Page 338 of Bitten By the Fae
I should be able to at least sense her, but I couldn’t hear a damn thing. Almost as though she’d been completely sealed off from me… like when she had the collar around her throat.
I paused midstep, my eyebrows lifting.Oh, fuck...
Nacht Manor gaveme the chills.
The snakelike vines, gargoyles, and other dark wildlife roamed the grounds, all with one goal in mind—protect the Nacht family.
It had taken me thirty minutes to rewire the defensive spells. Aflora had stood silently beside me while I worked, her mind attuned to mine. If anything, it provided us yet another lesson in Quandary magic.
“Did you memorize everything I just did?” I asked her as we entered the grand hall, having just given our invitations to a nearby Warrior Blood.
No one took notice of us, not even the two gargoyles at the Warrior Blood’s feet.
“Yes,” she whispered. “It was fascinating to watch. Is that how…?” She trailed off, her eyes finding mine as she asked a question I couldn’t hear.
I frowned. “Is that how what?”
She held my gaze for another beat, then her lips curled down as well. “Can you not, uh, hear me?”
“I’m hearing you just fine.”
“No, I mean…” She made a quick gesture at her head.
Oh. You mean in your mind?I wondered, engaging our link.
She continued to stare at me.
Can you not hear me?I asked.
Nothing.
“Hmm.” I released her hand to wrap my arm around her back and steered her into the ballroom, not wanting anyone to notice our hesitation.
She followed my lead, moving effortlessly alongside me through the mass of red-clad and black-clad attendees. It was the same theme every year—women in red, men in black. I would have remarked on how cliché that was for vampire-like fae, but I suspected there was a reason that humans frequently associated the colors with creatures of the night.
Gold and red decor adorned the walls, as well as a variety of torches and candles. All of them held real fire, as did the chandeliers overhead.
Gargoyles walked around with trays, offering drinks.
The tables were finished with black silk.
And the stage at the front contained a throne in the middle of several other ornate chairs, each one representing a Councilman or a progeny.
I forced smiles as we meandered along, not stopping to talk to anyone and instead plucking two blood-infused red wines from a passing tray. I handed one to Aflora and kept the other for myself, then led her to one of the tables near the back. Other couples had behaved similarly, everyone wanting to select an optimal seat for tonight’s event.
Because this was no ordinary gala.
It was more of a theater production, all meant to honor the current political regime.
There would be mingling and talking over wine.
Then a grand entrance from the Midnight Fae Council, including all second-in-command reps and any progenies.
And then the real party would begin, led by Malik Nacht.
A tale would be woven through the air, accompanied by magical charades as they acted out the scenes with fiery figments.
Following the inaccurate portrayal of our history would be toasts and charming words from each power player, the last coming from the Elite Blood King.
