Crescent (Old Version)

+ Part 16 +

"You have plenty of people to meet before I let you go, love," he breathed against my neck and pressed a kiss to the joint of my shoulder. I remembered what it had been like to be kissed by him, and it took everything I had not to reel away from his touch, to shove him away. I stared at him, stared at the silver at the crown on his head. This close, I could see it was fashioned with sparkling jewels, two slender shackles that crossed and rejoined again at his brow. He grinned as I looked him over, but his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

I knew the reminder that was clear in them.

No one can know. I swallowed my disgust, put on my mask. I blushed for him, smiled, fluttered my eyes.

The jazz band began playing again and the rumble of the party continued as Ceth took my hand to walk down the length of the stairs. I looked for Moira below us. She wasn't in the same corner she had been before. She watched with glassy eyes from behind the table where other servants still served glasses of that exotic liquor to the nobles.

There was a line of people waiting to greet us at the bottom of the stairs.

Ceth introduced me to a hundred new faces and I murmured a hundred hellos and formalities. Each just as meaningless as the last. I would never remember all these names, all these faces, all these ties to Ceth and his court. But, after what seemed like an eternity of introductions, everyone had made their rounds and we finally got a bubble enough of space to breath. Even if Ceth's hand at my hip made it hard to enjoy it.

"You make a convincing performance," he uttered into my ear. I found myself searching the crowd for Moira, for Nick, for Jackaby, or anyone that could save me from him. I could barely manage a smile as he leaned down to whisper to me further. "Still upset about what happened in the woods?" My eyes burned. I feigned interest in a plate of macaroons being carried by a servant passing by.

Anything to get away from the watching eyes. Anything to get away from whatever deal I'd struck with him.

"I already said sorry," he growled, low and predatory, a threat likely to soon follow if I didn't cheer up soon.

"Lord Shawcross," a savior sent from above. We turned to the voice behind us.

The woman mocked a bow, the silver crown of hair atop her head reflecting light. It belonged to the white-haired women I'd passed earlier. This close, I could see the intricate lace framing her robin-blue dress and the pink Victorian figurines dancing at the bottom of the hem of it. My dress felt far too adequate in comparison. She didn't look much older than me, thirty maybe, and her white bangs shaded leather-brown eyes. Her wicked smile remained as she looked us over. "I wanted to congratulate the happy couple in person," she flashed a line of perfectly white teeth at Ceth, who cleared his throat and seemed to avoid her line of vision.

I looked directly at him as he spoke: "It's nice to see you again, Lady Rhiannon." My head whipped toward her again.

Lady?

"This is Lady Rhiannon. And behind, her husband, Lord Carter." Behind her, indeed. I hardly spotted the man behind her skirts who merely waved a hand, hello.

Lord and Lady. Of another realm? Where they nearby?

Her brown eyes seemed to spy the question before I posed it: "We preside over the lower realm, Ireodran. I know you've yet to meet the others." My eyes remained trained on her meager husband.

An alpha superior then? He hardly looked the part and Ceth hadn't seemed irked by him.

Her, however...

He struggled to pull that nonchalant front he always wore. He sipped his champagne again, shifting his weight as she watched us. I, myself, could hardly stand still. "What a dazzling match. Your beauty is a gift from the gods," she bowed her head to me before she and Lord Carter turned to leave. She eyed me one last time, her nose dipping toward me: "The gods so rarely give freely, girl. Remember that," she cautioned. With another flash of teeth, she melted into the crowd.