularly interesting puzzle. “I wasn’t expecting you to do such a good job of pretending to be Roxie, but it’s helpful for us, so I suppose I can let it continue.”
“Oh, can you?” I hiss. I hope I sound annoyed and brave instead of how I really feel—namely, frustrated and scared. “I wondered if that was why you weren’t coming after me.”
“You wondered correctly. So long as you’re playing the part, nobody knows that Roxie is missing. It’s been quite helpful for us, actually. I ought to be thanking you. Except you did pull that little stunt at the club…”
“If it’s so helpful for you,” I demand, keepi
ng my voice low, “then why did your man try to kill all of us? That would lead to an unpleasant investigation that you don’t want.”
“Gunner was always violent and impulsive,” Hawksmith says dismissively. “Given that he’s now missing, I’m assuming you dealt with him in a permanent manner.”
“We defended ourselves when he tried to kill us.”
“I thought as much. Well, if nothing else, Gabbi, dear—”
“Don’t call me that,” I hiss.
“—you’ve given us more of a run for our money than we expected. We were certain that you would flunk out of your classes within a week and bring dozens of questions raining down. We thought we would have to act fast. But you’ve proven yourself to be quite the accomplished little liar.”
I feel like I’m playing some game of chess, only I’ve come into the game halfway and I have to scramble to figure out where everyone is on the board. “Still took you way too long to find her. Is she being difficult? Giving you the slip?” I pout at him, which to anyone else probably looks like I’m playfully flirting, but I know he knows I’m mocking him.
“We will find her,” Hawksmith tells me darkly, his gaze boring into me. “You’re not going to be able to keep her safe, no matter what you do.”
“And yet, look at how we’ve thwarted you already. We’ve kept Roxie from you, we’ve escaped your clutches—literally—and we’ve killed one of your inside men sent to spy on us. I wouldn’t underestimate us if I were you.”
“And I think that the very fact I’m here shows you how powerful we are, and how you shouldn’t underestimate us.” He gives me a sly, chilling smile. “Nothing is going to stand in our way, my dear. And if you really think you can stop us, well, you’re welcome to keep trying. It’s amusing.”
The music pauses as the dance comes to an end, giving everyone a chance to find new partners or to leave the dance floor. As we stop, Hawksmith’s hand slides up my body in one smooth movement. For a second, I have to hold in a shudder of revulsion as I think he’s copping a feel, but then—quick as a flash, I feel it.