Page 13 of The Star's Sword

Mark just gave me an infuriatingly smug grin and disappeared. But even I had to admit there was something about him.

“You like him, don’t you?” Simon asked, popping up at my elbow. “Maybe I should invite him to the revelry.”

“What revelry?” I asked, exasperated, as Simon just grinned.

“You know, the one I’m sure we’ll have before we risk our lives together. I haven’t given up on it. It would be stupid not to—”

“Let it go, Simon,” a low voice said, as Cayne walked out of the crowd and into the ballroom.

Simon turned to him, clucking his tongue. “Why can’t you get dressed up for once?”

Cayne looked down at an all-black version of his usual barbarian attire. An open-chested tunic, with a more elaborate belt than usual, a leather necklace with a gold circle at the end, and black pants tucked into boots with fur.

He was huge, and his hair was pulled back in a black headband.

Vampires gave him looks of distaste as they were forced to move around him on the dance floor.

I was pretty good at telling who vampires were, just from the slightly dead look of them, but also the fangs that showed with every smile, marking them dangerous.

Mark though, he felt very real. Very alive.

“Thisisdressed up for me,” Cayne muttered, scowling slightly at Simon. “Besides, Sammy here lost it and couldn’t just leave Cleo alone for one night, so he made something for me on the fly.”

My eyes ran over Sam again. So tall. So gorgeous.

My favorite face in the world. My favorite eyes.

Surprisingly, I saw him look up at Zadis, as if asking permission to dance with me. To my surprise, Zadis nodded back, like he was silently making an agreement with him.

“I’m going to talk to Cleo a bit, since I’m already here,” Sam said, his golden eyes flashing as he looked around the ball room. I still couldn’t get over his beauty in a tux. It was a tux from another time. Old and sumptuous. Something from a gothic novel.

And it looked perfect on him, with his golden hair falling over his perfect forehead.

My hand fit in his like it was custom fit and he swept me out onto the floor.

No matter what, no one else made me feel like Samael did.

No one else felt like the twin flame to mine.

“Gods, Cleo, you look beautiful,” he said, looking like he was resisting the urge to kiss me. Then his eyes raised, looking off in the direction Vasara had been. “But I want to tell you a few things, before you meet the other candidate. I want to—”

I felt a hand tap my shoulder, jolting me out of the warm, loving trance I’d been in just dancing with Samael.

“Why Samael, I never thought I’d see you here,” a high, pleasant woman’s voice said, as the beautiful blond who must be Vasara walked between us, looking down at Samael and ignoring me completely. “A ninth realm celestial, all the way down here.”

Sam moved around her easily back to me, putting an arm around me. “Here with my mate. The other Morningstar candidate. May I introduce—”

“Cleo,” Vasara said, finally turning to me with interest. “From the havens. How quaint.”

My stomach curdled slightly at the condescension in her tone.

“Well,” Vasara said, looking over me and then back to Sam, clucking her tongue. “Not much to look at, is she?” She sighed. “Maybe I should help you, hm? Look less unfortunate?”

Sam’s body tightened and I could tell a diplomatic disaster was encroaching, just as Zadis walked out to reach us, a devastatingly gorgeous vampire woman on his arm.

“Vasara!” Zadis said. “It’s nice to see you.”

“Do you all know each other?” I asked.

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