//dedicated to @TitaniaAvery - you've been so helpful, thank you so much.
song: artificial paradise (explicit) - vlad holiday (thank you, Spotify)
I stared at the dress that would be mine for the night as it was draped across one of the leather armchairs.
It was black, of course. But my style.
It wasn't a large ball gown like Robyn would want me dressed in. It wasn't revealing like the dresses Perri would occasionally pick for me.
It looked like something I would wear.
It was modest and simple but...not. Embroidered lace overlay a tan fabric on the bodice. Rather than being layers of fabric upon fabric like I'd seen others wear in many parties, it was simple black silk that draped to the floor.
It was elegant, not over the top and something I would have picked out myself.
I picked it up in my hands and ran my hands over the lace. The fabric was heavy, sturdy. Exquisite.
A glimmer of silver beneath the dress caught my eye. It was a mask to hide almost the entirety of my face. It covered from the hair line to below the cheekbones, only my lips, jaw and chin would be exposed.
It was a costume party, after all.
I could feel him watching me. He had turned away from the view of the balcony and turned towards me. What reaction was he expecting?
Internally, I was disgusted. I knew I didn't want anything to do with him. I'd rather be dead than go to anything with him as his date. Did he think that he could parade me around like a prize -costume party or not- and I wouldn't put up a fight?
That's what he was expecting--a fight.
But what if I didn't? He seemed to have been at ease when we were both agreeing in front of the man from Tenebrous. He smiled in delight when I acted like the dark queen he wanted...
I cleared my throat, not looking away from the dress. "All right. What time does it start?" I turned to him. "Do we at least have matching masks?"
He raised an eyebrow. He looked quietly curious. He wasn't expecting that response. "No fighting? I was expecting at least an insult."
I shrugged then placed the dress back on the armchair carefully. "We have a deal. You're my spy. I'm your queen. You want me to trust you." I set the mask down on top of it. "This means that you have a good reason for me to agree." I crossed my arms. "Am I wrong?"
Asmo couldn't hide the smile on his handsome face. He was laughing at me, I was sure of it. "Mal will be there."
I looked at him incredulously.
"I thought you'd want to see what she is like when she's not trying to kill you. You might find a weakness in her as one of the Light."
I approached him. "And what's your plan so that she doesn't recognize me?"
He straightened slightly. "Leave that to me."
Was he serious? "No. I need reassurance first." I paused. "Unless I'm being asked to dress up pretty for slaughter. Is that your plan?"
He rolled his eyes. "Hardly. If she finds out about my association with you, being a prince will not save me." He stopped for a moment. "Which reminds me of something you should know." He looked at his nails. "Wherever it is you're hiding better be good. Mal is wasting no effort in finding Damien."
That was interesting. "Finding...Damien?" I asked slowly trying to digest what he was saying.
"She's taken with him. She is very interested in getting him back to safety."
"Safety?" I couldn't hide the surprise in my voice even if I tried. "With her?"
Asmo shrugged. "Who knows what she's thinking these days."
I scoffed softly. "Isn't that what you told me you were there for?" I moved away from him and towards the balcony he had been standing on before. "To spy for me?" I leaned against the doorframe of the balcony. My eyes fell on a yellow flower on a tree nearby as it fluttered in the wind. "You're not making this worth my while." I couldn't even look at him. "I'll be miserable for nothing," I mumbled.
There was a moment of silence and for a second I thought maybe he felt moved by what I said.
"My plan was to pass you off as another Lady of the court."
I frowned. "That won't work."
He sighed. "I've been in Court longer than you and most of them. I know this will work."
I turned around and looked up at him. He was closer than I thought he was but I didn't show my surprise. "You're willing to bet our lives on that?"
His dark eyes didn't waver. "I wouldn't have considered it if I thought you would be in actual danger, my queen."
I didn't move. "Well, I guess we'll find out tonight now, won't we?"
I sounded braver than I really felt but didn't move from my place as he watched me. My anger towards him wouldn't let me back down. After everything that happened, I would have to be with him.
A man that I had only met months before but somehow was tied to for the rest of my life.
It made knots in my stomach just thinking of it.
He shifted slightly and for a terrifying moment, I thought he was closing the distance between us.
Heart in my throat, I moved away quickly leaving me in doubt as to whether or not he was trying to move in for a kiss.
"So," I asked as I crossed back to the living room. I sat down on the armchair, crossing my legs as I did. "What will be my alias for tonight?"
He smiled slightly but I noticed how fist flexed at his sides. He moved towards the living room and sat across from me. "Your name will be Nyxia. You are there to observe. And if anyone says anything else, I will intervene."
"Intervene as in..."
"I will make them stop talking. You will be there with me and that will be enough to make them avoid you."
"Avoid me long enough so I can read Mal?"
"Yes." He placed his leg over the other, his ankle over his knee. "It's a party she wanted, so I'm sure she wants to talk about her plans. Are you interested?"
I leaned forward. "This may be one of the worst ideas I've ever heard."
He looked at his nails. "It has been with my intervention that we've gotten as far as we have, isn't it? If it were up to you and your Julian, you would still be training in Skryen while Robyn finished killing off Damien and invaded the other queendoms."
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep my anger in check. I died because of his actions but he very conveniently forgot to mention it. "Yes," I responded dryly. "You're right."
He leaned forward in his own chair until we were inches apart. He spoke softly but with emphasis. "It's because of my actions that we are here, Alteaza. I saved your life. I would never willingly put you in any danger. You are much too valuable."
Gauging the distance between us and his words, I felt my cheeks warm.
He didn't so much as flinch. He still had his nonchalant attitude even with everything that happened--he hadn't lost that.
He was nonchalant because he was powerful.
Damien and I were still recovering.
Asmo was still at full power. And he was much, much older. Which meant that he knew his own power better than we did our own.
"I've told you this before, Emylin," he said softly again. "But you refuse to listen."
I remembered how he looked at me the other night when I had taken the other fae's power. He looked at me with adoration...just like he was now.
And I could use it to my advantage.
I looked away as if uncomfortable, tucking my hair behind my ear. I let my fingers linger for a moment on my neck, sighing softly. "This party," I started. "Is it like the ones I've attended before?"
He leaned back in his chair. "No. Not at all."
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well, that was short.
Thank you for everyone that has been giving me an honest critique of this story. Thank you for telling me its flaws and your favorite parts, this is REALLY, REALLY helpful.
I think it goes without saying that depression sucks and has made at least 20% of this story unusable. It's a first draft though so I guess it's expected. One thing I will say, it's going to pick up and go cause I cannot keep stretching this story out anymore.
toodles.