Kingdom of the Zodiac

Chapter 21

I squeeze Eira's dainty hand tighter as we weave our way through the dense crowd. Our entrance had drawn the attention of almost everyone here, which only caused the butterflies in my stomach to flutter harder.

Deep breaths Nova, deep breaths.

I closed my eyes briefly as I inhale, allowing my lungs to take in as much oxygen as they could hold. I was not cut out for this. Eira on the other hand was made for this. She radiated the type of confidence I wished I had. As we walked, she held her head high and swayed her hips to the beat of the music.

"Drinks?" she suggests, looking back over her shoulder at me.

"Yes, please!" I shout so she could hear me over the noise.

I reluctantly release my death grip as she saunters off towards the beverage cart. I work my bottom lip between my teeth as I scan the area, breathing a sigh of relief when I spot a familiar face already walking towards me.

"You made it!" Liam lifts me off the ground into a bear hug.

"I wouldn't miss it," I beam up at him, taking a step back to admire his navy blue button up and matching slacks.

"Like she had a choice," Eira snorts as she comes up beside us, handing me a copper mug.

I eye the mug's contents for a moment before glancing at Eira then Liam, "This isn't like the stuff I drank last night is it?"

Liam chuckled, "Don't worry, tonight's refreshments are much less potent than Death Apple."

I level him a look before I lift the drink to my lips and take a tentative sip. Swirling the dark red liquid over my tongue, my eyes flutter close as I savor the blend of spices. After a moment, I lift the mug to my mouth again and down the rest, immediately feeling more confident and relaxed. When I open my eyes both Eira and Liam are staring at me with heated expressions.

"What?"

"I've never seen anyone enjoy mulled wine as much as you," Liam tugged at the collar of his shirt.

"Leave her alone!" Eira hissed, reaching out for my empty mug, "Another?".

I nod, "Yes, please."

"Allow me," Liam grabs both of our empty mugs and heads back towards the drink cart, nodding at Cas as they pass each other.

I'm still watching Liam's retreating form when Cas steps in my line of sight. "Has anyone told you how beautiful you look tonight?" he lifts my arm above my head to twirl me a few times, causing the gauzy material to float in the air around me.

"As opposed to how I normally look?" I raise an eyebrow in challenge as I quickly smooth down the front of the dress so my thighs are covered once more.

"Be careful of your next words, Castor, or I will rip out your heart and feed it to you," Eira growled, throwing her arm around my shoulders protectively.

"I was just trying to give her a compliment!" He holds up his hands defensively, "Hale will be pleased that you chose the red one," he grinned, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

"What do you mean?" I glanced over my shoulder to see Liam walking back towards us with our drinks.

Before he can answer, Liam returns juggling drinks for all four of us. Once we each have a mug in our hands, Cas raises his mug in the air, "A toast! To good health, good company and good fortune. To the Equinox!"

"To the Equinox!" we shout in unison as we clink our copper mugs and chug.

"I'll get the next round," Eira speaks up, gathering our empty cups.