Page 64 of The Wishing Game

I look up at him, expecting to see at least some compassion, maybe even offer a helping hand. Instead, he's sporting the same uninterested expression. No muscle in his body has moved. He's just staring at me.

"It's good manners to help a lady in need," I grumble when he makes no attempt to move.

I wonder if I sprained my ankle when I fell. It's a little tender to the touch and I can't put my weight on it. I might need to ice it up later...

"You're not a lady," he simply states, taking a step to move past me.

"W-what?" I sputter, my eyes widening in incredulity at his words.

He stops in his tracks right by my side, gazing down at me with that inscrutable expression of his.

"You do not hold a noble title. Therefore, you are not a lady."

I blink. Slowly. As slow as possible so I can properly digest his words.

"A noble title... You..." I take a deep breath. "I was speaking figuratively, not literally."

"I do not understand your words, human," he states blankly, still staring at me.

"It means you should be a gentleman and help a woman in need," I explain, exasperated.

"But I am not a gentle man," he replies evenly.

My lashes flutter at him, my brows creasing with confusion.

"Will you help me or not?" I huff out.

He surprisingly nods, leaning down toward me. I extend my arms, thinking he's going to help me get to my feet, but instead, he swoops me in his arms in one smooth movement.

"You should have said that was what you wanted from the beginning," he mentions as he carries me to the staircase.

What? Another frown mars my forehead. Just what the hell is wrong with this man? I didn't think there could be someone out there with worse manners than Cer and Thea, but it seems I've barely scratched the surface.

I'm about to question how he's going to climb with me like this, but it seems I don't have to worry when he all but floats up, using only his feet to keep himself stable on the narrow steps.

We emerge through the wardrobe and into the dressing room. There's still no sign of Thea or Cer.

The stranger carries me to the center of the room, where he stops. His eyes are scanning around the room, his expression focused. But he doesn't let go of me. I open my mouth to tell him to put me down but close it when I realize that he might be sensing danger. Considering my ankle is not in the best shape, I won't take my chances. And he seems quite a proficient fighter.

To my surprise, he's not on the lookout for demons. His brows crease lightly as he moves to the vanity, picking up a bottle of pink glitter, likely left behind by one of the actresses. Keeping me in his arms with one hand, he uses the other to check its contents, looking thoroughly intrigued by it. With a nimbleness you wouldn't expect of someone using only one hand, he unscrews the cap, shaking the bottle and scattering the glitter all over the table. His gaze is intent as he stares at the glitter, almost like a child in a candy shop. Some fine particles of powder end up in the air, tickling my nose until my eyes tear up. I attempt to draw a breath in, but I ultimately cannot stop myself from sneezing. The power of my sneeze scatters the glitter even more, some of it ending up on the mirror and some of it on us.

My eyes widen in shock as I gaze down to find glitter all over my gown, with some of it sticking to my bloodied gashes. And as I slowly turn to the stranger, it's to find him too completely draped in pink glitter, the shade complementing his black ensemble.

He blinks slowly.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asks in a low, outraged voice.

"Maybe you shouldn't have messed with the bottle." I wrinkle my nose in discomfort.

"What is this magic, human? Explain," he barks out, still fiddling with the glitter bottle with his free hand. "And why is it this...cheery color?"

I stare at him open-mouthed.

"It's glitter. It's not magic."

"Itsparkles," he adds, the corners of his mouth curling in disgust.

"That's what it's made for." I roll my eyes. "To make things sparkle."

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