Party #2
What I did know was, they’d come out to her family, because, all night, King Fillion, Queen Calisa, and even Timothee had been watching them both. The king seemed okay with it. The queen, not so much (she probably had some other alliance in her head for Aleece). Tim did not look happy.
Then again, Bain had never had a lot of patience for Timothee and his antics, and probably especially thought he was a dick for escorting Bain’s sister, and Aleksei’s ex, to a ball in this very palace on what was, then, Laura and Aleksei’s first official event together.
That said, nobody really did have patience with Timothee.
Onward, I found Gayle.
Surprisingly, Cormac wasn’t dogging her every step.
He was standing in a corner (yes, brooding) and watching her every step.
She, too, was in a Lancet creation. Strapless, with a sky-high slit and grand swirls and falls of silk that resembled liquid copper.
She looked like a female who could bring down kingdoms.
She looked like a queen.
And, if I was reading it right, Cormac felt the same way.
Honest to all the gods…
What was holding him back?
“I was hoping I’d get the chance to meet you.”
I turned at this voice and saw a being I’d never seen in my life.
“Hello,” I greeted.
“The glorious Catla Truelock,” he said, offering his hand.
At this creepy opener, I nevertheless took his hand, gave it a firm squeeze, quickly let go and asked, “And you are?”
“Dinyn Climbright. I’m one of Night’s Fall’s representatives in the Center.”
“Ah,” I said.
He might be Fallian, but he was a demon.
“I was born in Blood Pass,” he told me, referring to a region in Sky’s Edge. “Like yours, my family immigrated to Night’s Fall. But we did it when I was six.”
That wasn’t quite like mine, since my family did it four hundred and eighty-one years ago.
“Obviously, the Fall worked for you,” I noted.
“Yes. Welcomed us with open arms.”
I felt him before he arrived, turned and looked up at Tanyn just as his hand came to rest warm on the small of my back.
Climbright dipped a bow and greeted, “Your Majesty.”
“This is Dinyn Climbright,” I introduced. “He’s a—”
“I know who he is, my love,” Tanyn said blandly, which made me focus more attentively on him. “Faring well, Dinyn?” he asked like he didn’t care.
“As ever, Your Majesty,” Climbright replied.
“I’m sorry, but I see my female needs a fresh cocktail,” Tanyn said.
At this abruptness during our conversation, I started before I assessed my drink.
Tanyn’s assertion was a lie.
“So we’ll leave you to it. Nice to see you, as always,” Tanyn lied again.
“And you,” Climbright lied in return.
Tanyn guided me away.
When I knew we were out of earshot (which meant, a long way away from Climbright, considering he had demon hearing), I asked under my breath, “What was that about?”
“His mother was good friends with Tatra.”
That surprised me.
Simply because that female had friends, of course.
But more, that Calisa and Laura would invite her offspring to this particular party.
“They had a falling out,” Tanyn carried on, possibly explaining it. “As far as I know, they haven’t spoken in years.”
“Okay,” I said, because this wasn’t a surprise.
“And Dinyn is aptly named,” he said.
Stopping us across the vast room from Climbright, and nowhere near a fresh cocktail for me, I turned to him.
“What does that mean?”
“Tatra was the ultimate climber. However, Dinyn’s mother was too. I’m not sure what sent them out of Sky’s Edge, but I doubt it was just for fresh horizons. And Dinyn takes after his mother. Which is how he got his seat in the Center. His ambition is unlimited, with hints of toxic.”
“Some version of that is how probably many got their seats in the Center,” I remarked.
“True. And Queen Calisa rarely misses a beat. Considering the guest list is mostly family and friends, with only the loftiest of Fallian aristocrats and dignitaries, clubs in which Climbright is not a member, if he’s here, there’s a reason.”
I examined my male.
I’d already noted he’d donned the cloak of the king. He was sociable, but aloof. Attentive, but distant.
It was more than just being royal and needing to appear so.
Everyone wanted a piece of him. Therefore, assuming this posture also drew boundaries.
However, I could see his aversion to Climbright was more.
“You’re giving the impression you really don’t like him.”
“I just don’t have any use for beings who pretend they’re all about civil service, when they’re actually all about getting as many contacts as they can and lining their pockets.”
Confirmed.
Tanyn really didn’t like him.
I sipped my cocktail (and found I did need a refresh, I’d been holding it so long, it’d gone warm) and looked across the room to Dinyn Climbright.
He was now talking to Timothee, but the expression on Timothee’s face made it look like he was trying very hard not to cry out while someone tore his fingernails out by the roots.
“Laura’s doing beautifully, isn’t she?”
At this new voice, I turned to see Monique, looking fabulous in a slinky number that had a bunch of panels flying out here and there, sheer fabric and ribbing, all of it making it appear like she was incased in a floating butterfly wing.
It was a beautiful homage to Laura and the gown she’d worn to the Midnight Masque, a gown that made the butterfly Laura’s signature (hence the theme for the party).
Damn, but Monique was the best.
“One can say, our gal is getting the hang of it,” I replied.
“And I’m seeing about fresh drinks for the two of you. Monique?” Tanyn prompted.
“Yes, please,” she replied.
Tanyn walked away.
We watched.
“He’s lush,” Mon noted.
“He is that.” I grabbed her hand. “You need to come up. See the castle.”
Her fingers tightened around mine. “I will. Soon.”
“Are you close to finally having what you need saved up?” I asked.
“Almost there.”
“When you get there, I’m coming down. We’re all gorging at Stained Glass or somewhere magnificent to celebrate. My treat.”
“I’d love that, Cat,” she whispered, but the words were choked and tight, and I knew the emotion behind them was about the fact that I hadn’t made it official, but all my gals knew they were losing me.
“You’re not getting rid of me that easy,” I promised. “I’ll be down a lot. And as queen, I can haul you all up to me too.”
She kept holding my hand tightly.
I held hers the same.
But the time came, and in that moment, with my most recent thoughts fresh in my mind, I hated doing it.
Because that night marked an official change in my life. And even if now, I was eager to face my future with Tanyn, that didn’t mean I wouldn’t miss the season of my life I was leaving behind.
Part of me wanted to cling.
But eventually, as always, she and I had to let go.
And it stung.
Deeply.
But we did it.
We three found each other during the first dance.
By “we” I meant Gayle, Mon and me.
And that dance was Aleksei and Laura’s dance.
As did everyone at the party, we stood in a ring around the dancefloor as the band with a female human singer, who had a sultry voice, beautifully sang the famous, soulful love song, “My Beginning and End.”
Laura didn’t appear happy and content, as she had done these last months she’d been with Aleksei.
She looked radiant.
Aleksei didn’t appear confident and delighted he’d scored his perfect mate.
He looked doting.
There was pomp. There was circumstance. There was a threat hanging over our heads. And they were having this intimate moment with over two hundred and fifty beings watching.
But they were in their own world.
“Oh shit, I think I might cry,” Monique mumbled.
I took her hand.