Party
“So, this is the deal.”
It was the next night.
Tanyn and I were in the back of a LuxeCraft supplied by the Sky’s Edge embassy (it was emblazoned on the doors with their seal: a crimson falcon with wings of fire flying over a black background shot with red lightning).
He was staring at my body with such avid attention, he didn’t acknowledge I spoke.
I fought smirking.
But I wasn’t surprised.
The gown Lancet designed for me was, indeed, perfect. Made of little mirrored rectangles, the silhouette was simple. Straight skirt. Strapless.
But the way the mirrors were placed made me look like I had a tiny waist and midriff (and Lancet’s special touch? There was a super slender silver belt there which augmented the effect), and it fanned up in a stylish, unusual and stunning array at the bodice.
Since I appeared downstairs after getting ready, Tanyn could barely take his eyes off me.
I knew, of course, the gown was fabulous.
But it didn’t hurt to have that confirmed.
“Tanny?” I called. “Did you hear me?”
He dragged his gaze up to my face.
“Pardon?”
“Stop being adorable. We need to be on our game tonight.”
“Am I being adorable?” he asked.
“Your brand of it, yes.”
“What’s my brand of it?” he inquired curiously.
“I refuse to put it in words. It might break the spell.”
In the craft lights, I saw his eyes flare with humor. “Now who’s being adorable?”
“You,” I said impatiently. “With that question.”
His lips twitched. “Right. I’ll cease doing that immediately.”
After saying this, he gave me a crooked grin.
I’d never seen that grin.
I could see it on a little-boy version of Tanyn.
That little-boy version being our son.
In other words, that grin was spectacular.
Onward from that, I realized the more I got to know him, the more I learned about him, the more I learned to love about him, and this happened in a manner it seemed I’d never stop learning.
He was like a daily discovery on a voyage of marvels.
And I wondered if the rest of my life was going to be spent enjoying this expedition.
That thought was far too rosy-romantic for me, Catla Truelock (although the thought was honest).
Which of course made me snap, “You’re failing at ceasing doing that.”
He straightened in his seat, his lips again quirking as they muttered, “Right. Right. We have to be on our game.”
“Yes.”
“About what?”
“Laura.”
His brows drew together. “What about Laura?”
“Have you been listening to me at all?”
“Hanging on your every word,” he lied.
I sighed.
Then I (mostly) repeated, “She hates crowds. In truth, she’s a homebody.
Aleksei has proved adept at keeping an eye on her, but over the years, Monique, Gayle and I got used to doing it.
And Aleksei is going to be in high demand tonight too.
So we need to be prepared to perform a rescue if someone corners her and Aleksei isn’t around.
Or she gets caught in a group of too many beings.
Or we’re in her group, and beings are being overwhelming. Yes?”
He said nothing, just regarded me.
“I know it might sound strange. But that’s just how she is.”
“Being an introvert isn’t strange,” he replied.
I was glad he thought that way, because it wasn’t.
“Though, it’s distressing to know Laura is going to have to live her life thrust in the limelight, having to do this kind of thing on a regular basis, and she doesn’t like it,” he remarked.
“It is that.”
“To explain my earlier reaction, it was because I just sometimes get blindsided by how caring you are.”
This got my attention.
“And no, before your demon rises up,” he began, “I wasn’t making some kind of statement about you. I’ve known from the jump you were a loyal friend. I just get surprised with how deep that goes.”
Ah.
That was incredibly sweet.
And maybe I was a voyage of discovery for Tanyn too.
“Probably a good idea for you to get used to it,” I remarked.
“I’m not sure I will. But I’ll try.”
I fell across the seat to lean into him.
He put an arm around me to pull me closer.
“Are you nervous about tonight?” I asked.
“No. Are you?”
I tipped my head back to look at him, got an eyeful of his strong, square jaw, then got an equally delicious eyeful of his gorgeous face when he looked down at me.
“I don’t mean about our official coming out. That’s done. This is just a formality. What I mean is, the last time we were at the palace together, there was a troll attack.”
He released a big breath and looked forward out of the skyscreen.
“I can’t say I’m not on edge.”
For now, Arnaud was still in custody.
For now, he’d been granted a reprieve from further samples of blood being taken and truth serum being given, as his attorneys made a humongous fuss and pushed an appeal to a higher court.
Our males elected not to fight this in order to be certain not to give Arnaud any foothold in future to launch a successful defense.
Though, the prisoners at Gehenn were regularly having their bloods drawn, and so far, the agent was still in their system.
It had been a while since the attack on Sigil, and a longer while since the death threat against me.
However, this wasn’t the kind of thing where the alarm dulled over time.
At least not for Tanyn.
“I’ve gone over the RS’s plans on security, twice. I can’t see any holes. Nayden’s gone over it too. Same thing. That said, no aspersions on this celebration for Laura and Aleksei, but it’s simply a matter that I’ll be glad when the night is at an end.”
“Are you normally a party person?”
“My mates and I getting together, eating junk and watching a ring ice game. Yes. Wearing this fucking suit, being on show, having to make small talk. No.” He gave me a squeeze. “You?”
“I love to dress up. I love to eat and drink and be merry. And I enjoy being around beings, even a crush of beings.”
“So that would be a yes.”
I smiled at him. “Yes. It would be a yes.”
“Then I guess I get to enjoy you enjoying it.”
“And in the end, we’ll go home.”
“And in the end, we’ll go home.”
After he said that, he bent to touch his mouth to mine.
When he lifted his head, the pilot told us, “We’ve been cleared to jump the queue for VIP arrival. Landing in five minutes.”
I saw the Celestial Palace on the Sceptred Isle all lit up and felt the sense of pride I always felt as a Night’s Fallian when I spied its ostentatious beauty.
I also saw the dragons on the guard posts, sitting at attention, scanning for a threat (and I was no shifter, but I felt pride at that too).
And as we hovered, I saw the defense bots patrolling.
There were a fair number of them.
We’d be safe.
Tanyn would endure.
(So would Laura.)
I would have fun.
And then we’d be home.
After we landed, when Tanyn alighted the LuxeCraft, I saw the blinding light of flashes and heard the cacophony of cambeings and reporters clamoring for his attention.
I’d seen this happen.
But it had never happened to me.
I also saw Tanyn’s hand in the open door, offered to help me out of the craft.
I stared at his beautiful hand.
A hand that had held mine.
A hand that had soothed over my skin.
A hand that had sifted through my hair.
A hand that had claimed my cunt.
This was it.
This was going to be my life.
I scooched over the seat, placed my hand in Tanyn’s, and his strong fingers curved warm and reassuring around mine.
Yes.
This was it.
This was going to be my life.
He helped me get out, and if I thought the flashes were blinding before and the cacophony was a clamor, I was wrong.
I could barely see, and the din was hurting even my demon ears.
Tanyn tucked me tight to his side, and back straight, stride steady, he guided me up the purple carpet.
I was his.
I was representing him.
I was representing not only Sky’s Edge, but Night’s Fall.
And to my shock, but also thrill, I found I was incredibly proud I had the opportunity to do all of that.
Thus, I turned my head this way and that and smiled. I gave out little waves. I ignored the questions hurled at us.
And then we were inside, having been pulled to the side by a member of the palace staff. Due to Tanyn’s status, we were lingering because we also got to jump the queue of the reception line.
As the staff member went about holding up the line to slide Tanyn and I in, Tanyn drew me closer, angled down and whispered in my ear, “All right?”
When he pulled away, I gave him a beaming smile.
Because seriously.
That was a rush.
“I’m mega.”
His eyes moved over my face. They darkened.
He murmured, “Perfect.”
And then he drew us forward because the staff member was beckoning.
I was hanging back, all by myself for a moment, sipping my cocktail, a concoction Laura told me was called “Love Is in The Air.” It was made of gin, lemon juice, grenadine, egg white, sugar and garnished with a toothpick of fresh raspberries.
The end of the toothpick had a proud dragon’s head and a butterfly, the party’s theme, which, from the minute Laura told us about it, I’d wholeheartedly approved.
Much better than hearts and flowers.
I was doing this watching Laura, wearing a stunning lavender Celestina gown that had a bustier bodice, one shoulder a grand floof of flowers, the other shoulder bare, and the skirt a kind of ethereal, delicate chainmail (yes, that was what it looked like).
She was working the room like a queen.
I was so proud of her.
I was so happy for her.
Aleksei approached her, his expression demonstrating both of those emotions.
And I was so thrilled her mate was such a good male.
He put his hand to her back, made some comment to the beings she was with, then guided her away.
No, I didn’t have to worry.
Lex had this.
I turned my attention to Bain and Aleece, who were giving each other a wide berth.
I had no idea what was happening there, except it was a version of what was always happening between them, just that there was more space.
Perhaps they were guarding against anyone guessing the truth about them.