Page 34 of Reap the Night
I’d paired fitted slacks with a slinky crimson halter neck and topped it off with the red kitten heels I’d bought a few weeks ago for my date with Kaster. A light black jacket finished off theensemble, leaving me feeling pretty, sexy, and ready for some fun.
The other women had chosen similar outfits, dressed up but not over the top. Jeans or slacks paired with a ‘nice’ top. Edwin wore a turquoise shirt and dark blue jeans, his hair styled to be more spiky than usual. We looked good. Not sparkly and ten-inch heel good, but…we’d get in, right?
Merry was on tenterhooks, hopping from foot to foot as we inched closer to the entrance. “I hope Crush didn’t forget to add us to the list at the door.”
“I’m sure he wouldn’t have forgotten,” Padma said.
“I can’t believe I’m going to see the inside of a fae club,” Holly said.
You’d usually be able to hear the thump of bass by now, but there was only the buzz of voices engaged in excited conversation.
“May the Silvercrest shine on you,” someone up ahead in the line said.
“May it shine on us all,” someone else replied. “And may it bring us home.”
“What is the significance of the Silvercrest moon anyway?” Edwin asked Merry. “Do you know?”
“It’s something to do with the doorways to fairy closing,” Merry said. “I read about it somewhere once. A song. I can’t remember it all. They say that the doors will open once again on a Silvercrest moon.Upon the Silvercrest we fled to lands far and wide. Upon the Silvercrest we shall return. That’s all I remember.”
The line moved fast as a bunch of people were let in, and suddenly it was our turn.
The bouncer was a tall, thin man who looked like he could be blown over by a gust of wind. But his strange yellow eyes andpointy ears marked him as fae, and one thing I’d learned about the fae was never to underestimate them.
“Name,” he asked.
Padma rattled off our names, and he checked his list. “I see you.” His eyebrows went up. “Says here that you’re the boss’s personal guests.”
“We are,” Padma said.
“In that case you get these.” He handed her a bunch of silver bracelets. “They’ll get you into the VIP. Any doorway marked exit will get you out.”
“Um…Okay…” Padma said.
That was a strange thing to say, but whatever.
He stepped back to let us through the dark entrance, and I followed Padma inside.
My stomach dipped, and panic gripped me, flushing my body with heat as the sensation of falling washed over me even though I felt solid ground beneath my shoes. It passed quickly, leaving me standing in a field.
A gentle breeze brushed against my hot cheeks, and lilting music teased my frazzled senses.
We were outside, beneath a canvas of stars. People danced around us, and a cream pillar housing a bar sat in the middle of the field. Tables of food were dotted about, laden with a variety of finger foods, and more people stood by them, snacking and talking.
“Wow,” Holly said. “This is…wow.”
“It’s a pocket!” Merry clasped her hands together.
The door we’d come through was gone because we were now in a separate plane, a place in between, crafted by fae magic.
Panic bloomed in my chest again as I scanned the terrain. Where were the exits? How would we get out? I spotted a stone arch with the wordexiton it a moment later, and the tightness eased.
Padma handed out the silver bracelets. “Put these on and let’s go get a drink.”
She didn’t seem fazed at all; in fact, the brightness in her eyes spoke of nothing but excitement. The others were the same, relaxed but eager to explore.
I needed to shelve my anxiety and relax. The bracelet shrank to fit my wrist, snug but not too tight.
We headed to the pillar where small winged fae hovered back and forth pouring drinks and handing out bottles of beer. As we passed one of the tables, my mouth flooded with saliva. “What is that? It smells so good.” I took a step toward it.
