The Monster Ball Year 2

by Heather Hildenbrand

  “There’s never been anyone else for me either,” I said, my voice cracking because it was true.

  This time when he kissed me, every inch of resolve broke loose.

  I grabbed his jacket, feeling the fabric bunching in my hands as I pulled him against me. His mouth was hot. Feverish. A heat spread through me, driving me. We’d been this way before. Unable to get enough of each other. He’d been young. We both had. Now, age and time apart had only made the fire hotter.

  More. I needed more.

  Strong hands clutched my hips, pulling me forward so that our bodies were flush. Breck’s hardness pressed into my lower belly, and I slid my hand down to stroke him.

  “Aqua,” Breck breathed against my mouth.

  “Don’t stop.”

  I tightened my grip, and Breck responded by breaking the kiss. “I need to be alone with you,” he said in a husky voice.

  I let him pull me up the stairs along the catwalk, and down to the second story loft. My back tingled with the sensation of being watched, but when I turned to look, I saw no one familiar.

  Breck ducked into the first empty privacy cube, and I followed, whirling to face him as he spun me in his arms. His hand, rough with callouses, cupped my cheek. Those piercing blue eyes rooted me where I stood.

  My breath whooshed out of me.

  I’d break the law for Breck if it meant seeing him look at me like that again. In this moment, I already had.

  The walls of the privacy cube glowed blue-green around us, casting our skin in a soft light that reminded me of the sea. It was a stark reminder of what I was—and what I’d be when this night ended.

  Before I could let reality sink in, Breck kissed me again.

  Strong hands pressed me down against the mattress, and I sank into its softness, reaching for Breck and pulling him down with me.

  My dress rode high, and Breck’s fingers brushed over the exposed skin of my thigh before slipping underneath the thin fabric. My muscles tensed in anticipation. When he stroked me, I nearly came apart right then.

  “Mmm, I missed this,” he said against my ear, and I shivered.

  I missed it, too.

  More than he knew.

  With a grip that bordered on desperate, I held on tight as his hands explored places that hadn’t been touched since we were last together.

  “Breck,” I uttered as he coaxed me toward a release that had been building for five long years.

  “Come for me,” he breathed.

  I nearly had when Breck’s body jerked in surprise. He stood up, moving quickly.

  “What’s—”

  I fell silent when I saw what had startled him.

  Or who.

  My eyes widened in horror at the familiar figure standing in the pod’s entrance. “Priscilla.”

  “Princess.” Priscilla’s eyes narrowed. “Though not for long from the look of things.”

  She smirked at me, a devastating smile that left no doubt she’d seen more than enough.

  I scrambled to my feet, fully aware of how disheveled I looked. “I can explain.”

  “No need. I have firsthand proof that you’ve violated our kingdom’s law by associating yourself with a foreign being.”

  Breck said nothing.

  Anger rose, hot and swift, with fear alongside it. My hands balled into fists. “You won’t get away with this,” I vowed.

  But Priscilla only lifted a brow and added, “I’ll be taking this up with the royal council tomorrow. I do hope it was worth it.”

  She offered Breck an approving glance. “Good work. Our deal is secured, halfling. Finish up here, and then come find me to be escorted back.”

  Priscilla walked out, leaving us alone, but I kept my gaze trained on Breck. Horror washed over me as understanding dawned.

  “Aqua,” Breck began. “I can explain.”

  “You did this?” I asked. “You betrayed me?”

  “No, of course not. I came here tonight, looking for a way into Nerida. My mother was water fae; do you remember me telling you that when we met?”

  I suddenly felt way too exposed in this slinky dress. “What does that have to do with me?”

  “Nothing. I made a deal with Priscilla. A task. A favor in exchange for admittance into Nerida.”

  “I would have given you entrance into Nerida,” I nearly shouted.

  “I realize that now, but I saw Priscilla first. And I never expected to see you here. Hurting you is the last thing I ever wanted.”

  “But you just did.” I gestured after Priscilla. “She’s right. I’m not allowed to be with anyone but my own kind.”

  “I’m half-fae,” he said.

  “Half isn’t the same as whole. Not for royalty. When the council finds out, I could be arrested. Or worse.”

  “We’ll fix it. I’ll talk to her,” he said.

  I shook my head. “Priscilla’s always wanted my crown. Now, she’ll get it.” My eyes burned. “Because of you.”

  I shoved past him and out the door, leaving my past and my future behind me.

  Chapter Nine

  Breck

  Priscilla had played me. I should have seen it coming, but I’d been too caught up in Aqua. Being with her again had blinded me to the bigger picture. I had to fix it. Even if we couldn’t be together, I had to at least save her from the council’s punishment. Aqua didn’t deserve to be labeled a criminal.

  Priscilla was nowhere to be found downstairs, so I doubled back, making my way past the band’s platform and up to the roof. It was more crowded than before, and I shoved my way past couples dancing close enough to warrant a privacy pod. On the other side of the crowd, the dragon’s fire lit the night in various shapes.

  A flash of black caught my eye.

  There.

  On the edge of the dance floor.

  I slid past the other couples, barely catching Priscilla as she shook off an eager dance partner and headed for the bar.

  “Hello, again, halfling. Come to catch your ride home?”

  “We have to talk,” I said.

  “I’m not sure what’s left to say. You did your part. Now, I’ll do mine.” She pressed against the bar and flagged the female bartender.

  “What can I get you?” the girl asked, her rainbow-hued hair swinging as she moved. Her scent hit me, nuanced and strange. An animal shifter, but not one I’d smelled before.

  “Your specialty, please, Nova,” Priscilla said. “I do love trying all the fun concoctions.”

  “Sure, and you?” she asked.

  “Nothing for me,” I said, knuckles white with tension.

  “One Revenge of the Unicorn coming right up,” she said before heading for a glass.

  I blinked. Unicorn? Really? Huh.

  I turned back to Priscilla. “We need to talk about Aqua.”

  Priscilla’s eyes narrowed fractionally. Her tone became icy. “She’s no longer your concern.”

  “You’re going to use our encounter to remove her from the throne,” I said.

  Priscilla’s silence was confirmation.

  The bartender returned and set a rainbow-colored drink on the bar. “Enjoy.” Then she moved off to the next customer.

  “Are you a member of the council or a royal?” I asked.

  Priscilla scowled at me. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business, halfling.”

  “You’re right except I have a feeling you’re neither.”

  “You’re overstepping, halfling,” she said in a warning tone.

  “Look, as it stands, it’ll be your word against hers. And I don’t know how it works in Nerida, but in my world, unless you’re a member of that council or a royal yourself, no one’s going to believe you over a princess.”

  Priscilla said nothing.

  “You could use an eyewitness.”

  The barest flicker of interest flashed in her eyes. I forced my posture to remain relaxed and simply waited.

  “You would do that?” she asked warily.

  “For a p
rice.”

  Again, I waited while she assessed. Her chin came up so that she was looking down her nose at me. “Name your price.”

  “Make me a full-fledged water fae.”

  Priscilla barked out a laugh.

  My heart thudded hard against my ribs.

  “I’m serious,” I said, and her laughter stopped. “Take my humanity. I’ll testify to the council about what happened tonight. You’ll have your eyewitness.”

  “You would give up all ties to the human world so easily?”

  “I’ve never been human anyway. Not in the ways that matter. Besides, I’ve done all I can there. Lived as best I could. My future is in Nerida.”

  “Your mother was a water fae, then.”

  I nodded. “She died years ago, but her people are still there.”

  “You’ll testify to the council,” she said. “Then I’ll change you.”

  “No.” I shook my head. “I did what you asked earlier. With the princess. I think you know I’m trustworthy. You’ll change me now. Tonight.”

  She huffed. “Your impatience is so human.”

  I bared my teeth in a menacing smile. “Then cure me.”

  “It’s dangerous,” she said. “Not everyone survives such a change.”

  “I’m strong.”

  “It’ll take a lot of magic.”

  “You’re powerful.”

  She didn’t argue, and I knew my flattery had worked.

  “Very well, halfling, but if the change kills you, don’t come crying to me in the afterlife.”

  “You have my word.” My heart pounded against my ribs so loudly I was afraid she would hear it over the music.

  She pushed away from the bar, waving for me to follow. “Come with me to one of the privacy pods. We’ll need room to work away from prying eyes.”

  I let her lead the way, anticipation tingling in my veins.

  Chapter Ten

  Breck

  The pain started long before the change was evident. Priscilla was right; it hurt like a mother. I held back a scream, and Priscilla took that as a green light to continue. She muttered words I didn’t understand and lifted her arms, gathering more of her power.

  Magic coursed through me, hot and sharp, until my legs were gone, and I nearly faceplanted against the mattress in the privacy cube we’d claimed. I stared down at the fish tail protruding from my waist, my jaw hanging wide at the sight of my scales.

  The pain started anew, this time emanating from my chest as my soul began to change to that of a water fae. I splayed my hands over the bed, gritting my teeth against the driving torture. Blood dripped from my nose onto the leather mattress.

  Black dots danced around the edges of my vision.

  Priscilla’s strange mutterings grew louder.

  Rushing in my ears drowned it all out. Water filled my lungs despite the dry room. My tail flapped frantically against the agony and the lack of oxygen. Slowly, the water began to filter, and I knew the change was finally beginning to take hold inside me.

  I gritted my teeth and waited, writhing as the last of the magic wound through my veins and settled in my chest. Something about it felt right. Like I’d been meant for this all along.

  When the last dregs of my humanity left me, I knew I’d finally found myself. After a lifetime of feeling “other,” I was finally me.

  Priscilla watched the whole thing with a growing sense of interest that left a prickle along my spine. When the magic faded, she stared down at my scaly tail with a gleam lighting her dark eyes.

  “Your survival speaks volumes, halfling. We’ll make a fine team once I’m on the throne.”

  I’d suspected as much, but hearing her say the words so confidently boiled my blood. I hadn’t come looking for Aqua tonight, but now that I’d found her, I wasn’t going to let some power-hungry sea hag ruin her life or steal her kingdom.

  “The throne doesn’t belong to you,” I growled, “And I’ll be damned if I help you get it.”

  Priscilla’s eyes narrowed. Magic crackled along the edges of her skin, but I knew she couldn’t hurt me. Not here.

  “We had a deal,” she said, her eyes glowing green with fury.

  “And I intend to honor it. I’ll gladly tell the council the princess spent time with me tonight though I don’t think it’s any of their business what their princess does with another full-blooded water fae, do you?”

  Priscilla’s face flushed crimson.

  “You double-crossing little halfling piece of—”

  Magic shot out of her hands and fell harmlessly against my chest.

  “You can’t kill another guest of The Monster Ball,” I said, reciting the number one rule of tonight’s gathering.

  Priscilla seethed, but then slowly, her mouth curved into a cruel smile.

  “There may be punishment worse than death for you.” She turned for the door. “I wonder what your princess will say when she finds out you betrayed her and then ran right back to me for another alliance.”

  “That’s not what happened, and you know it.”

  “What I know and what the princess knows have never been the same thing.”

  Growling, I jumped up and tumbled off the bed before remembering my sea tail. Shit, maybe I hadn’t thought this through after all.

  Priscilla snorted and then slipped out.

  Chapter Eleven

  Aqua

  By the time I got my emotions under control, I knew it was almost time for the finale. I was torn between wanting this night to be over and never wanting to face tomorrow. Even so, I refused to miss the final display. The fireworks were always my favorite part of the party.

  I didn’t see Breck as I left the bathroom and headed for the stairs that led to the roof. Though, to be fair, I’d hidden in the ladies’ room for the past hour at least.

  All around me, guests were in various states of drunken enjoyment. I passed a pixie trying to climb onto the bar. Her friend held both of her wrists and insisted they go to the dance floor instead.

  A hand closed around my elbow, and I jerked free, looking up into a pair of glittering red eyes.

  “Lost, little mermaid?”

  “Just passing through,” I said.

  “I’d be happy to escort you wherever it is you’re going.”

  “I’m fine on my own, thank you.”

  He reached up and adjusted my tiara. “A princess shouldn’t go anywhere unescorted.”

  My hand shot out, gripping him around the throat hard enough that his face flushed. “A princess should never be touched without permission either.”

  He croaked out an apology, and I let him go, walking off before he could say another word. My heart pounded dully against my chest as my own words stabbed at me.

  I wasn’t going to be a princess for much longer.

  Not after Priscilla got done with me.

  I’d been so stupid to ignore her presence here tonight. And now, I’d pay for it with my crown. I’d failed my parents and my brother. Their legacy was shattered.

  Blindly, I crossed the warehouse and climbed the stairs to the upper floors. The music’s bass pulsed through the metal stairs and into my feet. Multi-colored lights continued to flash around me.

  A couple leaned against the wall, too caught up in each other to notice me. The woman’s head was thrown back in pleasure while the male’s fangs grazed the soft spot on her throat. My eyes lingered on his hand which had slipped underneath her smoky, black dress, and I thought of Breck’s hands on me earlier. The way it had felt to be touched by him again. My chest panged with the pain of his betrayal. I turned away, but something else caught my eye as I passed the privacy pods.

  A flash of light bright enough to blind me.

  I shut my eyes and stumbled back, using the wall for balance.

  The flash ended, and I took a step toward the pod. When I got close, two figures moved against the backdrop of light. Sex and magic was a heady combination to some creatures.

  I edged away before I could
interrupt, head throbbing. The Monster Ball was never a dull moment. But the last thing I needed was to wander into someone else’s mess. I had enough of my own problems.

  On the rooftop, a large crowd had gathered with still more guests spilling out of the access door in anticipation of the finale.

  The bar was overflowing with guests wanting one last drink.

  I followed their lead, pushing through the crowd until I caught the bartender’s eye After sampling most of tonight’s specials, there was only one treat left to try.

  “I’ll have The Proprietor please.”

  Less than two minutes later, the sexy Spanish bartender returned with my order; a red drink with skull-shaped ice cubes.

  Sipping slowly, I was surprised to find the flavor sweet and delicious.

  Drink in hand, I veered toward the railing on the far end and leaned against it, counting down the minutes and trying to think of a way around Priscilla’s scheming. But Destan had always been the mastermind. My strengths had always lay in a more direct approach with our enemies. Like what I’d done with that handsy vamp downstairs.

  With a bang, the first firework exploded against the night sky.

  I tipped my face up to watch as another joined the first and then another and another. Soon, the sky was filled with bursts of color that crackled and popped as they rained down.

  The humans wouldn’t see them. Just like they wouldn’t know any of us were here. Or that a princess lost her crown over a boy she loved and could never have.

  Good grief, I’d thought I’d been a tragedy before? Losing my family, giving up Breck—I’d thought that was the sad story. Now, I could add losing my crown to the list. Maybe I never deserved it anyway.

  Maybe it was for the best.

  I could almost believe that if it didn’t mean Priscilla getting her grubby little hands on the throne. But no one deserved it less than her.

  Grief melted into fury.

  I stared up at the fireworks, the colors fading until all I saw was red.

  Fists balled and jaw clenched, I turned away from the explosive display and went in search of the sea witch. It was time I made my own fireworks. And I was running out of time to do it.