Page 58 of This Ravenous Fate
Sterling handed her the masquerade mask they had bought earlier that week. Elise’s was ornate, made of a gold so pale, it looked white in the dark, but the instant the light hit it, the gold came out in brilliant hues. Long, crystal designs spiraled from the edges of the mask. They weighed it down a bit, but it was something Elise was willing to deal with as long as it kept her identity secret.
“I can be the angel.” The mask completely covered Elise’s face; she looked like a stunning socialite, ready to mingle and perhaps donate a few hundred dollars to a less-than-stellar cause. She pulled a pair of satin gloves onto her hands, then pushed a large pearl ring onto her ring finger. “And you can be the devil.” Elise tapped her fingers together as Sterling pulled his mask on.
His was silver with sequined accents and black feathers on the edges. He looked different with his curls defined and done loosely rather than flattened completely down like he usually wore them. Even without the mask, Elise hardly recognized him. But with it on, she thought she would need to keep her arm on him the entire time to not lose him that night at the party.
Sterling watched them in the mirror. “The perfect unholy pair.”
***
The plain black dress from before was “not acceptable for ahigh-society party,” according to Mei. The dress ended up wrinkled on her bedroom floor, anyway. All Layla had needed help with was styling the dress. The next thing she knew, she was writhing beneath Mei in the bed, her dress discarded.
Layla had sat up later, hair messy and lips swollen, then her eyes widened on the dress. “Mei…”
“You should really throw that rag away,” Mei had muttered sleepily into her pillow.
“No, this is an emergency—I’m supposed to be somewhere in an hour!” Layla nearly shouted.
Mei finally sat up, yawning. “Borrow one of my dresses. I stole most from Valeriya, so they will probably fit your needs.”
Layla crossed her arms. “We aren’t even close to the same size, or style.”
“I thought this was anemergency?” Mei asked, brows raised. She glared at Layla’s sparse drawers. “You certainly cannot wear any ofthat.”
Layla pursed her lips. “Fine. But I won’t wear something shiny, or sparkly—”
“That’s half of my closet, Quinn.” Mei smirked, pushing past her. “I’ll bring you something I’ve been dying to see on you.”
The dress that Mei had been dying to see on Layla was something Layla would have preferred to die before rather than wear. But no matter how uncomfortable Layla felt in such a flashy dress, she could not deny that it looked stunning.
As if the bright red fabric wasn’t enough, Mei insisted that Laylawear satin gloves that matched and a silver hair comb that nestled in her curls. She felt ridiculous in the red skirt and corset bodice. But it fit her body so well, Layla couldn’t stop smoothing her hands over her hips and enjoying the way they curved beneath her palms. She wondered if this was the delight Mei felt when she touched her. Layla’s face heated at the thought, but another part of her fluttered with delicate joy.
It had been so long since Layla let herself take pleasure in the small things that brought a smile to her face. This time, she allowed herself the happiness. Maybe this time she was doing well. Maybe this time the happiness was deserved.
Mei’s hands trailed over Layla’s waist and across her hip bone while she leaned in to whisper. “Don’t ruin my dress.”
Layla rolled her eyes. She pulled away and reached for the red mask on her nightstand. “Help me with this?” Layla asked.
Mei tied the red mask into place on Layla’s head, and when Layla finally got a good look in the mirror, her stomach clenched. She looked like a completely different person. Of course there were holes for her eyes, but the mask mostly hid the reaper sheen that covered her eyes. Layla would have to be careful to not smile too wide in order to keep her reaper teeth hidden, but other than that, she looked positively human.
She wasn’t sure if it was because she didn’t look like herself, but Layla felt as if she was stepping into a new part of her life. Her curls fell past her ribs, the silver comb keeping them out of her face while she moved.
“You look like you’ll need a chaperone tonight,” Mei murmured.She stared hard at Layla’s reflection in the mirror.
Layla snorted and turned to face her friend. “I have a chaperone. He has killed just as many people as you, if not more. I think I’ll be fine.”
Mei stopped short. “Layla, I swear to God if it’s—”
“Don’t worry about it.” Layla blew a mocking kiss to Mei as she left the room.
***
Elise’s mouth went dry when she saw Layla. The noise of the party in the ivy-ridden mansion just a few yards away died down and her mind filled with one thing:Layla. Her lips parted to say something, but no words came out. She was completely wrapped up in Layla’s presence and she wasn’t even close enough to hear whatever words Layla was muttering to her partner.
The red dress was one thing and the glittering mask was a complete other thing, but the energy that radiated from Layla was everything. Elise could not even properly see her face, but she would have recognized that sharp stance and threatening aura from a mile away. Having lived in New York and France all of her life, Elise had beheld many exquisite things in her life and been witness to incredibly beautiful experiences. But Layla Quinn in a dress that served her devotion for subtle violence topped every last one.
“Ah, we meet again.”
It wasn’t until he spoke that Elise recognized the tall man dressedin a nice suit who stood beside Layla. Even in the low light illuminating the gravel driveway they stood in, she could see the glimmer of defiance in his blue eyes.
