Moon Shadow (Mount Henley Trilogy Book 1)

by Kat Zaccard

  I smiled in response, but made no promises. We stared at each other, the silence heavy.

  “Well.” She tutted, looking away. “I do wish Jillian could have joined us for this little family reunion. She is in London with my mother. Perhaps next time.”

  Apparently, my meeting with the queen was over. I was ushered out of the room. Relief poured over me. Holly rocked on her heels, waiting to guide me to my rooms. She seemed almost as relieved as I was to escape the queen’s chambers unscathed. I changed into a much more comfortable jeans and T-shirt, then ventured off to what remained of my spa day with Nadia.

  By the time I got to the salon, Nadia was halfway through a seaweed wrap, whatever that meant. I was happy to have some alone time—well, almost alone, if I didn’t count the two to four attendants who fluttered around me, determining just how much of this or that to wax, peel, cut, or any other number of torturous words that somehow translated into beauty.

  My spa experience was limited to a haircut at the mall and mani-pedis with Mom at home. This extravagance was both amusingly over-the-top but also a luxurious treat I intended to enjoy. I felt a little removed as I made this choice or that:

  “Highlights?”

  “No.”

  “Eyebrow threading?”

  “Yes.”

  “Botox?”

  “No.”

  “Waxing?”

  “Okay sure, let’s try it. Wait, I won’t be bald as a wolf will I?”

  Titters and full-blown laughter answered with one sassy, “Aww, honey, trust me, ain’t nothing gonna tame that mane.”

  If I had to guess, I’d say the salon staff liked me. They couldn’t believe I was a royal who’d never been wrapped, waxed, and blow-dried beautiful, but they all seemed to agree I had some natural beauty to work with. I was amused by their professional assessment of how royal—or rather, un-royal—I looked. I was stubbornly pleased to note I more or less blended in with everyone else. Edmond heard this offhand remark while polishing my nails, and he locked his gaze on mine and said seriously, “No one should ever want to blend in.”

  “Except on patrol,” I laughed. He didn’t join in. I guessed the Winter Palace encouraged different career goals than Mt. Henley.

  By the time I was deposited back in my suite, I was slightly worn out from all of the pampering. Looking in the mirror, I felt satisfied by what I saw—clean and freshly groomed. Perhaps I was slightly pink from the masks and massages, but still, recognizably me. For a moment I laughed to think what Logan would say if I’d dyed purple streaks in my hair like Hayley. I realized that was the first time I’d thought of Logan all day. I felt surprised and pleased he hadn’t factored into any of my decision-making all day. In that moment, I knew it was way too soon to consider marriage or even engagement. It was a crazy, backwards system, and I was my own woman—werewoman … whatever. They could wrap me in seaweed and put me in a ridiculously expensive dress, but they couldn’t make me marry someone I didn’t love.

  In that instant, it dawned on me that I didn’t love Logan. I sighed at the inconvenience and wondered if I should continue to give things a try. It seemed impossible to figure out my feelings when we were just supposed to be together. There was nothing to compare it to. I knew I never really loved Nick either, after some time and distance. In fact, I’d barely thought of anyone from home since I’d been swept up in this whole mess. Suddenly, I felt a longing to be with my parents—sneaking peeks at the presents under the tree, having nothing to worry about except if Mom and Dad liked the gifts I bought them.

  Getting dressed, I tried desperately not to damage the masterpiece that was my hair, all swept up in pins and curls I could never re-do. I was relieved to find I could zip my own dress. Putting on the beautiful ruby earrings I never could’ve afforded in my old life, I felt this odd juxtaposition of myself, past, present, and a few dozen potentials of the future. I looked myself in the eye, determined to never lose sight of who I really was, underneath the makeup, the dress, and most oppressively, the title. I was still Alice, serious for sixteen, but still just sixteen. No one was steering my life but me. Without my parents here to tell me what to do, I had to figure it out for myself. I had good friends with good intentions. But as I thought of Logan and Nadia, I knew they were part of this opulent world, and I had a unique perspective I had to preserve.

  With that for a pep talk, I turned to a knock at the door. Nadia swept in, looking amazing in her long, black dress with feather trim at the bust and hem. Her dress was sleek and elegant. Mine was a vibrant red with dyed ostrich plumes at the hem and crystal beading on a sweetheart neckline. The wide hem had just enough flounce to make me feel like a real princess without feeling like a puffed-pastry.

  “Oh, Alice, you look amazing!” Nadia cooed. “And I have just the thing to add to your hair.”

  “My hair? I don’t think you should mess with Edmond’s masterpiece or he might kill me.” I was only half-joking. That stylist took his work seriously. He expected to see at least one picture in the society page in the morning paper, or he’d find a new profession. I had promised to bandy his name about to other potential clients. I told Nadia this was the first time I actually felt like a princess.

  “And you should! You look the part. But let me just add this!” With a flourish she pulled out an ornate case, and from it, a delicate piece of jewelry that looked like a golden vine with bunches of grapes that sparkled like diamonds.

  “Oh, that’s so pretty! Where did you get it?”

  Nadia rolled her eyes in an I-can’t-believe-you-don’t-know-what-this-is kind of way. She gave me that look fairly often, so I was familiar with the meaning. This time, though, her voice was kind, almost reverent.

  “It’s the diadem of the Luna Clan. My family has kept it safe since, well … now, when I can give it back to you.”

  I was stunned. Nadia smiled at the shocked look on my face. “Here,” she said, “let me put it in your hair.” Turning to the mirror she carefully placed the diadem on my crown. It wasn’t exactly heavy, but I was surprised by the feel of it, firmly resting on my head. I turned my head left, then right, admiring the sparkle and testing its security.

  “It’s beautiful.” I admired the diamond drops that brushed my brow as I turned my head to catch the light.

  “It’s also very real and very expensive,” Nadia emphasized, presenting a box to store it in and instructions for packing it for the courier in the morning. After I raised an eyebrow, she laughed. “Well, I’m giving it back to you, but I’m sure as hell making sure it gets back in a vault as soon as possible. My security service will see that it reaches your safety deposit box.”

  “I don’t have one.”

  “Oh, please, of course you do! Who is your lawyer? What a rubbish job they’re doing.”

  “I don’t have a lawyer.”

  “Oh my God, of course you do!” Nadia’s face seemed to express several emotions rapidly, landing on a resolution that it was tomorrow’s problem. She also had another gift for me: a long, white coat that covered my dress perfectly and would protect me from the elements on our way to the ball.

  “What about the cloak we had made?” I knew I was whining, but I couldn’t bear the thought of wasting the time and energy of the seamstress, not to mention the expense.

  “Trust me. White will work better for the big reveal.” She helped me into the coat, and we headed to the east wing exit.

  I half-expected a horse-drawn carriage to take us to the ball, but remembered that horses are too skittish around werewolves. That was one part of the princess fantasy I could let go. It was with surreal elation that I finally felt the part. Despite my dormant feelings for Logan, I was thrilled to go to a ball dressed to the nines.

  Beautiful, old-fashioned gangster cars circa the 1920s drove us from a side entrance of the palace around a three block circuit to the main entrance of the palace. I laughed to Nadia that we were taking a car to get from one end of the palace to the other. She didn’t seem to th
ink it was strange at all.

  “We have to make our entrance like everyone else. You know, check our coats and get presented. They rattle off your name and titles as you walk in, so don’t be surprised. Just stand there a moment at the top of the stairs, then walk into your awaiting public.”

  “Please,” I laughed, “I don’t know anyone here.”

  Nadia’s eyes must have been sore because she spared me the eye-roll. “You may not know them, Princess Alice, but they know you. This is your first public appearance, and half of them only came just to see you.”

  My stomach did a little flip-flop. “They did not. I thought this was the social event of the season?”

  “It is. But that doesn’t mean attendance isn’t the highest it’s ever been since the long-lost Princess of the Royal Clan Luna was reported to be attending. You are next in line for the crown. Don’t forget it.”

  “But that’s all I want to do!” I complained.

  This time Nadia didn’t spare the eye-roll. “Well, too bad. Get over it. You have a chance to make a difference, just because of who you are and what family you belong to. It’s a gift and a responsibility. Don’t squander it.”

  “I wish I could just forget about the whole ‘destined to rule’ thing for one night.”

  “Alice.” Nadia fixed a firm gaze and continued, though not unkindly, “I realize this is all still relatively new to you. I support you as queen, and that does not depend on your betrothal to Logan in any way; far from it. However there are others who feel differently. They hold true to tradition, those same traditions that put you in line to be queen. That’s what makes it risky to go up against the rule. But you have weight in your name and a claim that makes you a very interesting new player in a very tired system. The whole werewolf world wants to know what you’re made of.”

  “So, no pressure.” I barked a laugh.

  To her credit, Nadia did return a sardonic grin. “Yeah, maybe just a bit.” My smile wavered, and she took pity on me. “You’ll be fine. Just keep your shoulders back and your head held high.” I straightened my posture. I’d heard similar advice on TV for surviving prison.

  We rolled into the circular drive. After we stepped out of the car, cameras flashed, and I felt like I was walking the red carpet at the Oscars. I smiled, blind, and followed Nadia through the door and into the blessedly paparazzi-free zone. Several guests were already checking their coats and making their way into the party. I heard names and titles being rattled off, just as Nadia had warned. We made our way through the coat check and stepped into line for our entrance. When it was our turn, Nadia told me to wait until my name was called. She whispered our names and titles to the MC, or whatever you call the butler-looking dude who knew everyone’s middle name and house of birth. She stepped through the archway as her name and titles were announced. I watched her smile at the crowd and slowly make her way down the stairs, taking notes for my own debut.

  Then I realized my name was being called, along with a string of epithets I wasn’t too clear on. Still, I plastered a smile on my face and stepped through the arch. The lights were bright, and I heard a little gasp from the crowd. Wishing I could credit my good looks, I surmised that Nadia wasn’t kidding that there were people interested in seeing the lost princess. I held my smile and made my way down the stairs, careful not to trip on my red hem.

  As I entered the white marble room, I looked around for a familiar face. I noticed the whole room was white-and-silver. The Winter Ball definitely looked the part. Even the guests blended in, most of them wearing white or black. I glanced behind me and realized I couldn’t spot a hint of color anywhere. Just then, I caught sight of Logan. He glanced over at me with a frown, then cut across the room, making a beeline for me. I was relieved to see a friendly face.

  “Hi, Logan,” I started, but he cut me off.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, taking my elbow to steer me away from the nearest onlookers.

  “What do you mean? I just said ‘hi.’” I was annoyed by his tone and demeanor.

  “No, I mean, what are you wearing? I did tell you this was a winter ball.”

  “Yeah, you did. I remember you said, ‘You know a ball, definitely formal.’ You didn’t say black or white only!” I knew I had another party to be angry with, but at the moment, my unsupportive boyfriend was definitely the closer target.

  “Well, I thought you knew some things!” He was trying to keep his voice down, but his anger came through just fine. “This is totally embarrassing.” A punch to the gut. I was totally stunned.

  Nadia’s voice interrupted our argument. “I think she looks great.”

  Logan spun on her. “Was this your idea? Some political ploy, or just sorority hazing?”

  Nadia opened her mouth to retort, but Logan didn’t give her a chance, he spun on his heel and stalked away.

  “Well, that sucked,” I stated in the calm of my shock as I watched his back weave through the crowd.

  “He wouldn’t know good fashion if it bit him.”

  “Nadia, why did you do this?” I focused on my anger to hold back the threatening tears. “Were you trying to humiliate me?”

  “No! Alice, look, I told you red would be a bold statement. I—” she stopped and, for just a moment, dropped the mask she wore as armor. “Okay, look, I am sorry. I realized during the fittings that you didn’t really get it that the Winter Ball was typically a black and white ball. I didn’t do it to use you as a political stunt to piss off the Queen Regent. She’s a gold-digging pageant queen with serious delusions of world domination. But that’s beside the point. The point is I’m sorry. I knew this would be an amazing statement to your supporters that you are present and ready to take command. I wanted you to stand out in a big, bold way. I should have explained it better and just asked you. I am sorry. But I have to add, you played it perfectly, darling.” The gleam in her eye firmly reattached her shield.

  “Nadia, I’m a laughing stock. You made me a joke.”

  “No!” She took a step closer and fiercely whispered, “I made you a contender. You have the only truly legitimate claim to the throne. The Queen Regent is merely a place holder until they sort out the whole lineage problem in the monarchy. The problem you solve.”

  “I doubt Queen Christina agrees.”

  “Exactly. You solve the problem by becoming her biggest problem. No one knows who you are. I wanted you to be seen. No one will forget your face now. And you won’t disappear so easily. I’m surprised you’re still alive, to be honest. I’m going to draw you into the light, especially if you want to dump Logan.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Nadia grabbed my elbow and steered me around the room, smiling at guests as we headed toward the refreshments, which in this case included a towering champagne fountain and tray service circling the crowds.

  “My dear, you are a direct threat to the rule of the reigning monarch. How are you still alive?” She paused for me to sputter. “I believe it is only the contract attaching you to the Royal Clan of Dolph that is keeping you alive. Be careful abolishing that contract, which the Queen seems all too eager to do.”

  She snagged two glasses off of a passing tray and handed me a flute. “Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m all for women’s liberation, but your barbaric betrothal may be saving your life as we speak. So, have a sip, and walk with me as I introduce you to everyone who is everyone. The best thing you can do right now is to become a celebrity. It is much harder to assassinate a well-liked celebrity than a no-name nobody.”

  “Nadia, are you serious?” It made a certain amount of sense, but I didn’t want to believe it.

  “Your Highness, didn’t it all seem a little too good to be true? Ah look, there’s Prince Al’abeet.”

  Smiling, she steered me toward the nearest diplomat. We made our way around the room. Nadia kept squeezing my elbow to prevent me from curtsying and bowing back to all the high-polished political officials greeting me. It was odd being treated with such
dignity and respect. I had to bite my cheeks when I imagined any of these werewolves watching me play Dance Dance Revolution, or God forbid, karaoke. Nadia’s voice droned on, and I broke into a sweat, remembering we were at a dance and I was expected to take the floor with Logan in front of all these people.

  My panic attack stalled out as trumpets announced the arrival of the queen. When the queen made her entrance, complete with actual fanfare, the crowd quieted and turned politely toward the stairs. They applauded her descent into the crowd. She smiled benevolently, waving like a pageant contestant. I politely clapped along, thinking it was all a bit silly.

  Her smile froze as her eyes swept over me. A murderous gleam reflected the red of my gown. So she noticed, then? I swallowed the lump of fear in my throat and plastered a toothy smile on my already sore cheeks. She recovered quickly and continued her way into the crowd, stopping to greet guests here and there. My cheeks burned, and I feared they were as red as my dress. I held my chin up and my shoulders back. I took a few deep breaths to hold my nervousness at bay. I felt my spine turn to spaghetti as the queen rounded on me.

  “Ah, my dear niece, you look lovely. Though I’m afraid you missed the mark. It is the Winter Ball.” She smiled serenely, and a few nearby guests chuckled.

  I inclined my head, “Your Majesty,” and wished to whatever powers may be that I had a retort for her. The truth was, I was as uncomfortable sticking out in the crowd as she was angry about it. Fortunately, I was relieved of further embarrassment when she moved on to the next guest.

  Nadia whispered in my ear gleefully, “Did you see her face?”

  Yes, unfortunately, I had.

  A few hours later, I escaped onto a balcony overlooking the terraced gardens below. The crescent moon shown little light onto the grounds, but the nearby patio and walkways were lit by twinkling lights outlining the paths cleared of snow. I could see my breath on the air, but the heat of the party was stifling and I needed a break from the crowd. I felt as if I’d just been given a crash course in court etiquette, or perhaps more like a show pony put through her paces. Resting my arms on the railing, I sighed heavily as I stared off into the dark woods beyond the palace grounds.