Page 32 of All Hallows Masque

“And you listened,” I remarked, my temper sawn shorter with every hour that passed with no sign of any of my men. I tried to cast my soul out, to sense where they’d been hidden in plain sight, but like last week I failed at every turn. After this morning and the hellish week I’d had, my failure tonight put me in a foul mood.

“Never let it be known that I’m not accommodating.” He paused, a silver tray of dark red wine shots and cream cheese fangs sitting on crackers balanced on his hand. “Are you alright?”

“Nope.”

I should have been nicer since he was the only person in this room I hadn’t wanted to murder last week, but I couldn’t focus on him when Death was here, tormented by Cruelty. Was he watching me, silently pleading with me to see beyond the masks and the silk suits to my husband? Did his heart sink, his hopes crushed, with every hour I failed?

“I’m a good listener, you know,” the bartender said, his arm brushing against my side as he shifted to let past a woman in a puffball of a ruby gown. “Feel free to unload all your problems on me.” He winced. “I know that sounded like a euphemism, but I promise it wasn’t. I wasn’t thinking about you unloading anything. Ormeunloading anything on you. Or—”

“Barkeep,” I interrupted.

“Oh, thank god,” he groaned, slumping.

“I’m not good company tonight,” I said, my eyes on the courtiers as they danced, searching not for features or hair stylesbut for height, for a familiar muscular build, for arms that felt like home.

“Still looking for those men you told me about?”

“Always.”

I felt his stare linger on the side of my face, maybe trying to see beyond my white lace mask like I tried to see beyond the masks of the courtiers twirling around us to the dark, beautiful grace ofPiano Sonata No. 14.Theywhirled expertly around and among the white sculptures that once again embellished the room. I swore there were even more of them this week.

“Trust your instincts and you’ll find him,” he encouraged, but there was a strange note to his voice. It fired off warnings in my head, so I put my back to the courtiers and pinned all my attention on the bartender. The tray in his hand trembled for a moment when I scoured his expression with my eyes.

“What did you say your name was?” I asked, reassessing him. What if Cruelty sent him to gain my friendship and distract me?

Who was I kidding? Of course she had. This whole night was one big game to her, and it had been rigged for me to fail.

“I didn’t.”

I smiled tightly. “Then what is it?”

“Alfie. But that’s a secret, so don’t tell anyone.”

“Alfie,” I repeated, narrowing my eyes on him. “What do you know about my husbands, Alfie?”

“Uh … that you apparently have more than one?”

I took a step closer, baring my fangs. “Try again.”

“I ah—” He pulled the collar away from his throat. “I’ve heard of them.”

“Keep talking.” I flashed my hands, where Cruelty had glued viciously pointed red false nails. I could easily use one of these to slit someone’s throat.1

“Jesus, how sharp are those nails?”

I smiled. “Very.”

“That’s a pretty scary smile, darling woe.”

“Good. Talk.”

“Look, I know they’re not here. That’s all I can—” He jerked back, clutching his throat, his voice strangled when he blurted, “Gotta go.”

“Hey!” I lunged after him, but the courtiers whirled into my path, obscuring my vision. I swore and growled at them, pushing at shoulders until they moved, not particularly caring if I hurt anyone. That bastard had answers, and he didn’t get to just run away from me.

I bumped into a white statue of a tall, striking man with an impressive moustache. He looked like an explorer from the age of discovery, which probably meant he was a dick. I caught the statue’s shoulders, wincing until it steadied on its plinth, and then rushed on, craning my neck for a flash of mousy curls or a gunmetal uniform.

I grabbed a wine shot from a passing server and threw it down my throat, my jaguar coming to life as I hunted the bartender. She’d caught enough of his scent to follow it—leather, with a hint of clove. I trusted those enhanced senses as I pushed through the door into the cold, stone corridor beyond.

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