Chapter 23
The Great Hall had been turned into a setting completely unrecognizable. There were very few buildings on campus that were off limits—the Roost was one of them—but none got the same treatment that this one did.
The floors had been polished to a shine, and something that mirrored marble had been added, poured from one end to the other, made to look like a moving river.
The celestial blues, mixtures of dark and light shades, glittered beneath the orange and yellow light orbs that flitted about, adding an almost magical allure to what used to be just another stuffy old building.
“It’s the river Heathen,” Lake leaned in and whispered in Nix’s ear, having caught him staring. “The one the spirits of the damned travel down in order to reenter this world.”
Nix knew the mythos behind Demons Passing, obviously. But he’d never attended an event quite like this before.
Vines of black with leaves tipped in gold glitter trailed up the walls and pillars, tangling high up on the ceiling.
Light orbs danced between them, of various sizes and set at different brightness levels.
Every door in the main hall had been left open, as though welcoming the spirits that were said to escape hell every year on this night.
Spirits who’d been wronged when they’d been living, now out for revenge.
That was why everyone in attendance wore a mask, the more twisted the better. The point was to blend in so the spirits couldn’t recognize you weren’t one of them, here seeking out your own retribution. Hiding in plain sight, so to speak.
The masks Yejun had made for them were unrivaled. They covered their entire face and matched with the outfits chosen for a full look.
West’s had been made to look like metal, with fissures all through it where lines of molten lava could be seen as though caught beneath. His suit was charcoal with steel accessories and embellishments, and his leather gloves had spikes on the knuckles.
Yejun had a mask on that looked like cracked plaster, uneven and rough to the touch. It was white, as was his ensemble. The material of the suit was made of tweed, textured and frayed in some areas for an added flair.
Lake’s look was a bit on the nose, but Nix had expected nothing less from him.
His mask had intricate weaves of gold layered over black, culminating in a crown at the top with several sharp points that resembled daggers.
Gold epaulettes decorated his shoulders, and the black jacket wrapped tightly around his waist, hanging to just beneath the curve of his ass. There was no shirt beneath.
Nix’s suit, made of a deep red, had similar epaulettes, though his were a bit smaller, and his outfit was made out of velvet, instead of the silk Lake wore.
His mask was a dull gold, with lace details.
Two skeletal hands wrapped around the front, made to appear as though covering his eyes from behind.
The top part held a crown as well, less obvious, and made of five golden feathers—a nod to his nickname that Yejun had been quite proud of.
The rest of the room was dressed to impress, but as Nix took them all in, he had to admit they looked the best.
“Everyone is going to be able to identify us,” he said.
West snorted at his naivety. “That’s kind of the point, babe.”
“Masquerades are so blasé,” June quipped. “The least I could do was ensure we enter with a bang.”
“We’ll be leaving with one, too.” Lake linked two of his fingers with Nix’s and then tugged him away from the entrance where they’d been taking up space.
“Unfortunately, that part of the evening will have to wait until the Haunt has officially begun, or unless we can find time to slip away. For now, let’s make the tedious rounds that are required of us, shall we? ”
The Imperial lifted Nix’s hand and pressed the back of it to his mask where his mouth would be, and damn Nix’s traitorous heart, it actually skipped a beat.
Demons Passing followed a strict schedule of events, despite being another excuse for a night of pleasure and sin.
There was the greeting stage, where everyone was allowed to show up and mingle as they pleased.
Students, faculty, Essential members, and even those who lived in the city were all allowed onto campus grounds.
Not all of them would enter the Great Hall, some opting to find their fun elsewhere, so while it was crowded, it was manageable.
Mini celebrations were already set up in other buildings and dorms, some of them themed for more enjoyment.
Hunters Cross, the main art building where Yejun’s studio was, had decorated all four wings to look like a haunted forest. They’d passed by it on their way here, since Nix had wanted to walk so he could take it all in, and the dim lighting from within had called to him.
They’d promised they could check it out at some point, and he was going to hold them to it.
Members of the High Council and the Order were all here, within the Great Hall, acting like there wasn’t any animosity between them. Despite their masked visages, Lake led them to a few, always greeting the person behind the mask by name.
“Did you spy on them or something?” Nix asked out of the corner of his mouth after the fifth person they’d approached ended up being Kori, just like Lake assumed. “Bribe their staff into slipping you images of what they’d chosen to wear?”
Lake chuckled. “I appreciate the faith in me. It’s nothing that impressive, however.”
“He memorizes all the weird little quirks about people he deems important,” West explained, keeping his voice down on Nix’s other side. “Take Sif, for example. I bet he ID’d her from something stupid, like the shape of her earlobes or something.”
“It was the green hair, actually,” Lake drawled, knowing West was teasing him. “She is the only member of the Order who has that shade.”
“But not the only female on campus who does,” Yejun countered.
“All right,” he gave in. “It was also the length of her heels. She refuses to wear shoes shorter than six inches because she’s self-conscious about her height next to her husband.”
“She loves feeling taller than him.” West winked at Nix.
“He loves it too.” Yejun pulled Nix over to one of the long tables set off to the side and picked up a small piece of cake covered in black edible glitter.
He held it up for him and then paused, realizing the difficulty with the mask in the way.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you, this bottom half detaches.”
Nix held still as Yejun pressed a hidden button at the side of the mask, right over his left jaw. The part beneath his nose lowered, and the cake was slipped past his lips before the mask was righted.
Before Nix could comment on the taste, something over his shoulder caught Yejun’s attention, and the Demon stiffened.
“Mother.” June bowed a moment later when a woman dressed in gold and purple, complete with a cape, approached.
“Boys.” She glanced around at them all, face turned toward Nix for a little longer than the rest, though the shielded eye holes prevented him from seeing where her eyes actually rested.
“The Feast is about to begin. I suggest you take your places. The Order went through a lot of trouble preparing things for you this year.”
Through the large archway at the other end of the hall, the ballroom had been transformed into a dining room, complete with at least fifty long tables. Up at the head, there were three circular tables set on a slightly raised dais.
Right, Part Two of Demons Passing. The Feast.
While food was actually served, the real point of this part of the evening was to further appease and fool any spirits who might be watching. The dishes were all carefully chosen to fit a theme of carnage and bloodshed, so anything red or meaty was typically added to the menu.
“It’s an eight-course meal,” West warned Nix, turning toward him so Yejun’s mother couldn’t overhear. “Pace yourself. We’ll be front and center. Everyone will be watching.”
And he was the Royal Consort now. Nix didn’t need to be reminded. His palms were a bit sweaty though, and he wiped them nervously on his thighs.
Which of course Sayda Sang homed in on like a sharpshooter.
“Nervous? Perhaps you should sit at one of the Order tables with me,” she made it sound like she was offering for his sake, but Nix could read between the lines.
“Mom,” Yejun took a step closer to him. “The Royal Consort should be at the head table. Obviously.”
“It was just a joke,” she lied through her teeth. “You’re too sensitive, June-bug. You need to toughen up. You’re about to move into the palace.”
“I’m glad you’re aware. I am moving to the palace. With my friends and my boyfriend. None of whom needs you trying to manage them.”
“With all due respect,” Nix found himself saying, though he couldn’t for the life of him pinpoint where he’d found the gall, “that didn’t really work out too well for the last guy. Speaking of, West, is your dad around? I haven’t seen him yet.”
If she weren’t wearing a mask, Nix was positive they’d see Sayda’s mouth hanging open.
“He’s probably gearing up to make an entrance,” Lake said.
“Or in a corner somewhere kissing ass.” West motioned over his shoulder toward the other room and took a step back.
Even though Demetrious was currently under investigation, no one could legally bar him from coming, and they’d anticipated seeing him lurking about.
“Let’s go get some grub, Nixie. Later, Mrs. Sang. ”
“Yejun—” she tried to stop him, but he shook her off.
“Look, I love you, but if you’re just going to talk about my future or remind me about how you feel about my relationship, just don’t.” June didn’t bother being quiet, and a few people standing nearby stopped chatting and turned toward them.
Noticing their attention, Sayda cleared her throat. “I was just going to say, invite Nix to family dinner this month. I would love to give him a chance and get to know him.”
She so had not been about to say that, but the last part sounded sincere enough.
“If we have time,” Yejun told her, but his voice was softer.
“Excuse me,” Nix tried to be polite toward her solely because she was June’s mom, but he was beginning to feel overwhelmed and he needed a minute to collect himself before dinner.
“Where you off to?” West asked when he went to step away.
“Bathroom.” He tipped his head. “Why? Want to come babysit me?”
Nix didn’t wait for a response, figuring he knew he was only joking. The hallway in the corner leading to the bathrooms wasn’t far, so it wasn’t like he could get lost going on his own. Meeting all of these people was exhausting.
And it was only the beginning.