14. Hell has Risen #2
“Then we definitely have different views of fun.” Ryker grins as he slings his arm over my shoulder. “Come on, Moni, let’s raise some Hell,” he laughs.
An hour later, we’re all dressed to the nines and meeting at the base of the stairs, walking up the steps of City Hall in Nova.
The ballroom is on the second floor of the west wing, and since the guys went to their room while Chester, JP, Knots, Lynx, Rez, and I went to ours to get ready, we decided to meet here so we could walk in as a team.
The building is dimly lit, but floating candles are dotted throughout, giving a warm atmosphere as we head for the ballroom staircase. I honestly feel like a fairy princess going to her first coming-of-age ball.
I decided to wear a gorgeous dark green and gold dress that wraps around my bodice and drapes down to my waist, leaving floating tendrils of light, almost sheer green fabric that spiral and drift around me with an airy, weightless quality.
No one will ever guess that the gold is armor woven into my gown.
When Chestie took one look at me, his jaw dropped, he called me a fairy princess, and rushed back to the room to change his clothes. He’s the perfect mate because he insisted that we match, so he’s wearing a darker green suit with a gold pocket square to match me. He’s so dreamy.
JP has a dark blue suit with a black tie to match his hair, and when he moves, a metallic sheen can be seen. Zeke’s dressed down with black dress pants and a green dress shirt that brings out his eyes, but I don’t miss the bling of his scythe rings. Astaroth would be so proud.
My big broody brother, Knox, is keeping it simple, saying this tactical gear is good enough because he doesn’t need to impress anyone.
I mean, he has a point, and by the looks some girls give him as they head towards the ballroom, if they could, he wouldn’t be in that uniform for long.
Too bad for them, my bestie would kill them before they got close.
Ryker could give Knox a run for his money in the outfit department, though.
His casual shirt is left unbuttoned to his mid-chest with needle-like medal chains crisscrossing where ties or buttons would normally be, which looks like decoration, but knowing him, it’s more functional.
He has his sleeves rolled up, giving off his laid-back demeanor, and I don’t know why, but when girls walk by, some try to touch his arms. Are arms supposed to be sexy?
I personally like Chester’s tail, that’s his best feature—in all of his forms.
Levi is the most shocking. Gone is the robotic prude in his typical stiff suits.
The fact that he’s attending this ho up…
wait, is this a down ho?—says he’s changed from the person he used to be.
The old Levi would pass on this and have his head in a book somewhere.
Anyway, he’s wearing a black long-sleeve shirt, a black tie with gold embellishments, and a black corset with brown fasteners and gold bones crossing his back where his ties would be.
I think he will break so many necks that we won’t have any competition.
Knots and Lynx don’t have to officially run the Gauntlet, but we haven’t been told they can’t come, so they are joining in on the fun until we are informed otherwise.
Knots has decided to wear a clean blue suit with no tie, and Lynx is wearing black pants and a simple peach colored shirt to make his eyes pop.
Rez isn’t about to leave Reaper out of the fun, so he’s wearing a fiery red doggy tux that blends with his flames.
“Damn, Rez, you look good enough to eat.” Zeke pops a fang as his fingers skim her naked mid-section.
“You think?” She smirks, backs up on the staircase landing, and throws her arms out as she spins, letting her shirt and pants flutter with the movement.
While getting ready, she refused to dress in something that ‘looks dainty’, so pants and a corset top were the compromise she came to.
The burnt orange color pops against her sepia skin as the long cream and blue sheer fabrics start at the edge of her ribs, run up her breast, over her shoulder, and flow past her hands, making her look like she has multiple layers on.
Her pants are the same way: multiple layers of blues, burnt orange, and creamy sheer materials run down her legs, permitting movement while hiding her glaives.
“Definitely,” Ryker agrees, kissing her boldly and dipping her back, allowing some of that sheer fabric to show off her smooth legs.
Yep, she took my advice and got rid of that underwear of death. I violently shudder just thinking of the horrors.
“You okay?” Chester asks, wrapping his arm around me.
I smile up at him and squeeze him back while nodding. The Fates really have blessed me.
“Is there anything I need to grab that’s unique while I’m out shopping for supplies tomorrow?” Levi asks, making notes while he walks over to the alcove.
“That book my dad mentioned, Tilly Wonders Over,” Ryker points out as he follows.
Rez snorts and rolls her eyes, almost tripping on the last step, before Lynx catches her arm.
“Thanks, Lynx.” She gives him a squeeze before addressing Ryker.
“But there’s no point, that book doesn’t have anything to do with the Gauntlet or this school.
It’s a romantic comedy about a girl who goes on a self-discovery trip that ends with her right back where she started, and the answers she was looking for were there at home.
” Rez shakes her head and chuckles. “I swear your dad has a weird and sick sense of humor. Talk about making everyone go on a wild goose chase.”
“My dad does have a way with words and the driest sense of humor, if you can even call it that,” Ryker agrees. “Well, I guess that’s one less thing I have to grab.” He smiles and leans against the wall as we reach the small alcove and hide in the shadows.