Page 30 of The NemeSis
“Pick your poison of the underworld.” It comes out slightly muffled because of the hooded cloak and mask.
I look at Kyra; I expect her to pick the pink one. It’s her favorite color after all. But she picks the orange.
Every color of the rainbow and she picks orange. I swallow. It’s not wrong. There’s honestly not a wrong answer. It’s all about seeing what they would choose.
“Did I do okay?” she whispers next to me.
“We’ll see.”
I move my hand to her lower back, my fingers brushing across her bare skin as I lead her to another area. She occasionally looks at her drink, as if debating if she should drink it or not. It’s like she knows everything is a test.
Everything from if you choose to come, what you wear, who you arrive with, to who you interact with and the choices you make while you’re at the party to the time you choose to leave.
The council, the eleven members up at the balcony often decide who of the potentials will become members before the party is even over. Some are escorted out, some are given too much to drink and safely deposited into their rooms.
Kyra decides not to drink the orange liquid, and sits the glass down on a table. “Should we dance?” She turns to face me.
“If you want to,” I answer. Honestly, I’d love any excuse to have her in my arms.
She hesitates for a moment before taking my hand. We walk up to the dance floor just as the music switches. A waltz plays over the speaker. I see her sigh in relief.
I pull her into my arms, and we begin. “Did you ever wonder why all our parents made us take dance lessons as teens? A weird mix of ballroom dances that aren’t common anymore.”
“Truth be told, I thought it was a society thing. There were always events to go to. I assumed it was so we would know different dances if the opportunity came up.” She smiles up at me. “This is an opportunity.”
A commotion starts up nearby, but we keep dancing. Her eyes flicker over to the group getting into an argument. I can tell she’s wondering what will happen if it escalates; they often do.
“What’s with the elaborate masks? Secrecy?” Her eyes search mine, looking for a distraction.
I nod. “You might recognize some, especially if you knew them well enough before tonight. Those that don’t make it will be left wondering the rest of their lives. The true question is how old is it and how many members have there been.”
Her eyes narrow. I can see the moment something clicks into place in her beautiful head. Those gray blue eyes widen. We dance two more songs before she mentions being thirsty.
We walk over to the water. She eyes the clear liquid before smelling it and then taking a sip. I hold back my laugh as she finally drinks more of it. I’ve never been a mentor for the Orphic Order. Most only mentor once. My mentor was an older family friend who rarely comes to these parties anymore.
I drink some water myself, then we continue to walk around. Kyra is more reserved than normal, taking it all in. A couple of card games have started at tables, the dancing is ongoing, food is coming out to help everyone prepare for the midnight hour.
Then the fun begins.
“Attention everyone.” One of the men on the balcony shouts. The music softens, allowing him to continue. “Thank you, everyone for attending. You may let yourselves out.”
There are whispers around us. The potentials are questioning if it’s really over, some saying they’re bored and ready to leave. Some start to leave while others hesitate.
I turn to face Kyra. “Where to now?”
Her eyes dart across the room, flickering about and taking in different interactions. I can see her questioning why some people are leaving when others don’t look like they’ll be leaving anytime soon. “We stay.” It comes out more like a question as her eyes move to search mine.
I lean in close to her ear. “Are you up for an adventure?”
She turns to look at me. “Yes,” she responds without hesitation.
I smirk and hold out my hand.
Chapter Thirteen
KYRA
Am I really breathing loud? I try to calm myself and steady my breaths. It’s hard when I can’t see a thing. I trust Ares, but my pulse won’t settle. I think I can hear my heart as if it’s in my ears. The blindfold dulls my vision, but amps up every other sense. It’s throwing me off balance.
